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The American Heritage History of the Indian Wars
Indian Wars recounts the conflicts between Native Americans and white settlers that lasted 400 years. The authors examine both small battles and major wars, from the native rebellion of 1492 to the massacre at Wounded Knee.
317 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
215 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Robert M. Utley
92 books73 followersA specialist in Native American history and the history of the American West, Robert Marshall Utley was a former chief historian of the National Park Service. He earned a Bachelor of Science in history from Purdue University in 1951, and an Master of Arts in history from Indiana University in 1952. Utley served as Regional Historian of the Southwest Region of the NPS in Santa Fe from 1957 to 1964, and as Chief Historian in Washington, D.C. from 1964 until his retirement in 1980.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 22, 2019
A fair, rapid narrative of the Native American wars. This book sat on my TBR shelf for years, waiting for when I thought I’d be ready for it. But it proved quite disappointing, as I had expected something richer and more analytical.
September 6, 2012
If all you care about is having the overview, "Indian Wars" provides a comprehensive enough introduction to Anglo-Indian conflicts throughout US history. However, I mistakenly took the author Utley for his word that the book would also be a *balanced* history, one which proposed to "understand and seek to explain the experiences of people on both sides of the battle lines." (pg v) Unfortunately for that purpose, this book largely falls short.
Indian Wars actually has two authors, Utley and Washburn, and they were each responsible for one section of the book. Only Utley is accountable for the introduction (written in 2001, decades after the initial publication) and it is he who claims that the book's intent was to "show that both Indians and whites were products of their time and place, not ours," and that the Indian wars had been the result of "the collision of two ways of life, not the malevolent determination of one to overcome and victimize the other." In truth, a reading of this book reveals that the two authors quite probably had diverging opinions about the degree in which malevolent determination and victimization played a role in Indian-white warfare. Neither do they each give the same amount of coverage to the Indian side of the story. Therefore, what we end up with is two halves of a book that each express different ideas about the nature of Indian-white relations.
Washburn deals with the first half on early colonial and antebellum America, and he has better success with giving an impression of a balanced story (for a book that cites no sources, anyway). But Utley's half mostly flounders as an evenhanded account -- that is to say, he failed to give equal coverage to both the white armies’ and the Indians’ experiences as he had promised to deliver on.
As it is a coffee-table book with no cited sources, again it is difficult to critique the exact degree in which Utley actually attempted to understand the experiences of the other side. Nevertheless a glance at his half reveals a definite and very heavy leaning toward the US military’s experience over that of the Indians. This can easily be demonstrated just by pointing out that Custer’s “Last Stand” received more coverage than given to Sand Creek, the Battle of Washita, the Bear River Massacre, the Navajo Long Walk, and Wounded Knee *COMBINED*. And although co-author Washburn had been unafraid to call out the early colonists for things like “strategic deception” and “outright immorality” in their affairs with Indians, Robert Utley completely avoids mentioning some of the US Army’s more brutal actions post-1850 -– such as the basic fact that ~90 casualties of the Bear River Massacre were women and children.
Given the historians’ differing backgrounds, this is perhaps not unexpected. Wilcomb Washburn was an early advocate for a "moral history" of American Indian relations with whites, but Utley was more conventional for his time, having gained his start as a National Park Service historian specializing in the Battle of Little Bighorn and his childhood hero, General George Armstrong Custer. Also, "Indian Wars" was originally written at the height of the American Indian civil rights movement in the 1970s...a time when Utley’s hero General Custer suddenly went from national celebrity to America’s favorite whipping boy. Therefore Utley’s overboard coverage of Custer's demise is understandable in a way. However, he cannot credibly claim to be balanced and then still devote the majority of the text to the (sanitized) white experience. Really, it would surprise me if even a fraction of his sources came from actual Native accounts...and not just those of white witnesses telling their story for them.
In the words of Donald L. Fixico:
“American Indian history is often thought of as a history of Indian-white relations. The fact that the Native peoples of the western hemisphere already possessed histories of thousands of years time depth before the arrival of Columbus has had little effect on non-Indians who perceive that only written records comprise history… This singular, focused approach has produced an interpretation that hinges on the white point of view. It is not a balanced history of American Indians since it yields but one version of a history of two peoples interacting. Rather, it is an Amerocentric interpretation of Indian history, a point of view that is shared by the majority of American historians writing about the United States, Europe, diplomatic, and general history.” (Donald L. Fixico, “Ethics and Responsibilities in Writing American Indian History.” American Indian Quarterly, vol. 20, no. 1 (Winter, 1996): 29-39.)
Ultimately, balance means more than merely neglecting to glorify or demonize one side over the other. And without considering the perspective of American Indians as equal to that of white Americans, historians like Utley can only succeed in perpetuating the belief that the Indian side of the story is not valid and does not matter.
Indian Wars actually has two authors, Utley and Washburn, and they were each responsible for one section of the book. Only Utley is accountable for the introduction (written in 2001, decades after the initial publication) and it is he who claims that the book's intent was to "show that both Indians and whites were products of their time and place, not ours," and that the Indian wars had been the result of "the collision of two ways of life, not the malevolent determination of one to overcome and victimize the other." In truth, a reading of this book reveals that the two authors quite probably had diverging opinions about the degree in which malevolent determination and victimization played a role in Indian-white warfare. Neither do they each give the same amount of coverage to the Indian side of the story. Therefore, what we end up with is two halves of a book that each express different ideas about the nature of Indian-white relations.
Washburn deals with the first half on early colonial and antebellum America, and he has better success with giving an impression of a balanced story (for a book that cites no sources, anyway). But Utley's half mostly flounders as an evenhanded account -- that is to say, he failed to give equal coverage to both the white armies’ and the Indians’ experiences as he had promised to deliver on.
As it is a coffee-table book with no cited sources, again it is difficult to critique the exact degree in which Utley actually attempted to understand the experiences of the other side. Nevertheless a glance at his half reveals a definite and very heavy leaning toward the US military’s experience over that of the Indians. This can easily be demonstrated just by pointing out that Custer’s “Last Stand” received more coverage than given to Sand Creek, the Battle of Washita, the Bear River Massacre, the Navajo Long Walk, and Wounded Knee *COMBINED*. And although co-author Washburn had been unafraid to call out the early colonists for things like “strategic deception” and “outright immorality” in their affairs with Indians, Robert Utley completely avoids mentioning some of the US Army’s more brutal actions post-1850 -– such as the basic fact that ~90 casualties of the Bear River Massacre were women and children.
Given the historians’ differing backgrounds, this is perhaps not unexpected. Wilcomb Washburn was an early advocate for a "moral history" of American Indian relations with whites, but Utley was more conventional for his time, having gained his start as a National Park Service historian specializing in the Battle of Little Bighorn and his childhood hero, General George Armstrong Custer. Also, "Indian Wars" was originally written at the height of the American Indian civil rights movement in the 1970s...a time when Utley’s hero General Custer suddenly went from national celebrity to America’s favorite whipping boy. Therefore Utley’s overboard coverage of Custer's demise is understandable in a way. However, he cannot credibly claim to be balanced and then still devote the majority of the text to the (sanitized) white experience. Really, it would surprise me if even a fraction of his sources came from actual Native accounts...and not just those of white witnesses telling their story for them.
In the words of Donald L. Fixico:
“American Indian history is often thought of as a history of Indian-white relations. The fact that the Native peoples of the western hemisphere already possessed histories of thousands of years time depth before the arrival of Columbus has had little effect on non-Indians who perceive that only written records comprise history… This singular, focused approach has produced an interpretation that hinges on the white point of view. It is not a balanced history of American Indians since it yields but one version of a history of two peoples interacting. Rather, it is an Amerocentric interpretation of Indian history, a point of view that is shared by the majority of American historians writing about the United States, Europe, diplomatic, and general history.” (Donald L. Fixico, “Ethics and Responsibilities in Writing American Indian History.” American Indian Quarterly, vol. 20, no. 1 (Winter, 1996): 29-39.)
Ultimately, balance means more than merely neglecting to glorify or demonize one side over the other. And without considering the perspective of American Indians as equal to that of white Americans, historians like Utley can only succeed in perpetuating the belief that the Indian side of the story is not valid and does not matter.
September 24, 2020
Note: I don’t possess a habit of reading history books regularly, so I’m assessing this book as a fiction reader.
It was a great reading for me as a person who never studied American history in school, and never learnt in detail the history of Indian American Wars. I enjoyed thoroughly the first half of the book (until the Cherokee removal process), which is written in a less academic and more engaging manner. It is written very compellingly, with lots of interesting details about personalities and identities of people involved, with analysis of events and decisions taken. The second part of the book though was more difficult to bare through, since it mostly presents facts with a lot of densely provided information. It felt like an author was trying to put materials of a four hour talk into a half an hour presentation. Would love to read more about events described in the second half of the book, but in a more captivating style.
The story of Indian wars made me feel incredibly uneasy, especially the details of mentioned above Cherokee removal process, and the general regard of whites toward indigenous tribes, which, indeed, passed and probably still passing unimaginable difficulties in adapting brought by Europeans ways of living.
It was a great reading for me as a person who never studied American history in school, and never learnt in detail the history of Indian American Wars. I enjoyed thoroughly the first half of the book (until the Cherokee removal process), which is written in a less academic and more engaging manner. It is written very compellingly, with lots of interesting details about personalities and identities of people involved, with analysis of events and decisions taken. The second part of the book though was more difficult to bare through, since it mostly presents facts with a lot of densely provided information. It felt like an author was trying to put materials of a four hour talk into a half an hour presentation. Would love to read more about events described in the second half of the book, but in a more captivating style.
The story of Indian wars made me feel incredibly uneasy, especially the details of mentioned above Cherokee removal process, and the general regard of whites toward indigenous tribes, which, indeed, passed and probably still passing unimaginable difficulties in adapting brought by Europeans ways of living.
April 12, 2019
"Indian Wars" is a well written, historical account of the conflicts between Native Americans and white European settlers; which lasted more than 300 years, between 1500 and 1900, from when the white landed in America to the Wounded Knee massacre.
The book is informative and fascinating and also provides a great amount of details about less famous conflicts. It is a sad and unforgiving overview describing the fate of the Native Americans, broken treaties, broken promises and the wholesale attempt by white settlers to bring under domination and control the indigenous peoples of the U.S.
Truly a shameful, murderous and sorrowful account.
The book is informative and fascinating and also provides a great amount of details about less famous conflicts. It is a sad and unforgiving overview describing the fate of the Native Americans, broken treaties, broken promises and the wholesale attempt by white settlers to bring under domination and control the indigenous peoples of the U.S.
Truly a shameful, murderous and sorrowful account.
January 9, 2010
This is a straightforward story of wars between Europeans and Native Americans. It tells of horrors perpetrated by both sides and provides a balanced view of the wars. Utley, in an introduction, says (Page vi): "Washburn [his co-author:] and I breasted the popular tide by trying to show that both Indians and whites were products of their time and place, responding to the values, attitudes, and beliefs of their time and place, not of ours."
The tale begins with a story of the tensions between Pamunkey Indians and John Smith's colonists in the New World in 1608; the battles between settlers and Indians at Jamestown in 1622; in 1675, militia tricked several Indian Chiefs and murdered them. And on it went, with the ever increasing number of Europeans pushing Indians into acts of violence in return. There were atrocities on both sides.
Later, General Braddock and his troops, in the French & Indian War, were defeated by a joint force of French troops and Indian warriors. Following this are chapters depicting various wars and skirmishes, such as Pontiac's rebellion, Indians' involvement in the American Revolution (some siding with the rebellious colonists and some with England--even splitting the Iroquois Confederacy), the war of Tecumseh against settlers (one of the key battles helped set the stage for William Henry Harrison to become President years later).
The book discusses the war between whites and Indians in the Plains. It concludes with the aftermath of Wounded Knee.
For those who want a straightforward introduction to the subject, this book will do.
The tale begins with a story of the tensions between Pamunkey Indians and John Smith's colonists in the New World in 1608; the battles between settlers and Indians at Jamestown in 1622; in 1675, militia tricked several Indian Chiefs and murdered them. And on it went, with the ever increasing number of Europeans pushing Indians into acts of violence in return. There were atrocities on both sides.
Later, General Braddock and his troops, in the French & Indian War, were defeated by a joint force of French troops and Indian warriors. Following this are chapters depicting various wars and skirmishes, such as Pontiac's rebellion, Indians' involvement in the American Revolution (some siding with the rebellious colonists and some with England--even splitting the Iroquois Confederacy), the war of Tecumseh against settlers (one of the key battles helped set the stage for William Henry Harrison to become President years later).
The book discusses the war between whites and Indians in the Plains. It concludes with the aftermath of Wounded Knee.
For those who want a straightforward introduction to the subject, this book will do.
December 12, 2015
A good account of the Indian Wars from when whites landed in America, to the Wounded Knee Massacre. If the authors had included maps into the book, the locations of those battles would have made the reading more informative
January 4, 2016
.Our Subugation of America's Native People
Our occupation of the American portion of this continent was accomplished with lies, broken treaties and wholesale extermination of the original population.My heart is broken. Unforgivable-a holocaust.
Our occupation of the American portion of this continent was accomplished with lies, broken treaties and wholesale extermination of the original population.My heart is broken. Unforgivable-a holocaust.
December 18, 2020
Excellent
Very readable history of the "rape" of the indigenous people of North America. I wonder how Americans would react now if some alien force came on scene and started to infiltrate the land and force the current occupants out with the same violence that was perpetrated on the various indian nations; I'm sure they would resist in the same fashion and yet back then they expected the indians to roll over and let their lands and lifestyles be eliminated. The U.S. Was born in violence, raised in violence, lives in violence and will probably die in violence, hopefully without taking the rest of the world down with it.
Sometimes I am ashamed to be caucasian, a scourge on the planet second only to homo sapiens themselves
Very readable history of the "rape" of the indigenous people of North America. I wonder how Americans would react now if some alien force came on scene and started to infiltrate the land and force the current occupants out with the same violence that was perpetrated on the various indian nations; I'm sure they would resist in the same fashion and yet back then they expected the indians to roll over and let their lands and lifestyles be eliminated. The U.S. Was born in violence, raised in violence, lives in violence and will probably die in violence, hopefully without taking the rest of the world down with it.
Sometimes I am ashamed to be caucasian, a scourge on the planet second only to homo sapiens themselves
November 24, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up. I picked this book for a reading challenge to read a history about a period in which I don't know a lot. With two history degrees, I knew that would be harder than for most. I picked this book because my knowledge of the Indian wars was limited. With little interest in military history, I had little expectation of liking this book and was pleasantly surprised to find it richly detailed yet easily read. The American people carried out a genocide in the name of Christianity and European-centric values that continues to have repercussions to this day. I listened to the audio version and the narrator kept my interest.
October 13, 2017
A Briefer Overview
Many historical accounts exist that examine a smaller group or battle in the warfare between the army and the Native Americans. Entire books may examine in detail, for example, Crazy Horse and his exploits. What is notable in this history is the inclusion of less famous conflicts such as those of the Bannock. Thus, this book provides much information that is often missing from other books on the subject.
Many historical accounts exist that examine a smaller group or battle in the warfare between the army and the Native Americans. Entire books may examine in detail, for example, Crazy Horse and his exploits. What is notable in this history is the inclusion of less famous conflicts such as those of the Bannock. Thus, this book provides much information that is often missing from other books on the subject.
February 25, 2018
Fascinating and informative.
This is a good overview detailing the fate of the indigenous peoples of the current United States at the hands of the invading Northern Europeans. Warlike tribes fighting for dominance resisting all attempts at peaceful coexistence. Treachery and broken promises dot the landscape...on all sides.
This is a good overview detailing the fate of the indigenous peoples of the current United States at the hands of the invading Northern Europeans. Warlike tribes fighting for dominance resisting all attempts at peaceful coexistence. Treachery and broken promises dot the landscape...on all sides.
April 20, 2022
I had never realized how much and how often there were bloody, violent events between whites and Indians in North America.
This book clearly demonstrates neither side was right. Neither side was wrong.
This book clearly demonstrates neither side was right. Neither side was wrong.
October 15, 2021
1st book on the subject, proved good in overviewing the entire time period.
January 28, 2022
Another well written book !!
This book really covers the Indian Wars that you don't find anywhere else. If you are a fan of native Americans this will open your eyes !!!
This book really covers the Indian Wars that you don't find anywhere else. If you are a fan of native Americans this will open your eyes !!!
August 18, 2023
An informative and interesting review of the Indian wars.
March 7, 2018
Indian Wars gives an introduction and overview of the tragic meeting of two cultures. I appreciate the comprehensive scope of this book since I was looking for just that - an outline of this particular point in American history.
At 320 pages, the book- understandably - cannot go very deep into the topic. In a way, that is good because the subject matter is very emotional and going both deep and wide into the topic in one book would be too emotionally draining.
The logical next step would be to find books dealing with specific historical instances. Thanks to Indian Wars I can place such events in the context of the larger history.
If you are looking into an introduction to this part of American history this book is for you.
At 320 pages, the book- understandably - cannot go very deep into the topic. In a way, that is good because the subject matter is very emotional and going both deep and wide into the topic in one book would be too emotionally draining.
The logical next step would be to find books dealing with specific historical instances. Thanks to Indian Wars I can place such events in the context of the larger history.
If you are looking into an introduction to this part of American history this book is for you.
February 10, 2016
A good and reasonably balanced presentation of the conflicts between Native Americans and Europeans in North America. To me, I read it as a story of how singular events and the sweep of history can overrun established cultures. This has happened hundreds of times, but this one was recent enough to be well chronicled. The book is modern in that it presents the heroes on both sides as flawed and does not paint the villains as the incarnation of evil. As does any history of wars that preceded the idea of "war crimes", the book provokes thought about the true nature of human beings.
September 14, 2008
This is the most comprehensive and objective history that I've read to date of the American Indians and they're unavoidable clashes with white settlers. I especially like the fact that the book takes time to focus on a wide range of tribes, not just the Sioux and Cherokee, as with many other Indian histories.
A great book, as long as you can handle the insidious and gruesome tactics employed by BOTH the whites and Indians in battling one another.
A great book, as long as you can handle the insidious and gruesome tactics employed by BOTH the whites and Indians in battling one another.
June 17, 2016
This history covers the violent conflicts between Native Americans and white settlers that lasted more than three hundred years examining both small battles and major wars -- from the Native rebellion of 1492, to Wounded Knee. It really is depressing to read in the sense of the hopelessness of Native America cause versus the relentless pressure of the expansion of the settlers across the continent along with the continuous breaking of "treaties" between Native Americans of the U.S. government.
September 1, 2009
A well written chronicle of the Wars fought between the Native Americans and the White Settlers. I believe it is a fair book that details the problems and seeks to explain the experiences of people on both side of the Battle field...
April 9, 2013
An excellent overview of the military actions and engagements that pockmark the history of white-Indian relations from 1500 to 1900. The scope of this book doesn't include social conflicts, but for purely military actions, this volume is a stand-out.
August 12, 2017
The authors demonstrated how important the Indian allies were in the colonial wars of North America. The European powers made the Aboriginals dependent on their goods and then they used this dependence as well as the animosity among the various tribes to get them involved in their imperial wars.
June 23, 2011
I really liked this history. While it focuses only on conflict it ends up being a story of native resistance to colonialism.
July 4, 2013
Utley has put together a history of the various Indian wars in the United States. He examines the causes, conduct, and consequences of these wars.
June 25, 2011
An excellent history of the wars against the American Indians which also traces the roots of those wars.
April 18, 2012
I was looking for a readable general history of the Indian Wars in North America and that's what I received.
December 25, 2015
Very good history of the indian wars
This is a well written history that is even handed and does not apportion blame to either side that is not historically accurate.
This is a well written history that is even handed and does not apportion blame to either side that is not historically accurate.
February 7, 2016
I agree that the book is well written. It has quotes from American Indian leaders but the history is clearly written from the Western perspective. That is why I did not give the book another star.
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October 13, 2016took a long time to read but i loved it...
March 28, 2017
I always appreciate reading about how our history shapes where we are today.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews