American Indians in U.S. History - (Civilization of the American Indian) 3rd Edition by Roger L Nichols (Paperback)

About the Book

This concise survey, tracing the experiences of American Indians from their origins to the present, has proven its value to both students and general readers in the two decades since its first publication. This third edition, drawing on the most recent research, adds information about Indian social, economic, political, and cultural issues in the twenty-first century, including tribal sovereignty, the Keystone XL Pipeline, and the controversial legacy of Indian boarding schools.

Book Synopsis

This concise survey, tracing the experiences of Native Americans from their origins to the present, has proven its value to both students and general readers in the two decades since its first publication. This third edition, drawing on the most recent research, adds information about Indigenous social, economic, political, and cultural issues in the twenty-first century, including tribal sovereignty, the Keystone XL Pipeline, and the controversial legacy of Indian boarding schools.

The author traces tribal experiences through four eras: Indigenous America prior to the European invasions; the colonial period; the emergence of the United States as the dominant power in North America and its subsequent invasion of Indian lands; and the years from 1900 to the present. Useful features include brief biographies of important Native figures, an updated chronology, and suggested readings for each period of the past four hundred years. Nichols uses both Euro-American sources and tribal stories to illuminate the problems Indigenous people and their leaders have dealt with in every generation.

Review Quotes

"A welcome addition to any general reader's library."--Great Plains Quarterly


"An excellent introduction to Indian history."--The Annals of Iowa


"Comprehensive, yet never superficial or simplistic, augmented by maps, illustrations, and a chronology, American Indians in U.S. History works admirably for its intended audience."--Nebraska History


"Nichols gracefully summarizes the last 2,000 years of American Indian life in fewer than 300 pages. Covering major events from King Philip's War to the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation to the explosive phenomenon of Native-owned casinos, and the accompanying evolution of governmental and popular attitudes."--Booklist


"Nichols provides a solid, readable, and at times elegant introduction to American Indian history."--Journal of Arizona History


"This slim volume admirably succeeds in reaching the broad audience for which it was intended."--CHOICE Magazine


"Roger L. Nichols's third edition of American Indians in U.S. History illuminates the importance of continued academic attention to the agency of Native Americans in the formation of the United States. This book challenges us to engage and explore this history not merely as what happened to American Indians but also as what they did--and continue to do--in the face of encroachment, cultural change, and settler colonialism."--Robert Keith Collins, author of Studying African-Native Americans: Problems, Perspectives, and Prospects