American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Social and Economic Histories (Indians of the Southeast) [Hardcover]

Daniel H. Usner Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Series: Indians of the Southeast | Publication Date: December 1, 1998

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Native peoples inhabiting the Lower Mississippi Valley confronted increasing domination by colonial powers, disastrous reductions in population, and the threat of being marginalized by a new cotton economy. Their strategies of resistance and adaptation to these changes are brought to light in this perceptive study.

An introductory overview of the historiography of Native peoples in the early Southeast examines how the study of Native-colonial relations has changed over the last century. Daniel H. Usner Jr. reevaluates the Natchez Indians’ ill-fated relations with the French and the cultural effects of Native population losses from disease and warfare during the eighteenth century. Usner next examines in detail the social and economic relations the Native peoples forged in the face of colonial domination and demographic decline, and he reveals how Natives adapted to the cotton economy, which displaced their familiar social and economic networks of interaction with outsiders. Finally, Usner offers an intriguing excursion into cultural criticism, assessing the effects of popular images of Natives from this region.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For anyone interested in understanding the historical basis of American Indian cultural persistence, American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley is essential reading." William and Mary Quarterly "All historians interested in Native Americans and in the multi-cultural history of the South will want to read it." Georgia Historical Quarterly --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

"For anyone interested in understanding the historical basis of American Indian cultural persistence, American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley is essential reading."— William and Mary Quarterly.

"All historians interested in Native Americans and in the multi-cultural history of the South will want to read it."—Georgia Historical Quarterly.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Native peoples inhabiting the Lower Mississippi Valley confronted increasing domination by colonial powers, disastrous reductions in population, and the threat of being marginalized by a new cotton economy. Their strategies of resistance and adaptation to these changes are brought to light in this perceptive study.

An introductory overview of the historiography of Native peoples in the early Southeast examines how the study of Native-colonial relations has changed over the last century. Daniel H. Usner Jr. reevaluates the Natchez Indians’ ill-fated relations with the French and the cultural effects of Native population losses from disease and warfare during the eighteenth century. Usner next examines in detail the social and economic relations the Native peoples forged in the face of colonial domination and demographic decline, and he reveals how Natives adapted to the cotton economy, which displaced their familiar social and economic networks of interaction with outsiders. Finally, Usner offers an intriguing excursion into cultural criticism, assessing the effects of popular images of Natives from this region. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 205 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803245564
• ISBN-13: 978-0803245563
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,093,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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