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Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in U.S. History
Indigenous enslavement was a colossal phenomenon of almost unimaginable consequences that ensnared nearly 600,000 Native Americans in North America. In a saga that predates 1619, this double-stealing of Indigenous people and their lands upends virtually every known narrative of American history.
Captured Natives, often deliberately misidentified as Black slaves, were used not only on southern plantations, but on small northern farms, and were routinely shipped overseas. While the American Revolution pealed the bells of freedom for colonists, it paved a larcenous trail of westward expansion that decimated tribes and plundered Indigenous lands. Even after Congress outlawed Native slavery in 1867, Americans forced Indigenous children into boarding schools and white homes, where they labored under forced assimilation. This practice was not outlawed until the latter twentieth century, when Indian nations finally secured increasing rights and self-determination. The most comprehensive work of its kind, Stealing America presents a five-century genocidal history, more commonly known as the "American dream."
Captured Natives, often deliberately misidentified as Black slaves, were used not only on southern plantations, but on small northern farms, and were routinely shipped overseas. While the American Revolution pealed the bells of freedom for colonists, it paved a larcenous trail of westward expansion that decimated tribes and plundered Indigenous lands. Even after Congress outlawed Native slavery in 1867, Americans forced Indigenous children into boarding schools and white homes, where they labored under forced assimilation. This practice was not outlawed until the latter twentieth century, when Indian nations finally secured increasing rights and self-determination. The most comprehensive work of its kind, Stealing America presents a five-century genocidal history, more commonly known as the "American dream."
560 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2026
About the author
Linford D. Fisher
8 books24 followersProfessor Fisher grew up in the rolling hills of southeastern Pennsylvania. He received his doctorate from Harvard University in 2008 and joined the Department of History at Brown in the summer of 2009. Professor Fisher's research and teaching relate primarily to the cultural and religious history of colonial America and the Atlantic world, including Native Americans, religion, material culture, and Indian and African slavery and servitude. He is the author of The Indian Great Awakening: Religion and the Shaping of Native Cultures in Early America and co-author of Decoding Roger Williams: The Lost Essay of Rhode Island's Founding Father. Additionally, he has authored over a dozen articles and book chapters. He is currently finishing a history of Native American enslavement in the English colonies and the United States between Columbus and the American Civil War, tentatively titled America Enslaved: The Rise and Fall of Indian Slavery in the English Atlantic and the United States. He is also the principal investigator of the Database of Indigenous Slavery in the Americas project, which seeks to create a public, centralized database of Native slavery throughout the Americas and across time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 15, 2026
In his book, Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in U.S. History, Linford D Fisher provides a well-written, exhaustively researched, and little known history of the enslavement of Indigenous people and its inextricable links to the colonization and land theft from the early beginnings of European settlements of the Americas to years after the end of the Civil War.
He also documents the treatment of Indigenous after the end of their enslavement including their forced removal to Reserves, the horrors of Residential schools which lasted well into the 20th century, the removal of newborn Indigenous babies from their mothers to be put up for adoption, the sterilization of Indigenous women without their consent, and the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW).
I won’t say this is an easy read or, in my case, listen given the subject matter but it is an important one, one that should be taught in schools and not just in the US, and I recommend it highly. I received the audiobook from Netgalley and Dreamscape Media narrated by Kaipo Schwab who does an excellent job. All opinions are my own.
He also documents the treatment of Indigenous after the end of their enslavement including their forced removal to Reserves, the horrors of Residential schools which lasted well into the 20th century, the removal of newborn Indigenous babies from their mothers to be put up for adoption, the sterilization of Indigenous women without their consent, and the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW).
I won’t say this is an easy read or, in my case, listen given the subject matter but it is an important one, one that should be taught in schools and not just in the US, and I recommend it highly. I received the audiobook from Netgalley and Dreamscape Media narrated by Kaipo Schwab who does an excellent job. All opinions are my own.
April 1, 2026
Linford Fisher’s Stealing America is a deeply researched and essential work of history. The level of detail is extraordinary, and Fisher brings long‑obscured truths to the surface with clarity and care. He exposes the violence, enslavement, and land theft that shaped the early American colonies and the United States, reminding readers that “the financial strength and geographical spread of the American colonies and the United States emerged from stolen land and enslaved labor. Native Americans were forced to provide both.”
What could have felt like a dense academic text instead becomes personal and grounded through Fisher’s conversations, ceremonies, and interviews with present‑day descendants of enslaved Indigenous peoples. These voices keep the narrative human and emotionally resonant.
One of the most impactful aspects of the book is Fisher’s insistence on rejecting a zero‑sum approach to historical trauma. He emphasizes that acknowledging Native enslavement does not diminish the enormity of Black enslavement; instead, these histories are intertwined within a “broader, layered, and multidirectional trauma” that touches Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, refugees, immigrants, and other marginalized communities.
My one gentle critique is the length. This is a substantial, immersive read, and readers should be prepared to commit time and focus to fully absorb it. The depth is valuable, but it does make the book feel long in places.
Still, I learned so much, and I appreciate Fisher’s insistence that the resilience of communities harmed by colonialism deserves to be told and understood. Anyone interested in American history, Indigenous studies, or understanding the roots of today’s social tensions will find this work indispensable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for my honest review.
What could have felt like a dense academic text instead becomes personal and grounded through Fisher’s conversations, ceremonies, and interviews with present‑day descendants of enslaved Indigenous peoples. These voices keep the narrative human and emotionally resonant.
One of the most impactful aspects of the book is Fisher’s insistence on rejecting a zero‑sum approach to historical trauma. He emphasizes that acknowledging Native enslavement does not diminish the enormity of Black enslavement; instead, these histories are intertwined within a “broader, layered, and multidirectional trauma” that touches Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, refugees, immigrants, and other marginalized communities.
My one gentle critique is the length. This is a substantial, immersive read, and readers should be prepared to commit time and focus to fully absorb it. The depth is valuable, but it does make the book feel long in places.
Still, I learned so much, and I appreciate Fisher’s insistence that the resilience of communities harmed by colonialism deserves to be told and understood. Anyone interested in American history, Indigenous studies, or understanding the roots of today’s social tensions will find this work indispensable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for my honest review.
May 1, 2026
⭐⭐⭐ A Valuable but Heavy Read on Native American History
I received an advance copy of Stealing America by Linford D. Fisher from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book immediately stood out to me because it focuses on a part of American history that is often overlooked, particularly the issue of Native American slavery and land dispossession. As someone who enjoys history, I was interested in learning more about this subject, and the book makes it clear from the beginning that it is grounded in serious research. The author draws on a wide range of historical evidence to build the argument, which gives the work both credibility and depth.
The strength of the book lies in its scope and the level of detail provided. It covers a long period of time and offers a thorough examination of how systems of power and control developed and were maintained. The themes are clearly presented and consistently reinforced throughout. The conclusion is especially strong, as the author reflects on the material and provides practical suggestions for how readers can continue learning and support Native communities. That final section adds an important dimension to the book and helps connect the history to the present.
At the same time, the book is a demanding read. The level of detail, combined with the long time span it covers, makes it quite dense. There are sections where the pacing slows, and it can be difficult to stay engaged over extended periods. The writing leans toward an academic style, which may not be accessible for all readers. Even with these challenges, this remains a valuable and informative work. It is best suited for readers who are comfortable with dense historical writing and who want to gain a deeper understanding of Native American history, though others may find it harder to read consistently.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Linford D. Fisher, W. W. Norton Company, and rb Media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#StealingAmerica #NetGalley
I received an advance copy of Stealing America by Linford D. Fisher from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book immediately stood out to me because it focuses on a part of American history that is often overlooked, particularly the issue of Native American slavery and land dispossession. As someone who enjoys history, I was interested in learning more about this subject, and the book makes it clear from the beginning that it is grounded in serious research. The author draws on a wide range of historical evidence to build the argument, which gives the work both credibility and depth.
The strength of the book lies in its scope and the level of detail provided. It covers a long period of time and offers a thorough examination of how systems of power and control developed and were maintained. The themes are clearly presented and consistently reinforced throughout. The conclusion is especially strong, as the author reflects on the material and provides practical suggestions for how readers can continue learning and support Native communities. That final section adds an important dimension to the book and helps connect the history to the present.
At the same time, the book is a demanding read. The level of detail, combined with the long time span it covers, makes it quite dense. There are sections where the pacing slows, and it can be difficult to stay engaged over extended periods. The writing leans toward an academic style, which may not be accessible for all readers. Even with these challenges, this remains a valuable and informative work. It is best suited for readers who are comfortable with dense historical writing and who want to gain a deeper understanding of Native American history, though others may find it harder to read consistently.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Linford D. Fisher, W. W. Norton Company, and rb Media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#StealingAmerica #NetGalley
July 10, 2026
We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us, on video, an indigenous woman yelled out at ICE officer in the winter of this year of discontent. It's been a longtime slogan, most frequently – as far as I can tell – by Mexican community who found themselves, after the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe, living in the same place they had been living in for centuries, which also meant, suddenly, living in a state not their own. That state, before and after, kept its borders expanding, swung them like a net, pushed and moved and circumcised other borders, pushed through bodies, crossed land and flesh. This is only one of the thefts of empire.
Lindford D. Fisher cards through the evidence to make visible the enormous appropriation of enslaved indigenous people's labour in settling, building and planting throughout (mostly North) America.
Race and its historical construction is crucial here in understanding the obscured role of Indigenous slavery in records. Crucially, it was in the best interests of enslavers to categorize their slaves as black, regardless of their actual ethnic make-up – as Black people's slavery was heritable and legally justified. By default, a Black person was assumed to be a slave., thus a slave was assumed to be Black, thus a Black person is assumed to have been a slave, thus a slave is assumed to be black—records lie, and omit, and in the chasm of forgetting even emancipations and later Black compiles searching to compile a subaltern history may unwittingly contribute to the long patterns of erasure in, erroneously, assuming a person to have been Black and appropriating their name and story.
A Black person was assumed to be enslaved. Their bondage was hereditary and legally embedded in a framework of christian ethic in the spirit of colonialism and Enlightenment-bred scientific racism. An Indigenous person, could not be, legally, enslaved in the same way – if acknowledged as such they might go off and get themselves emancipated by the magistrate, if they could prove that. An if like that is a scary thing to profit margins and societal cohesion.
De facto, indigenous enslavement persisted. De facto and de jure are two latinisms who translate roughly to "what is in the law is not what is actually happening" (and the people who you inherited the law from knew it, but some of you may persist in thinking otherwise. They hoped so too, probably, before a century of civil war made them okay, actually, with kings and masters, if most of the murder could stop, actually.)
____
A Note, and this as an audiobook:
I received and consumed L.D. Fisher's Stealing America as digital advanced review copy of the audiobook narrated by Kaipo Schwab, provided by Dreamscape Media through NetGalley.
Samples of Schwab narrating fiction certainly make him sound like a capable audiobook narrator. (I still do not like his diction much, my auditory processing issues milder but still there – but I can tell he is likeable as a narrative voice.) There, a longer pause can leave space to let prose breathe. Stop at the comma and and sniff the flowers. In more academic prose, punctuation – I am assuming that was the narrator's guide for pausing – has its great utility in making visible the hierarchical structure of the sentences, making legible in space the relations of concatenated thoughts to one another. The fragment in-between two commas, in speaking, may not call for being bracketed out at all in an intake of breath, but rather sped through, to indicate a clarification or a comment or a tangent. Schwab's narrative speech has words bear no relation to their contents. Text is split up into uniform, regular, slow-moving, consistent chunks, homogenized, even — white noise and static, that has to be waded through, has to be closely attended to and held in working memory (for however long it takes for the end of the informational subunit to arrive) in order to be parsed.
I would, first, be reluctant to put any blame on Schwab. His work is technically proficient, and any fault is hazily subjective, and would – to my mind – be the responsibility of the producer's oversight and direction, which you won't get in this economy.
I wouldn't know to what extent my issue may apply for others. I know that I've rarely struggled this much with following and properly parsing audio information, let alone one with Stealing America complexity (it is a very readable history), for all my life's hitherto encountered room of stuttering professors with heavy accents and amateur podcasters. Speed shift, puzzlingly, did not help either way, but only changed the flavour of the problem.
My rating (ties to apply tk) the text as a whole rather than a specific edition and/or medium, which I've tried not to let play into my judgement – but, doubtless, I would have failed.
Lindford D. Fisher cards through the evidence to make visible the enormous appropriation of enslaved indigenous people's labour in settling, building and planting throughout (mostly North) America.
... When colonists later crafted laws that made this racial prejudice more explicit, they were not creating racialized slavery - they were merely legalizing a set of practices that were already in place. Enslave first, justify later.
Race and its historical construction is crucial here in understanding the obscured role of Indigenous slavery in records. Crucially, it was in the best interests of enslavers to categorize their slaves as black, regardless of their actual ethnic make-up – as Black people's slavery was heritable and legally justified. By default, a Black person was assumed to be a slave., thus a slave was assumed to be Black, thus a Black person is assumed to have been a slave, thus a slave is assumed to be black—records lie, and omit, and in the chasm of forgetting even emancipations and later Black compiles searching to compile a subaltern history may unwittingly contribute to the long patterns of erasure in, erroneously, assuming a person to have been Black and appropriating their name and story.
A Black person was assumed to be enslaved. Their bondage was hereditary and legally embedded in a framework of christian ethic in the spirit of colonialism and Enlightenment-bred scientific racism. An Indigenous person, could not be, legally, enslaved in the same way – if acknowledged as such they might go off and get themselves emancipated by the magistrate, if they could prove that. An if like that is a scary thing to profit margins and societal cohesion.
De facto, indigenous enslavement persisted. De facto and de jure are two latinisms who translate roughly to "what is in the law is not what is actually happening" (and the people who you inherited the law from knew it, but some of you may persist in thinking otherwise. They hoped so too, probably, before a century of civil war made them okay, actually, with kings and masters, if most of the murder could stop, actually.)
____
A Note, and this as an audiobook:
I received and consumed L.D. Fisher's Stealing America as digital advanced review copy of the audiobook narrated by Kaipo Schwab, provided by Dreamscape Media through NetGalley.
Samples of Schwab narrating fiction certainly make him sound like a capable audiobook narrator. (I still do not like his diction much, my auditory processing issues milder but still there – but I can tell he is likeable as a narrative voice.) There, a longer pause can leave space to let prose breathe. Stop at the comma and and sniff the flowers. In more academic prose, punctuation – I am assuming that was the narrator's guide for pausing – has its great utility in making visible the hierarchical structure of the sentences, making legible in space the relations of concatenated thoughts to one another. The fragment in-between two commas, in speaking, may not call for being bracketed out at all in an intake of breath, but rather sped through, to indicate a clarification or a comment or a tangent. Schwab's narrative speech has words bear no relation to their contents. Text is split up into uniform, regular, slow-moving, consistent chunks, homogenized, even — white noise and static, that has to be waded through, has to be closely attended to and held in working memory (for however long it takes for the end of the informational subunit to arrive) in order to be parsed.
I would, first, be reluctant to put any blame on Schwab. His work is technically proficient, and any fault is hazily subjective, and would – to my mind – be the responsibility of the producer's oversight and direction, which you won't get in this economy.
I wouldn't know to what extent my issue may apply for others. I know that I've rarely struggled this much with following and properly parsing audio information, let alone one with Stealing America complexity (it is a very readable history), for all my life's hitherto encountered room of stuttering professors with heavy accents and amateur podcasters. Speed shift, puzzlingly, did not help either way, but only changed the flavour of the problem.
My rating (ties to apply tk) the text as a whole rather than a specific edition and/or medium, which I've tried not to let play into my judgement – but, doubtless, I would have failed.
May 20, 2026
Thank you to Linford D. Fisher and NetGalley for the free audiobook copy of this novel.
I have spent a lot of time learning about Indigenous people within Canada so I thought expanding that knowledge to America as important.
From what I have learned in the past, I should not have been surprised by so many of the facts stated in this book, but, I was. So many of the historical references for historical figures really just give you footnotes on their accomplishments but don't really focus on the neck-stepping they had to do to get there.
Like, fuck Bacon, what an asshole. (among many others but he stands out to me).
I liked that the author offered a kind of "what can we do now" section at the end to help those who want to help the indigenous cause.
Overall, the book is very information heavy but it is worth it. It is quite the historical reference for the slave trade (with an Indigenous focus) and bringing names to what has been stolen where the author can. I think many people need to read this, especially in places where the school systems are nose diving.
Side note: I did look up the author because I have a big thing about Indigenous people writing their own stories regarding their own people and Indigenous issues. The author is an assistant professor at Brown University in the area of history and because he does not try to express their feelings and opinions and keeps its primarily historical focusing on the patterns of colonial settlement, I believe it is a credible read. He also mentions working with Indigenous collaboration so that helps as well.
Also, for my educators and students I think this would be a great novel to reference for papers or other educational studies.
Great, essential Read.
I have spent a lot of time learning about Indigenous people within Canada so I thought expanding that knowledge to America as important.
From what I have learned in the past, I should not have been surprised by so many of the facts stated in this book, but, I was. So many of the historical references for historical figures really just give you footnotes on their accomplishments but don't really focus on the neck-stepping they had to do to get there.
Like, fuck Bacon, what an asshole. (among many others but he stands out to me).
I liked that the author offered a kind of "what can we do now" section at the end to help those who want to help the indigenous cause.
Overall, the book is very information heavy but it is worth it. It is quite the historical reference for the slave trade (with an Indigenous focus) and bringing names to what has been stolen where the author can. I think many people need to read this, especially in places where the school systems are nose diving.
Side note: I did look up the author because I have a big thing about Indigenous people writing their own stories regarding their own people and Indigenous issues. The author is an assistant professor at Brown University in the area of history and because he does not try to express their feelings and opinions and keeps its primarily historical focusing on the patterns of colonial settlement, I believe it is a credible read. He also mentions working with Indigenous collaboration so that helps as well.
Also, for my educators and students I think this would be a great novel to reference for papers or other educational studies.
Great, essential Read.
May 23, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audio of this book!
Wow. This is thoroughly researched and thought out with a bit of information overload. The level of detail is truly incredible and my head is swimming from all the facts presented in this deep dive into history. This was a part of history I'lll admit I was ignorant to, so I'm thankful for this book. I do feel like due to the sheer length and amount of information presented, it was a bit overwhelming. I will need to go back and re-read this - preferably with a hard copy so I can underline, highlight, etc.
I really appreciated the Authors Note with suggestions on where as a white bodied person I go from here, as it did feel a bit daunting to ingest all of this heavy information and then feel such sadness at what you learned and wanting to know how you can make a difference now. The suggestions for further reading and ways to make a difference in indigenous communities was a beautiful way to wrap up such a heavy topic. I will be telling everyone I know about this well-researched, important read!
Wow. This is thoroughly researched and thought out with a bit of information overload. The level of detail is truly incredible and my head is swimming from all the facts presented in this deep dive into history. This was a part of history I'lll admit I was ignorant to, so I'm thankful for this book. I do feel like due to the sheer length and amount of information presented, it was a bit overwhelming. I will need to go back and re-read this - preferably with a hard copy so I can underline, highlight, etc.
I really appreciated the Authors Note with suggestions on where as a white bodied person I go from here, as it did feel a bit daunting to ingest all of this heavy information and then feel such sadness at what you learned and wanting to know how you can make a difference now. The suggestions for further reading and ways to make a difference in indigenous communities was a beautiful way to wrap up such a heavy topic. I will be telling everyone I know about this well-researched, important read!
March 11, 2026
Another tough subject that truth and details are criminally ignored in the education system.
It’s important to know as much truth and information possible for the birth of a country, no matter how horrible or devastating it is. Most nations have very very rough spots in their beginnings and borders. America is not innocent of it.
This and African slavery should be taught in a little more detail rather than it happened. People were sold. People were whipped. There’s a lot more to it. This book breaks it down with plenty of cited references. Great research.
In my opinion this should be mandatory in college. My kids will absolutely be reading this once in high school.
This book is 100% worth every penny it costs. I’ve already reached out to a few friends who are avid history readers and explained that this is a must have and must read.
It’s important to know as much truth and information possible for the birth of a country, no matter how horrible or devastating it is. Most nations have very very rough spots in their beginnings and borders. America is not innocent of it.
This and African slavery should be taught in a little more detail rather than it happened. People were sold. People were whipped. There’s a lot more to it. This book breaks it down with plenty of cited references. Great research.
In my opinion this should be mandatory in college. My kids will absolutely be reading this once in high school.
This book is 100% worth every penny it costs. I’ve already reached out to a few friends who are avid history readers and explained that this is a must have and must read.
May 8, 2026
Half true, non-inclusive hypocrisy: excludes Indian slave masters before / after Europeans arrived
This book is loaded with hypocrisy, promotes exclusion – isn’t “inclusive,” has non-inclusive innuendo against America, and frequently censors out non-“white” owners of slaves. There’s a lot Linford doesn’t mention, or chooses to bypass, while denouncing Europe and America; a lot of half-truths, or doesn’t tell you the other side of the story. One is heavily criticized and still held accountable presently, while the other is occasionally mentioned and then appears to be excused. It also makes inaccurate historical statements: “.. historian Linford Fisher demonstrates how the enslavement of Indigenous people began in the years just after 1492 … largely erased from the public consciousness ..” (front inside flap; cf. page 5). “Although largely erased from public consciousness, Indigenous enslavement was a colossal phenomenon that spanned the entire Americas .. between 1492 and 1880 from Canada to Brazil” (page 4). In this book, the misleading idea is implied, inferred, or promoted that only Europeans / Americans were slave owners and land stealers. For those familiar enough with the subject, it may almost sound to you as if he is referring to Indian masters in the above, but those are bypassed a lot in the book for some reason (be inclusive!). “British and French traders obtained Indian slaves by tapping into existing indigenous practices of raiding and captive taking. Choctaws and Chickasaws had long seized male and female captives during wartime … Like other Native peoples, such as the Cherokees, Choctaws and Chickasaws usually put male captives to death after a period of ritualized torture” ( - Black Slaves, Indian Masters, 2013 University of North Carolina Press, pages 18-19; by Barbara Krauthamer, Ph.D.). And, later: “.. the slave trade escalated the scale of violence to unprecedented levels. The Chickasaws and several other slavers – the Creeks, Yamasees, Westos, and Savannahs – virtually destroyed dozens of tribes ..” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, 2010 Harvard University Press, page 68; by Christina Snyder, Ph.D. in History, University of North Carolina).
The book’s content and inference feeds or fits well with the popular, modern misconception, drenched in hypocrisy. In standard, political “correctness” nonsense form, Linford Fisher’s book gives the false impression that slavery is to be blamed only on the “white” man (by the way, I’m anti-race; Linford appears to agree that race is an invented construct on pages 10-11, “racial terms imposed by whites,” but then continues to use it). Generally, only the white man is presented in the book as practicing slavery and conquest; only the “white” man owned slaves. That’s not being “inclusive,” though. Page 8 further reads, “.. the people of these regions as well as their lands, … European arrival signaled the beginning of the theft of both. White colonists .. played a central role in these developments.” And, “The story of Native American enslavement and dispossession begins with the Spanish invasion ..” (page 12). Actually, Indians enslaved other Indians long before the Europeans arrived, and conquered each other’s land pre-Europe, and that is “largely erased from the public consciousness,” as well. That part is also mostly censored out of his book – so, he continues to erase, too. The back inside flap says he lives in Rhode Island, USA, so why doesn’t Linford leave North America and return the land he “stole” from the Indians? Why does he continue to stay on “stolen land”? You first, Linford! Sometimes Indian masters are mentioned (sample pages 22-3, 134-5, 137, etc), but it doesn’t get paraded around like the white man does in the rest of the book. Be inclusive! “.. Americans … it may be that they have so successfully erased this history of stealing that they never knew it fully in the first place” (pages 8-9). He exempts or greatly reduces/erases Indian participation in that stealing for some reason. And, he does not address the glaring enigma: Should Indians return the land back to the other Indians they stole it from? Should Indians give reparations to the other Indians they enslaved? Why does Linford keep excluding Indians? Why is only the “white” man required to return/repay it? Indians also enslaved Africans and “whites” – more reparations? “Native Americans .. have not forgotten this long history of injustices … Indigenous leaders have reminded the English and Americans of the wrongs they have perpetrated” (page 419). (In case you missed it above, he blames Spain invading native land, which would include what is now called Mexico. But he only screams about Americans presently on Indian land. Why doesn’t he emphasize Mexico as “stolen land,” too? Mexico was “taken” before America. I’m sure the people of Mexico/Spain would be more than glad to return Mexico to the natives, as well.)
So, he declares enslavement of Indians began with Spain invading. However, Snyder notes with pre-Europe natives: “Captivity and its most exploited form – slavery – was indigenous to North America … This history of Southern Indians and their captives begins during the pre-Columbian era, when rival chiefs vying for power went to war and took prisoners, exploiting these conquered enemies to enhance the power of their own ruling lineages … Captives usually arrived in Native communities as prisoners of war or as chattel via trade … Deeply rooted in Native history, slavery was already present when the first Europeans and Africans arrived in the sixteenth century. During the colonial era, slaves in Indian communities included individuals of Native, European, and African descent. Not until the late eighteenth century did Southern Indians begin to graft ideas about race onto their preexisting captivity practices … Slavery is not peculiar, nor is the fact that Native Americans practiced it … Participating in captivity as both victims and masters, .. Native slaveholders brought the plantation economy and black slavery to the interior South … For at least several hundred years .. exploitation and commodification of conquered enemies was nothing new in Native North America” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, 2010 Harvard University Press, pages 4-6, 8-9, 58; by Christina Snyder, Ph.D.).
And, “Colonization and the encroachment of the trans-Atlantic economy did not bring inequality to North America. By the time Europeans arrived in the sixteenth century, many Native Americans already lived in hierarchical societies governed by hereditary chiefs. At the bottom of these societies were captives whom chiefs obtained through war or trade … Chiefs controlled captives, whom they worked, traded, adopted, humiliated, and killed – all to enhance the power of the ruling lineage. In the seventeenth century, .. Like the chiefs who came before them, captors commodified their enemies, and they seemingly held no moral qualms about selling these spoils to European allies … In the wake of the Yamasee War [1712] .. Indians continued to capture their enemies – who by this time included whites, blacks, and Indians – to fates ranging from death to adoption to enslavement” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, ibid., pages 246-7). Jeff also notes, “.. the simple, incontestable fact that Indians enslaved far more Indians than Europeans ever did. It is likely that far more Africans were enslaved by Indians in the New World, than Indians by Europeans. Next to no academics are brave enough to do research on important topics such as this for the simple reason that their colleagues do not want to hear the whole truth about Indigenous slavery. Partly in order to supply the huge markets for sacrificial victims, Mesoamerica was home to a huge and well-documented network of slave markets in the years prior to the Spanish conquest … Native Americans routinely enslaved one another .. before the Europeans arrived ..” ( - Not Stolen: The Truth About European Colonialism in the New World, 2023, pages 147-9; by Jeff Fynn-Paul, Ph.D.).
Linford mentions reading Allan Gallay’s book The Indian Slave Trade on page xi “about Native American slavery in the Carolinas,” perhaps making it sound like Indians were enslaved only by Europeans / Americans in that book. But, he strangely does not mention that Gallay’s book also points out Indians were enslaved by other Indians. Why isn’t Linford being “inclusive” with Indians? Indian masters were part of the Indian slave trade, too. Gallay writes, concerning pre-European arrival: “Europeans did not introduce slavery or the notion of slaves as laborers to the American South but were instead responsible for stimulating a vast trade in humans as commodities. Because of their previous history of raiding for captives, many southern Indians adapted to European slave trading practically overnight” ( - The Indian Slave Trade, 2002 Yale University Press, pages 28-9; by Allan Gallay, Ph.D.). And, Indians stole land: “In 1670, .. The Virginians offered trade goods to the Westo in exchange for captives. It made more sense to the Westo to devote their energy to enslaving Amerindians than to hunting … Instead of killing their enemies or intimidating them to flee, the Westo sold them to the English, which not only removed their foes but gained them something in return … land ..” (ibid., pages 40-1). Why didn’t Linford mention that? Is he hiding or erasing “this history of stealing”?
So, Linford makes it sound like only the white man owned slaves, which is misleading. But then, sometimes, as if to reverse course and contradict his previous statements, he suddenly points out slavery was present in America before the Europeans arrived, and they stole land (“expansions”). He also mentions African kingdoms enslaving Africans (does the 1619 Project know about this?). Yet, it doesn’t get as much attention; it’s not paraded around like the “white” man owning slaves is (that’s not being inclusive!). He writes: “The Indigenous slave trade was not entirely invented by the English, but they expanded it … Well before the arrival of English traders to Carolina [1670s], the Indigenous nations of the Southeast had engaged in cycles of raids and warfare that had their own cultural significance … Native war parties took captives for revenge, to replace loved ones, and to bolster their own populations” (page 137). “.. in the 1630s, the Miskitu chiefs, or headmen, soon came to favor the English over the Spanish … periodic raids against Spanish-allied Indians created a steady supply of enslaved Natives for British traders … In the 1730s and 1740s, the two Miskitu nations embarked on .. raiding expeditions .. on the northern shore of Panama. Most of the captives were sold to English merchants, but some of the Miskitu leaders retained a few slaves for their personal use. This was in keeping with much older Native practices of captive taking, enslavement, and adoption that predated the coming of Europeans” (pages 160-2, 166). “In many instances, Native wars and expansions prior to the coming of Europeans were attempts to control resources and create networks of tributaries or to keep rival enemy groups in subservient relationships. Kingdoms in sub-Saharan Africa, too, had traditions of captivity and servitude that reached deep into that continent’s long history. African kings and rulers buttressed their power through harnessing the labor and resources of people under their jurisdiction, including enslaved individuals … Captives from neighboring kingdoms could be utilized in a variety of ways, from family and household inclusion to hard agricultural and commodity labor … As Europeans began arriving, tribes and kingdoms tried to use European alliances and technology to their own advantage” (pages 22-3).
He eventually points out Indians committed brutal acts, instead of only the white man. See pages 146-8 for Tuscarora Indians burning a captive to death, and cutting babies out of colonial women and then “draped over tree branches.” Others note that, “.. the Taensa practice of human sacrifice, which horrified the French. When a Taensa chief died, many others were killed to accompany him to the afterlife as servants and companions … [when] the Taensa temple burned .. a ‘chief priest,’ stood by the fire, shouting, ‘Women bring your children and offer them to the Spirit as a sacrifice to appease him.’ Five infants were put into the flames. Three Frenchmen in the village stopped the Taensa from throwing in more” ( - The Indian Slave Trade, ibid., page 118). “To complete the elite man’s burial, Cahokians ceremonially executed fifty-three women between the ages of 20 and 25 and buried them alongside him” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, ibid., page 27).
Slavery in the Bible is mentioned a few times, and it may leave the false impression the Bible could be used to justify American slavery on pages 22, 67. But, and here’s another little known secret, ancient slaves were likely not against slavery, but had a general welcome of slavery (unthinkable today!) (-this is what the modern abolitionist mind does not understand). Ancient slave revolts were not attempting to abolish slavery. Glancy notes in her book, “No abolition movement existed in antiquity” ( - Slavery in Early Christianity, 2002 Oxford University Press, page 150; by Jennifer Glancy, Ph.D.; second edition 2024, page 223). That is the direction the Bible points to, as well. The problem ancients objected to was the misconduct of certain owners (1 Kg 12:4, 7, 10-11, 16a, 18). Israel had its own civil war over slavery in 1 Kings 12, started by the slaves, and they were not attempting to abolish slavery (notice the Exodus from Egypt did not call for abolition). Abolition seems to have been a more widespread issue starting with the later British and American times; appears to be around 1750 (I know, it took that long?!). “For the most part, slavery was not a moral issue to southern peoples of the late seventeenth century. Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans all understood enslavement as a legitimate fate for particular individuals or groups. All accepted that ‘others’ could or should have that status ..” ( - The Indian Slave Trade, ibid., page 8). The Bible was addressing an ancient culture where slavery was welcomed by slaves. The Bible can’t be used to impose or justify slavery on a culture where slaves were abolitionist / did not want slavery itself. So, to address before 1750, notice Mosaic law was for a Jewish theocracy (not America, etc) (Exodus 19:6; 34:27), and anyways it prohibited purposely abusing/maiming slaves or the slave was to be freed if it happened (Exo 21:26-7), which is rather different from American practice. Purposely killing a slave also carried the death penalty (Exo 21:20). Incoming runaway slaves were freed in Israel and not extradited (Deut. 23:15-6). Amos 1:6, 9 appears to be against mass enslavement. The church did not have civil laws, but enslaving is condemned in 1 Timothy 1:10 (likely refers to when a free person is abducted into slavery), abusing slaves is condemned, as well, in Ephesians 6:9. Manumission is encouraged in 1 Corinthians 7:21 (the Hebrew manuscript edition reads, “if you may be made free, rather do that”; see Hebrew Letter to Corinth 1-2, 2023 Sefer Press; co-translator/editor: Al Garza). And, Jesus seems to challenge the slaveholding mentality by ordering foot washing – the work of slaves – to His followers; essentially saying be slaves to one another (John 13:14-5; Mark 10:43-4). Apostle Paul mentions not holding one as a slave anymore but as a brother (Philemon 16). American slavery does not fit the Biblical picture. A case can be made that church history did not conform, either (cf. 1 Cor. 5:1).
The book also promotes blatant hypocrisy: “.. I and all non-Natives who benefit from the ongoing settler occupation of this country ..” (page xiii). “Indigenous people … rightful possessors of the land ..” (page 93). “A vast diversity of Indigenous peoples across the continent have found ways to negotiate and survive the waves of invading Europeans and Americans from 1492 to the present” (pages 4-5). So, Linford admits he is presently on land that is not his (ignoring the part about Indian masters stole land, too). But, one wonders if he has even reached out to Indians in an attempt to return their land that he occupies himself presently. Surely, Indians would be glad to reclaim their land he is presently on. On page 427, he promotes that we should “have land returned to them.” Shouldn’t Linford do what he promotes? If you’re going to play the “this land is your land” scenario, then why are you still here? Leave. Instead of just complaining you should do something about it and leave. Do your part and give back the land that you have “stolen.” The author bio shows he lives in Rhode Island (back inside flap), which he identifies as invaded on pages 42, 79, 114, 121-2. So, Linford himself keeps stealing America from the Indians presently – he doesn’t have the honesty or courage to leave North America. Why doesn’t the author remove himself from North America (etc) if he thinks it belongs to the Indians? No one is stopping him. Shouldn’t he return his house, car, clothing, and other property he stole from the Indians? You first, Linford! He complains and then he keeps stealing America from the Indians presently. He doesn’t live up to the message of his own book. His actions are saying, “Rules for thee, but not for me.”
Linford is also not “inclusive” with environmentalists. If you’re going to take the “they were here first” route, then the environmentalists will win. The land belongs to nature, so humans are not allowed on land (you can’t go in the water or air, either, because there are fish and birds living there, and microorganisms). The Indians stole the land from the plants and animals, insects and rocks, rivers and mountains, air and dirt, and microorganisms. Those things were here first, so the Indians should return what they stole from nature.
The 1619 Project is endorsed on page 446 #10, but it still seems to get pushed to the side (and again giving the false impression that only “whites” enslaved others-): “.. 1619 .. was only the start of African slavery in English North America; English colonists had been stealing and enslaving Native Americans from the time they first began exploring the lands that later became the United States … English colonists had been enslaving Native Americans for a half century by the time Virginia first received enslaved Africans in 1619” (pages 44, 49). (recommend rebuttal books: Debunking the 1619 Project, 2021-2, by Mary Grabar, Ph.D.; and The 1619 Project Myth, 2025, by Phillip Magness, Ph.D.).
Shortened review due to space limit.
This book is loaded with hypocrisy, promotes exclusion – isn’t “inclusive,” has non-inclusive innuendo against America, and frequently censors out non-“white” owners of slaves. There’s a lot Linford doesn’t mention, or chooses to bypass, while denouncing Europe and America; a lot of half-truths, or doesn’t tell you the other side of the story. One is heavily criticized and still held accountable presently, while the other is occasionally mentioned and then appears to be excused. It also makes inaccurate historical statements: “.. historian Linford Fisher demonstrates how the enslavement of Indigenous people began in the years just after 1492 … largely erased from the public consciousness ..” (front inside flap; cf. page 5). “Although largely erased from public consciousness, Indigenous enslavement was a colossal phenomenon that spanned the entire Americas .. between 1492 and 1880 from Canada to Brazil” (page 4). In this book, the misleading idea is implied, inferred, or promoted that only Europeans / Americans were slave owners and land stealers. For those familiar enough with the subject, it may almost sound to you as if he is referring to Indian masters in the above, but those are bypassed a lot in the book for some reason (be inclusive!). “British and French traders obtained Indian slaves by tapping into existing indigenous practices of raiding and captive taking. Choctaws and Chickasaws had long seized male and female captives during wartime … Like other Native peoples, such as the Cherokees, Choctaws and Chickasaws usually put male captives to death after a period of ritualized torture” ( - Black Slaves, Indian Masters, 2013 University of North Carolina Press, pages 18-19; by Barbara Krauthamer, Ph.D.). And, later: “.. the slave trade escalated the scale of violence to unprecedented levels. The Chickasaws and several other slavers – the Creeks, Yamasees, Westos, and Savannahs – virtually destroyed dozens of tribes ..” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, 2010 Harvard University Press, page 68; by Christina Snyder, Ph.D. in History, University of North Carolina).
The book’s content and inference feeds or fits well with the popular, modern misconception, drenched in hypocrisy. In standard, political “correctness” nonsense form, Linford Fisher’s book gives the false impression that slavery is to be blamed only on the “white” man (by the way, I’m anti-race; Linford appears to agree that race is an invented construct on pages 10-11, “racial terms imposed by whites,” but then continues to use it). Generally, only the white man is presented in the book as practicing slavery and conquest; only the “white” man owned slaves. That’s not being “inclusive,” though. Page 8 further reads, “.. the people of these regions as well as their lands, … European arrival signaled the beginning of the theft of both. White colonists .. played a central role in these developments.” And, “The story of Native American enslavement and dispossession begins with the Spanish invasion ..” (page 12). Actually, Indians enslaved other Indians long before the Europeans arrived, and conquered each other’s land pre-Europe, and that is “largely erased from the public consciousness,” as well. That part is also mostly censored out of his book – so, he continues to erase, too. The back inside flap says he lives in Rhode Island, USA, so why doesn’t Linford leave North America and return the land he “stole” from the Indians? Why does he continue to stay on “stolen land”? You first, Linford! Sometimes Indian masters are mentioned (sample pages 22-3, 134-5, 137, etc), but it doesn’t get paraded around like the white man does in the rest of the book. Be inclusive! “.. Americans … it may be that they have so successfully erased this history of stealing that they never knew it fully in the first place” (pages 8-9). He exempts or greatly reduces/erases Indian participation in that stealing for some reason. And, he does not address the glaring enigma: Should Indians return the land back to the other Indians they stole it from? Should Indians give reparations to the other Indians they enslaved? Why does Linford keep excluding Indians? Why is only the “white” man required to return/repay it? Indians also enslaved Africans and “whites” – more reparations? “Native Americans .. have not forgotten this long history of injustices … Indigenous leaders have reminded the English and Americans of the wrongs they have perpetrated” (page 419). (In case you missed it above, he blames Spain invading native land, which would include what is now called Mexico. But he only screams about Americans presently on Indian land. Why doesn’t he emphasize Mexico as “stolen land,” too? Mexico was “taken” before America. I’m sure the people of Mexico/Spain would be more than glad to return Mexico to the natives, as well.)
So, he declares enslavement of Indians began with Spain invading. However, Snyder notes with pre-Europe natives: “Captivity and its most exploited form – slavery – was indigenous to North America … This history of Southern Indians and their captives begins during the pre-Columbian era, when rival chiefs vying for power went to war and took prisoners, exploiting these conquered enemies to enhance the power of their own ruling lineages … Captives usually arrived in Native communities as prisoners of war or as chattel via trade … Deeply rooted in Native history, slavery was already present when the first Europeans and Africans arrived in the sixteenth century. During the colonial era, slaves in Indian communities included individuals of Native, European, and African descent. Not until the late eighteenth century did Southern Indians begin to graft ideas about race onto their preexisting captivity practices … Slavery is not peculiar, nor is the fact that Native Americans practiced it … Participating in captivity as both victims and masters, .. Native slaveholders brought the plantation economy and black slavery to the interior South … For at least several hundred years .. exploitation and commodification of conquered enemies was nothing new in Native North America” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, 2010 Harvard University Press, pages 4-6, 8-9, 58; by Christina Snyder, Ph.D.).
And, “Colonization and the encroachment of the trans-Atlantic economy did not bring inequality to North America. By the time Europeans arrived in the sixteenth century, many Native Americans already lived in hierarchical societies governed by hereditary chiefs. At the bottom of these societies were captives whom chiefs obtained through war or trade … Chiefs controlled captives, whom they worked, traded, adopted, humiliated, and killed – all to enhance the power of the ruling lineage. In the seventeenth century, .. Like the chiefs who came before them, captors commodified their enemies, and they seemingly held no moral qualms about selling these spoils to European allies … In the wake of the Yamasee War [1712] .. Indians continued to capture their enemies – who by this time included whites, blacks, and Indians – to fates ranging from death to adoption to enslavement” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, ibid., pages 246-7). Jeff also notes, “.. the simple, incontestable fact that Indians enslaved far more Indians than Europeans ever did. It is likely that far more Africans were enslaved by Indians in the New World, than Indians by Europeans. Next to no academics are brave enough to do research on important topics such as this for the simple reason that their colleagues do not want to hear the whole truth about Indigenous slavery. Partly in order to supply the huge markets for sacrificial victims, Mesoamerica was home to a huge and well-documented network of slave markets in the years prior to the Spanish conquest … Native Americans routinely enslaved one another .. before the Europeans arrived ..” ( - Not Stolen: The Truth About European Colonialism in the New World, 2023, pages 147-9; by Jeff Fynn-Paul, Ph.D.).
Linford mentions reading Allan Gallay’s book The Indian Slave Trade on page xi “about Native American slavery in the Carolinas,” perhaps making it sound like Indians were enslaved only by Europeans / Americans in that book. But, he strangely does not mention that Gallay’s book also points out Indians were enslaved by other Indians. Why isn’t Linford being “inclusive” with Indians? Indian masters were part of the Indian slave trade, too. Gallay writes, concerning pre-European arrival: “Europeans did not introduce slavery or the notion of slaves as laborers to the American South but were instead responsible for stimulating a vast trade in humans as commodities. Because of their previous history of raiding for captives, many southern Indians adapted to European slave trading practically overnight” ( - The Indian Slave Trade, 2002 Yale University Press, pages 28-9; by Allan Gallay, Ph.D.). And, Indians stole land: “In 1670, .. The Virginians offered trade goods to the Westo in exchange for captives. It made more sense to the Westo to devote their energy to enslaving Amerindians than to hunting … Instead of killing their enemies or intimidating them to flee, the Westo sold them to the English, which not only removed their foes but gained them something in return … land ..” (ibid., pages 40-1). Why didn’t Linford mention that? Is he hiding or erasing “this history of stealing”?
So, Linford makes it sound like only the white man owned slaves, which is misleading. But then, sometimes, as if to reverse course and contradict his previous statements, he suddenly points out slavery was present in America before the Europeans arrived, and they stole land (“expansions”). He also mentions African kingdoms enslaving Africans (does the 1619 Project know about this?). Yet, it doesn’t get as much attention; it’s not paraded around like the “white” man owning slaves is (that’s not being inclusive!). He writes: “The Indigenous slave trade was not entirely invented by the English, but they expanded it … Well before the arrival of English traders to Carolina [1670s], the Indigenous nations of the Southeast had engaged in cycles of raids and warfare that had their own cultural significance … Native war parties took captives for revenge, to replace loved ones, and to bolster their own populations” (page 137). “.. in the 1630s, the Miskitu chiefs, or headmen, soon came to favor the English over the Spanish … periodic raids against Spanish-allied Indians created a steady supply of enslaved Natives for British traders … In the 1730s and 1740s, the two Miskitu nations embarked on .. raiding expeditions .. on the northern shore of Panama. Most of the captives were sold to English merchants, but some of the Miskitu leaders retained a few slaves for their personal use. This was in keeping with much older Native practices of captive taking, enslavement, and adoption that predated the coming of Europeans” (pages 160-2, 166). “In many instances, Native wars and expansions prior to the coming of Europeans were attempts to control resources and create networks of tributaries or to keep rival enemy groups in subservient relationships. Kingdoms in sub-Saharan Africa, too, had traditions of captivity and servitude that reached deep into that continent’s long history. African kings and rulers buttressed their power through harnessing the labor and resources of people under their jurisdiction, including enslaved individuals … Captives from neighboring kingdoms could be utilized in a variety of ways, from family and household inclusion to hard agricultural and commodity labor … As Europeans began arriving, tribes and kingdoms tried to use European alliances and technology to their own advantage” (pages 22-3).
He eventually points out Indians committed brutal acts, instead of only the white man. See pages 146-8 for Tuscarora Indians burning a captive to death, and cutting babies out of colonial women and then “draped over tree branches.” Others note that, “.. the Taensa practice of human sacrifice, which horrified the French. When a Taensa chief died, many others were killed to accompany him to the afterlife as servants and companions … [when] the Taensa temple burned .. a ‘chief priest,’ stood by the fire, shouting, ‘Women bring your children and offer them to the Spirit as a sacrifice to appease him.’ Five infants were put into the flames. Three Frenchmen in the village stopped the Taensa from throwing in more” ( - The Indian Slave Trade, ibid., page 118). “To complete the elite man’s burial, Cahokians ceremonially executed fifty-three women between the ages of 20 and 25 and buried them alongside him” ( - Slavery in Indian Country, ibid., page 27).
Slavery in the Bible is mentioned a few times, and it may leave the false impression the Bible could be used to justify American slavery on pages 22, 67. But, and here’s another little known secret, ancient slaves were likely not against slavery, but had a general welcome of slavery (unthinkable today!) (-this is what the modern abolitionist mind does not understand). Ancient slave revolts were not attempting to abolish slavery. Glancy notes in her book, “No abolition movement existed in antiquity” ( - Slavery in Early Christianity, 2002 Oxford University Press, page 150; by Jennifer Glancy, Ph.D.; second edition 2024, page 223). That is the direction the Bible points to, as well. The problem ancients objected to was the misconduct of certain owners (1 Kg 12:4, 7, 10-11, 16a, 18). Israel had its own civil war over slavery in 1 Kings 12, started by the slaves, and they were not attempting to abolish slavery (notice the Exodus from Egypt did not call for abolition). Abolition seems to have been a more widespread issue starting with the later British and American times; appears to be around 1750 (I know, it took that long?!). “For the most part, slavery was not a moral issue to southern peoples of the late seventeenth century. Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans all understood enslavement as a legitimate fate for particular individuals or groups. All accepted that ‘others’ could or should have that status ..” ( - The Indian Slave Trade, ibid., page 8). The Bible was addressing an ancient culture where slavery was welcomed by slaves. The Bible can’t be used to impose or justify slavery on a culture where slaves were abolitionist / did not want slavery itself. So, to address before 1750, notice Mosaic law was for a Jewish theocracy (not America, etc) (Exodus 19:6; 34:27), and anyways it prohibited purposely abusing/maiming slaves or the slave was to be freed if it happened (Exo 21:26-7), which is rather different from American practice. Purposely killing a slave also carried the death penalty (Exo 21:20). Incoming runaway slaves were freed in Israel and not extradited (Deut. 23:15-6). Amos 1:6, 9 appears to be against mass enslavement. The church did not have civil laws, but enslaving is condemned in 1 Timothy 1:10 (likely refers to when a free person is abducted into slavery), abusing slaves is condemned, as well, in Ephesians 6:9. Manumission is encouraged in 1 Corinthians 7:21 (the Hebrew manuscript edition reads, “if you may be made free, rather do that”; see Hebrew Letter to Corinth 1-2, 2023 Sefer Press; co-translator/editor: Al Garza). And, Jesus seems to challenge the slaveholding mentality by ordering foot washing – the work of slaves – to His followers; essentially saying be slaves to one another (John 13:14-5; Mark 10:43-4). Apostle Paul mentions not holding one as a slave anymore but as a brother (Philemon 16). American slavery does not fit the Biblical picture. A case can be made that church history did not conform, either (cf. 1 Cor. 5:1).
The book also promotes blatant hypocrisy: “.. I and all non-Natives who benefit from the ongoing settler occupation of this country ..” (page xiii). “Indigenous people … rightful possessors of the land ..” (page 93). “A vast diversity of Indigenous peoples across the continent have found ways to negotiate and survive the waves of invading Europeans and Americans from 1492 to the present” (pages 4-5). So, Linford admits he is presently on land that is not his (ignoring the part about Indian masters stole land, too). But, one wonders if he has even reached out to Indians in an attempt to return their land that he occupies himself presently. Surely, Indians would be glad to reclaim their land he is presently on. On page 427, he promotes that we should “have land returned to them.” Shouldn’t Linford do what he promotes? If you’re going to play the “this land is your land” scenario, then why are you still here? Leave. Instead of just complaining you should do something about it and leave. Do your part and give back the land that you have “stolen.” The author bio shows he lives in Rhode Island (back inside flap), which he identifies as invaded on pages 42, 79, 114, 121-2. So, Linford himself keeps stealing America from the Indians presently – he doesn’t have the honesty or courage to leave North America. Why doesn’t the author remove himself from North America (etc) if he thinks it belongs to the Indians? No one is stopping him. Shouldn’t he return his house, car, clothing, and other property he stole from the Indians? You first, Linford! He complains and then he keeps stealing America from the Indians presently. He doesn’t live up to the message of his own book. His actions are saying, “Rules for thee, but not for me.”
Linford is also not “inclusive” with environmentalists. If you’re going to take the “they were here first” route, then the environmentalists will win. The land belongs to nature, so humans are not allowed on land (you can’t go in the water or air, either, because there are fish and birds living there, and microorganisms). The Indians stole the land from the plants and animals, insects and rocks, rivers and mountains, air and dirt, and microorganisms. Those things were here first, so the Indians should return what they stole from nature.
The 1619 Project is endorsed on page 446 #10, but it still seems to get pushed to the side (and again giving the false impression that only “whites” enslaved others-): “.. 1619 .. was only the start of African slavery in English North America; English colonists had been stealing and enslaving Native Americans from the time they first began exploring the lands that later became the United States … English colonists had been enslaving Native Americans for a half century by the time Virginia first received enslaved Africans in 1619” (pages 44, 49). (recommend rebuttal books: Debunking the 1619 Project, 2021-2, by Mary Grabar, Ph.D.; and The 1619 Project Myth, 2025, by Phillip Magness, Ph.D.).
Shortened review due to space limit.
June 7, 2026
Good survey of the historiography regarding the enslavement of Indigenous peoples throughout North America. Adds a new wrinkle by estimating that nearly a quarter of enslaved African Americans were likely Indigenous as well.
June 9, 2026
an accessibly written comprehensive history of an important topic — enslavement of Indigenous Americans and related land theft — and its surrounding historical context
May 22, 2026
This book was absolutely fantastic, definitely one of my top history books so far this year. It was expansive, well-researched and completely riveting, as well as deeply harrowing. I found myself regularly pausing the audiobook to jot down facts in my ‘notes’ app, to make sure I wouldn’t forget key facts.
Using extensive documentary evidence, Fisher shows that trafficking and enslaving Indigenous Americans was commonplace throughout the now-US, and served a dual purpose: enslavers extracted labour for profit, while simultaneously destabilising and displacing local communities which freed up yet more land to exploit for profit. In this way, the enslavement of indigenous Americans was inextricably linked with colonisation - stealing land and stealing people were two sides of the same coin.
This slavery existed before it was legally permissible, and continued long after the enslavement of Indigenous Americans was banned. With the flick of a pen, enslavers would commit ‘documentary genocide’, falsifying records to list indigenous Americans as being a different ethnicity (commonly Black or Mixed Race). This practice has obscured the extent of the trafficking of Indigenous people.
In addition, the book examines how this slavery shifted over time and in different places: Indigenous Americans faced chattel slavery, being trafficked into chattel slavery after agreeing to an ostensibly fixed-term indenture contract, forcing tribes to stay and work on specific land following ethnic cleansing, debt peonage, and forcibly adopting indigenous people to perform unpaid household and other labour.
This book is incredibly important in uncovering another aspect of the slavery underpinning the modern US.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Using extensive documentary evidence, Fisher shows that trafficking and enslaving Indigenous Americans was commonplace throughout the now-US, and served a dual purpose: enslavers extracted labour for profit, while simultaneously destabilising and displacing local communities which freed up yet more land to exploit for profit. In this way, the enslavement of indigenous Americans was inextricably linked with colonisation - stealing land and stealing people were two sides of the same coin.
This slavery existed before it was legally permissible, and continued long after the enslavement of Indigenous Americans was banned. With the flick of a pen, enslavers would commit ‘documentary genocide’, falsifying records to list indigenous Americans as being a different ethnicity (commonly Black or Mixed Race). This practice has obscured the extent of the trafficking of Indigenous people.
In addition, the book examines how this slavery shifted over time and in different places: Indigenous Americans faced chattel slavery, being trafficked into chattel slavery after agreeing to an ostensibly fixed-term indenture contract, forcing tribes to stay and work on specific land following ethnic cleansing, debt peonage, and forcibly adopting indigenous people to perform unpaid household and other labour.
This book is incredibly important in uncovering another aspect of the slavery underpinning the modern US.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
May 9, 2026
This book covers an astonishing span of American history; the early chapters seek to excavate the largely forgotten history of Indigenous slavery during colonial America, while the later sections are, in many ways, even more haunting and compelling, surrounding Indigenous boarding schools and forced assimilation into the 20th century.
Fisher powerfully demonstrates how accounts of captivity and coerced labor connect across generations, part of a continuous system of dispossession. Stealing America is an ambitious undertaking, but it succeeds in what feels like a landmark first-of-it’s-kind work.
Essential for understanding the full scope of American history.
Fisher powerfully demonstrates how accounts of captivity and coerced labor connect across generations, part of a continuous system of dispossession. Stealing America is an ambitious undertaking, but it succeeds in what feels like a landmark first-of-it’s-kind work.
Essential for understanding the full scope of American history.
June 4, 2026
I cannot recommend Stealing America enough. This is not an easy read, but it is an essential one.
Linford D. Fisher shines a light on a largely overlooked part of American history, documenting the widespread enslavement of Indigenous peoples and the theft of Native lands over centuries. The research is extensive, yet the writing remains engaging and accessible. I learned so much from this book, and it challenged many assumptions I had about the history of slavery and colonization in America.
What makes this book especially powerful is that it does not just recount historical facts. It reveals the human cost of these policies and practices while also highlighting the resilience and survival of Indigenous communities.
I listened to this as an ALC through NetGalley, and it is one of those rare books that I know I will return to. I am already looking forward to getting a physical copy and rereading it so I can take my time with the material and absorb even more of what it has to offer.
This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish it. Difficult, eye opening, and deeply important, Stealing America should be required reading for anyone interested in understanding American history more fully.
Linford D. Fisher shines a light on a largely overlooked part of American history, documenting the widespread enslavement of Indigenous peoples and the theft of Native lands over centuries. The research is extensive, yet the writing remains engaging and accessible. I learned so much from this book, and it challenged many assumptions I had about the history of slavery and colonization in America.
What makes this book especially powerful is that it does not just recount historical facts. It reveals the human cost of these policies and practices while also highlighting the resilience and survival of Indigenous communities.
I listened to this as an ALC through NetGalley, and it is one of those rare books that I know I will return to. I am already looking forward to getting a physical copy and rereading it so I can take my time with the material and absorb even more of what it has to offer.
This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish it. Difficult, eye opening, and deeply important, Stealing America should be required reading for anyone interested in understanding American history more fully.
April 30, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the gifted copy.
Stealing America is a thought-provoking and eye-opening read that explores the complexities of early American history, particularly through the lens of Indigenous experiences and colonial encounters. Linford D. Fisher presents a well-researched narrative that challenges familiar perspectives and encourages deeper reflection. It’s informative, engaging, and an important contribution to understanding the past more fully.
Stealing America is a thought-provoking and eye-opening read that explores the complexities of early American history, particularly through the lens of Indigenous experiences and colonial encounters. Linford D. Fisher presents a well-researched narrative that challenges familiar perspectives and encourages deeper reflection. It’s informative, engaging, and an important contribution to understanding the past more fully.
June 8, 2026
Review of advance copy received from publisher on NetGalley
absolutely brutal to listen to, in the best way. i love history audiobooks, and this one was particularly hard-hitting because of how horribly repetitive the history itself is. i was horrified to realize i was only halfway through and we were only in the 1800s, going in chronological order. still so much more terrible actions to go.
there's a long history of genuinely awful things done to indigenous people under the guise of good intent, with layers of legislation meant not to protect but to preserve the way things were, as championed by people in power at the time. hearing about institutions like the american indian boarding schools and the indian student placement program had me asking why none of this was covered in any history class i ever attended.
what struck me most was the narrator's delivery - matter-of-fact, almost cheerful, while rattling off facts and figures that made me flinch. it was such an effective contrast. i also appreciated the sheer number of names mentioned throughout, what a way to humanize it.
a great resource for anyone wanting a reality check on how "the good old days" weren't so good for huge swaths of people.
absolutely brutal to listen to, in the best way. i love history audiobooks, and this one was particularly hard-hitting because of how horribly repetitive the history itself is. i was horrified to realize i was only halfway through and we were only in the 1800s, going in chronological order. still so much more terrible actions to go.
there's a long history of genuinely awful things done to indigenous people under the guise of good intent, with layers of legislation meant not to protect but to preserve the way things were, as championed by people in power at the time. hearing about institutions like the american indian boarding schools and the indian student placement program had me asking why none of this was covered in any history class i ever attended.
what struck me most was the narrator's delivery - matter-of-fact, almost cheerful, while rattling off facts and figures that made me flinch. it was such an effective contrast. i also appreciated the sheer number of names mentioned throughout, what a way to humanize it.
a great resource for anyone wanting a reality check on how "the good old days" weren't so good for huge swaths of people.
June 2, 2026
Although I’m not surprised that many indigenous people were enslaved given America’s history of dependence on slavery, my shock really lies with how truly swept under the rug so many of these details are. We really weren’t taught about slavery of anyone but African Americans and this runs back hundreds of years, even in place of abolishing Black slaves. The kidnappings, the brutality, the slaughter (murder sounds too nice), the shipping of people overseas, the splitting up of families.
Hearing of those whose plight was to abolish slavery, only to enforce the continued enslavement of indigenous people is maddening and that it continued north, south, overseas.
Even today, so many missing, murdered. This was deeply painful but deeply insightful. A reminder of the history of racism against many different cultures
Hearing of those whose plight was to abolish slavery, only to enforce the continued enslavement of indigenous people is maddening and that it continued north, south, overseas.
Even today, so many missing, murdered. This was deeply painful but deeply insightful. A reminder of the history of racism against many different cultures
May 21, 2026
I noticed that some of the criticism of this book was that it barely touched on the concept of indigenous people being enslaved by other indigenous. Which I think is a rather ridiculous criticism. Of course native populations enslaved each other. Every continent in the world had countless people enslave each other. This book does mention the native people owning slaves as well as raiding other nations, as well as trading and selling slaves, but it's focus isn't just on that. What it also highlights is the slavery of the indigenous people in the Americas at the hands of those of European heritage. Something that happened for hundreds of years but is often not brought into the discussion of slavery in America. There are different aspects brought in as well as chattel slavery, like debt peonage, and forced labor, such as in the cases of many children in the Indian boarding schools. It discusses many different specific cases of enslavement as well as revealing the ways that the system evolved over the years and how slavery still thrived despite laws prohibiting it. The book is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about the history of the Americas and what the native peoples went through.
May 21, 2026
I think this is a great resource and reference book, but it’s dense to read straight through. Understandably - there’s a lot of historical record to pull from, and it all matters; but it can feel like a stream of dates and facts rather than a fully cohesive timeline. There were moments I wished certain stories had more room to breathe, only for the book to move quickly into the next event. Still, it’s incredibly detailed, well-researched, and, in my opinion, a comprehensive history of the enslavement of Native peoples in the founding of the U.S.
It covers a part of American history that’s rarely acknowledged. I didn’t fully understand the extent of it before reading this - I had absorbed the common, limited framing that slavery in the U.S. primarily affected Black populations. This book makes clear how extensive the Indigenous slave trade was, long before and alongside African slavery, supported by primary sources, images, and documentation from the time.
It traces a long arc - from Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Caribbean to boarding schools and present-day land reparations. This history belongs alongside the teaching of African slavery in schools, but that would require a broader willingness to acknowledge Native existence at all.
I received this book as an eARC.
It covers a part of American history that’s rarely acknowledged. I didn’t fully understand the extent of it before reading this - I had absorbed the common, limited framing that slavery in the U.S. primarily affected Black populations. This book makes clear how extensive the Indigenous slave trade was, long before and alongside African slavery, supported by primary sources, images, and documentation from the time.
It traces a long arc - from Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Caribbean to boarding schools and present-day land reparations. This history belongs alongside the teaching of African slavery in schools, but that would require a broader willingness to acknowledge Native existence at all.
I received this book as an eARC.
May 22, 2026
4.5/5
A sometimes tough read, but very much worth it. I learned several things that they oh so helpfully failed to mention in textbooks and media.
A sometimes tough read, but very much worth it. I learned several things that they oh so helpfully failed to mention in textbooks and media.
April 13, 2026
Thank you to Linford D. Fisher and NetGalley for letting me read an ARC copy of Stealing America. When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew that I wanted to read it as soon as possible, and I was not let down. In my opinion this is a must read for everyone. It is full of research and information regarding the enslavement of Native Americans from the arrival of the first European to modern day. While it is full of research, Fisher makes it an accessible read that is easy to follow and process. I find myself continuing to think on what I learned and know that this is one that will stick with me for a long time. When this is released on April 28, I highly recommend that you go out and get a copy!
May 17, 2026
Awful truths. And a masterclass in allyship. I feel conflicted about this. I'm coming across a lot of texts of this ilk recently. Essentially: White men created the genocide; now, white men will get credit for calling out the wrongs of their forebears under the new power structures created by white men, e.g., capitalism, literature, research. Yet, a wrong is being righted here. But why can't white men step away, deal with the harsh truths of their ancestors, and make space, if not uplift, those who deserve ownership here? I'm writing this blandly because I think the author can take it. I want a white man to explain why this route is right.
Fisher asks non-Indigenous readers to:
Self-educate
Listen
Advocate
Okay. Fisher has done all of these things except, arguably, the last one. How about spending your time and privilege nurturing Indigenous authors or even co-writing with your name in second, using the smallest possible letters on the cover?
Now that I've got that out of the way ... this text unflinchingly and with great detail and care covers how "race" was constructed to subdue and destroy Indigenous people in the US, and how those ill deeds are still with us today. There are tales of bravery alongside the unfortunate and frankly disgusting realities of Indigenous slavery. I particularly appreciated the attention to detail around how race was used to cover up Indigenous slavery ... the race of specific Indigenous people was often constructed to bundle them in with other "legitimate" slave routes and obscure the true extent of slavery. This is a harrowing read that every American with white colonizer ancestry needs to read. This will be a painful read for all others.
The narration by Kaipo Schwab somehow struck the perfect balance between engaging and sober.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy of the audiobook.
Fisher asks non-Indigenous readers to:
Self-educate
Listen
Advocate
Okay. Fisher has done all of these things except, arguably, the last one. How about spending your time and privilege nurturing Indigenous authors or even co-writing with your name in second, using the smallest possible letters on the cover?
Now that I've got that out of the way ... this text unflinchingly and with great detail and care covers how "race" was constructed to subdue and destroy Indigenous people in the US, and how those ill deeds are still with us today. There are tales of bravery alongside the unfortunate and frankly disgusting realities of Indigenous slavery. I particularly appreciated the attention to detail around how race was used to cover up Indigenous slavery ... the race of specific Indigenous people was often constructed to bundle them in with other "legitimate" slave routes and obscure the true extent of slavery. This is a harrowing read that every American with white colonizer ancestry needs to read. This will be a painful read for all others.
The narration by Kaipo Schwab somehow struck the perfect balance between engaging and sober.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy of the audiobook.
May 22, 2026
A thorough intervention that blows open the doors to a history that is never taught and very rarely written, providing a comprehensive series of events and microhistories that, Fisher makes clear, only scratch the surface. This is an introduction to a challenging conversation, and Stealing America invites scholars from all disciplines to engage with its history in any way they can to collectively prevent it from being re-relegated to historical obscurity–a repetition of the second injustice, the systematic erasure, that has caused direct harm to many while perpetuating the violence of false comfort to many more.
In its historical content alone, this book effectively makes all of its readers ask how they have remained so ignorant of a history that is so vast, and still so recent. The American historical canon has failed its students of history. It has done so to protect this buried national archive precisely because America’s existence rests on a foundation that was never justifiable.
Historians will surely agree that it is quite an endeavor to write (and get published!) a history so painful and challenging to every foundational myth of America’s national identity. Fisher is deeply transparent and thoughtful, knowing that this difficult history may be hard to incorporate into broader historical and personal American narratives. How do you call attention to the injustice of erasure (of the indigenous slave trade) without undermining the history of African enslavement that is so linked yet so different? Throughout Stealing America, Fisher navigates the tensions between comparing and contrasting historical narratives of mass injustice with diligence and enormous empathy. A shocking, emotional read with the narrative humanity that the topic requires and deserves.
In its historical content alone, this book effectively makes all of its readers ask how they have remained so ignorant of a history that is so vast, and still so recent. The American historical canon has failed its students of history. It has done so to protect this buried national archive precisely because America’s existence rests on a foundation that was never justifiable.
Historians will surely agree that it is quite an endeavor to write (and get published!) a history so painful and challenging to every foundational myth of America’s national identity. Fisher is deeply transparent and thoughtful, knowing that this difficult history may be hard to incorporate into broader historical and personal American narratives. How do you call attention to the injustice of erasure (of the indigenous slave trade) without undermining the history of African enslavement that is so linked yet so different? Throughout Stealing America, Fisher navigates the tensions between comparing and contrasting historical narratives of mass injustice with diligence and enormous empathy. A shocking, emotional read with the narrative humanity that the topic requires and deserves.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
WOW! This is top tier historical research/overview, so well written! If you’re not familiar with the history of the indigenous experience in the Americas, this is a must read. If you’re familiar with indigenous history, there’s still lots of novel info and provoking perspective to keep you hooked.
I hope this book is adopted widely in educational classes. I equally recommend this for individuals seeking to educate themselves. You’ll get a broad based survey from the onset of colonial times to later 20th century. It’s largely expansive in scope but hefty enough to have plenty of clicked in descriptions so you get the bigger and smaller pictures of what was happening at key points in American history.
The author did a wonderful job of making the info accessible for all levels. I particularly appreciated the author’s note at the end which gave us suggestions on how to further educate ourselves and get involved as allies.
The narrator also did a wonderful job. I definitely recommend listening to this book. Go at your own pace and enjoy!
*Thanks to Dreamscape/RB media & Netgalley for the free advance copy
I hope this book is adopted widely in educational classes. I equally recommend this for individuals seeking to educate themselves. You’ll get a broad based survey from the onset of colonial times to later 20th century. It’s largely expansive in scope but hefty enough to have plenty of clicked in descriptions so you get the bigger and smaller pictures of what was happening at key points in American history.
The author did a wonderful job of making the info accessible for all levels. I particularly appreciated the author’s note at the end which gave us suggestions on how to further educate ourselves and get involved as allies.
The narrator also did a wonderful job. I definitely recommend listening to this book. Go at your own pace and enjoy!
*Thanks to Dreamscape/RB media & Netgalley for the free advance copy
May 12, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC!
In “Stealing America”, Professor Linford D. Fisher describes the hidden history of indigenous slavery in the United States of America. I’m ashamed to admit I knew absolutely nothing about this topic before I read this book, so I’m exceedingly thankful I stumbled upon this one.
This book is very approachable, tells this tragic history in a way I personally felt was very accessible even to people who may not know much or anything about slavery in the US. The book is supremely researched, and Fisher tells this history in an appropriately compassionate manner.
The narrator, Kaipo Schwab, was extremely great to listen to, with a voice that is both emotive and somehow soothing. I would for sure recommend checking this out as an audiobook.
Extremely important book, describing a hidden part of history I really think more people need to know about. I highly, highly recommend this one, even urge you to read it.
In “Stealing America”, Professor Linford D. Fisher describes the hidden history of indigenous slavery in the United States of America. I’m ashamed to admit I knew absolutely nothing about this topic before I read this book, so I’m exceedingly thankful I stumbled upon this one.
This book is very approachable, tells this tragic history in a way I personally felt was very accessible even to people who may not know much or anything about slavery in the US. The book is supremely researched, and Fisher tells this history in an appropriately compassionate manner.
The narrator, Kaipo Schwab, was extremely great to listen to, with a voice that is both emotive and somehow soothing. I would for sure recommend checking this out as an audiobook.
Extremely important book, describing a hidden part of history I really think more people need to know about. I highly, highly recommend this one, even urge you to read it.
June 12, 2026
PHEWWWW. This was a long and hard read! I didn’t think the language of this book would be that challenging. But it’s definitely written in that typical higher academia writing, so I had to keep a dictionary ready at hand.
I think this book does a good job giving substantive and organized outlook on indigenous slavery in US history. There’s definitely new information I’ve learned and believe this book builds a good foundation in understanding the intersectionality between people of color in the US. Which I wished the book had been more deliberate and interactive with.
I will say, I do appreciate the authors openness of his personal background & his reinforcement to listen to indigenous voices, & even provides texts in his authors note.
I also do appreciate his inputs of current Indigenous peoples’ commentary in connection to past & current events. I think cultural sensitivity was done pretty well.
Overall pretty informational & eye opening. 3.5/5.
I think this book does a good job giving substantive and organized outlook on indigenous slavery in US history. There’s definitely new information I’ve learned and believe this book builds a good foundation in understanding the intersectionality between people of color in the US. Which I wished the book had been more deliberate and interactive with.
I will say, I do appreciate the authors openness of his personal background & his reinforcement to listen to indigenous voices, & even provides texts in his authors note.
I also do appreciate his inputs of current Indigenous peoples’ commentary in connection to past & current events. I think cultural sensitivity was done pretty well.
Overall pretty informational & eye opening. 3.5/5.
May 1, 2026
This is a very detailed and informative read that covers a part of history that is not often talked about. Stealing America really opens your eyes to the scale and impact of Indigenous enslavement, and it is clear a lot of research went into it.
I learned a lot from this book, and I appreciate the effort to bring attention to such an important topic. It definitely makes you think differently about early American history and the systems that shaped it.
That said, I listened to the audiobook version, and the narration felt a bit too monotone for me. With nonfiction especially, the pacing and tone can really affect how engaging it is, and I found myself struggling to stay focused at times.
Overall, it is a worthwhile read for the information alone, but I think it might be better experienced in print if you prefer something a bit more engaging in delivery.
I learned a lot from this book, and I appreciate the effort to bring attention to such an important topic. It definitely makes you think differently about early American history and the systems that shaped it.
That said, I listened to the audiobook version, and the narration felt a bit too monotone for me. With nonfiction especially, the pacing and tone can really affect how engaging it is, and I found myself struggling to stay focused at times.
Overall, it is a worthwhile read for the information alone, but I think it might be better experienced in print if you prefer something a bit more engaging in delivery.
June 23, 2026
As a historian, I appreciate the research that went into Stealing America. Linford D. Fisher (he runs the Database of Indigenous Slavery in the Americas project out of Brown University) addresses a chapter of Turtle Island's history that is too often omitted: the enslavement of Indigenous peoples. The scholarship here is excellent.
Even with historical training, reading how this history unfolded carries a heavy weight. Discovering as an adult that I am a descendant of the Colville Confederated Tribes made this a visceral experience. It is one thing to read and learn the mechanics of history; it is another to confront the human cost.
Stealing America challenges the standard narrative of early American history. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a clearer, more complete understanding of the past
Thank you W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright and NetGalley.
Even with historical training, reading how this history unfolded carries a heavy weight. Discovering as an adult that I am a descendant of the Colville Confederated Tribes made this a visceral experience. It is one thing to read and learn the mechanics of history; it is another to confront the human cost.
Stealing America challenges the standard narrative of early American history. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a clearer, more complete understanding of the past
Thank you W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright and NetGalley.
June 23, 2026
This book provides a rich and deep history on Indigenous enslavement, which is particularly useful for my dissertation work. I look forward to teaching with this text, as it is accessible enough for undergraduates while also packing an enormous amount of detail. As both a critical text for teaching history and for any reader who might be interested in critical study of America’s settler colonial past and present, Stealing America is filled with illustrative archival vignettes. This book not only takes the reader through the contours of Indigenous enslavement, it also brings these histories into the present to think about Native rights, land sovereignty, and critical archival work. Highly recommend for any reader who is invested in understanding colonialism, expropriation, and dispossession, and particularly for those who are invested in decolonization movements.
May 10, 2026
This author did extensive work to uncover a history ignored for centuries. It is for anyone who still believes that Squanto came by his eloquence in the English language innocently, that there was fairness in indentured servitude or boarding schools had the best of intentions for Native American children. Indigenous slavery took many forms and still impacts tribal communities to this day. Prof. Fisher tells these stories honestly in a very human voice often lacked in a scholarly treatise. It is a wonderful read for everyone.
June 2, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the Audiobook ARC!
Stealing America is a well-written and very thorough investigation into the tragic history of enslaving indigenous people. I appreciated the author's sensitivity to the subject, and his recognition that it is impossible to rank the severity of different atrocities, and recognizes all of the other forms of slavery that have plagued our history as well. Overall, a very interesting and readable book. I especially enjoyed all of the info related to the history of New England and its indigenous people.
Stealing America is a well-written and very thorough investigation into the tragic history of enslaving indigenous people. I appreciated the author's sensitivity to the subject, and his recognition that it is impossible to rank the severity of different atrocities, and recognizes all of the other forms of slavery that have plagued our history as well. Overall, a very interesting and readable book. I especially enjoyed all of the info related to the history of New England and its indigenous people.
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