Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution

by Joseph T. Glatthaar, James Kirby Martin

Tribal, violent, riven with fierce and competing loyalties, the American Revolution as told through the Oneida Indians, the only Iroquois Nation to side with the rebels, shatters the old story of a contest of ideas punctuated by premodern set-piece warfare pitting patriotic colonists against British Redcoats. With new detail and historical sweep, Joseph T. Glatthaar and James Kirby Martin offer a vivid account of the Revolution’s forgotten heroes, the allies who risked their land, their culture, and their lives to join in a war that gave birth to a new nation at the expense of their own.

Not only capturing for the first time the full sacrifice of the Oneida in securing American independence, Forgotten Allies also provides details and insights into Oneida culture and how it was shaped, changed, and molded throughout many years of contact with the American colonists. Above all else, it depicts the valor and determination of an Indian nation that fought with all the resolve of the rebels only to be erased from America’s collective memory. A long-overdue corrective, Forgotten Allies makes certain that the Oneidas’ story is finally told.

Genres: History, American History, American Revolution, Native American, Nonfiction, Native Americans, Native American History

448 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Military historian, specializing in the American Civil War and American military history

Reviews

[Reilly Noetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a historian fascinated in colonial America, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It covers a very specific era during the Revolutionary war period, focusing not just on the Iroquois nation, but also on the Oneidas. It is full of memorable details, including descriptions of Oneida villages and warriors. The tumult of this period did not go unnoticed by the Oneida, despite their desire to abstain from conflict. What started as a war between two European powers, turned into an internal political struggle between Iroquois nations. This book illuminated the allegiance of the Oneida to the American cause, and serves as an analogy to today's political affairs. Our relationship with the Oneida during the Revolution as portrayed in this book provides lessons on diplomacy and humanity.

[Salim Hasanin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgotten Allies by Joseph T Glatthaar is amazingly written. The audience is really anyone in America who may think they know more about our history than they really do, and the purpose is to inform us about one of our allies during the revolutionary war that America eventually took advantage of. The main argument is even thought the Oneidas greatly supported America during the revolution, colonial America still not only turned their back on them but also essentially stole land from them. It also discusses the trauma the Oneidas went through fighting their fellow Iroquois for us. The author's interpretation seemed to be that they went against all the Iroquois in support of freedom and because of the people America sent, but also that the problems caused by the war only served as a vantage point for America post-war to steal the land, and the author was successful in doing so by highlighting many important Oneida people. Han Yerry and Two Kettle's together are two Oneidas that are followed in the story, while Samuel Kirkland is the American Missionary that was sent to them and gained their trust. This book isn't just a story, it's history that many don't know about and makes one rethink the whole history of America, and the story is unforgettable.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read! Having grown up in the mid 20th century within Iroquoia I had heard the stories, the tales and legends of not only the Six Nations but of the European Americans who constantly dealt with the Iroquois. We grew up in Syracuse and my Dad was a Electrical Sales Representative. His territory stretched from Montreal to Allentown, Pennsylvania and from Albany, New York to Erie Pennsylvania. I have visited the forts, the castles, the towns and villages, stood on the hilltops, walked the ravines and canoed the lakes. I hunted, fished and trapped throughout the area. This book provided me an amazing opportunity to learn about how the cultures not only collided but coalesced.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most accounts of the military history of the American Revolution ignore the role of the Native Americans who fought alongside the Americans as well as with the British regulars and Loyalist militias all along the Eastern Seaboard. This book fills that gap with an excellent account of the upheaval suffered by the Iroquois Nation as a result of the war. The Oneida tribe paid a high price for its loyalty to the American cause, not only from the British and Tories, but from their brethren of the Six Nations, who saw them as traitors, and from the broken promises of American commanders and the Continental Congress.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really opened my eyes and dispelled some of the stereotypes I had developed about Native Americans. "Forgotten Allies" goes into detail about the Oneida Iroquois, their culture, and their role in the American Revolutionary War. The book looks very long, but that is due to about 150 pages of citations, indices, and acknowledgments. I think that it was quite scholarly and well-researched and should appeal to fans of anthropology, as well as to history buffs.

[Elaine Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Forgotten Allies" is a thorough historical account of the numerous native American tribes in New York during the American Revolution, focusing on the Oneidas who were the only tribe that offered assistance to the American Continentals. Well-researched with numerous documents from the era. Wonderful source for historical fiction authors.

[Leeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more complete look at the real history of the beginning of this country, more people should read this, and others like it.

The authors made the history more interesting than other books I have read about the time period.

[Bill Sleeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well researched and presented. A readable history of an often overlooked aspect of the American Revolution.

[peter lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revealing

It's refreshing to find a book that finally gives the Oneida nation the recognition that they deserve. A worthy read for those who are interested.

[Daniel Patitz]

My history books did not cover this and I wish they had.

[Steve Smits · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book at the Oneida Nation Cultural Center on the nation south of Oneida, NY. The cultural center is quite interesting, giving a look at their history and traditions. The Oneida's were long forgotten until their land claims in the 1980's and 1990's attracted much media attention and legal action. (As did their casino and resort). The Oneida's claimed claims that land ceded to them after the Revolutionary War was expropriated illegally. Their claim was upheld by the courts. This caused much angst among locals who thought they owned their land, but didn't have clear title. (It also brought out the "haters" among the local citizens whose reactions were ugly; you know that they are always there just below the surface of civility.) In the end a settlement was reached and the legal tumult seems to have gone away.

The book gives the history of the Oneida's support for the rebel side in the war. At first determined to be neutral they were drawn into the conflict, largely due to their location in the path of the opposing armies. Their engagement in the defense of Fort Schuyler (now Fort Stanwix) and at the Battle of Oriskany is recounted in the book as is their support of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. The book points out the division of loyalties that emerged among the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy as some supported the British (the Seneca's, Cayuga's and Mohawk's) while others were pro-American (Oneida's and Tuscarora's) or mixed (Onondaga's).

[Beakerkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that should be read prior to reading Edmonds Drums Along the Mohawk to enhance both experiences.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly readable and well-documented history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Jack]

This book is awsome