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Cherokee Removal: Before and After

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"Cherokee Removal: Before and After" is a collection of concise, well written essays that serve as a gateway to the study of Cherokee History. The introduction, by Editor William Anderson, provides an overview for the essays and gives a summary of federal and state attitudes toward the Cherokees. The most interesting argument that Anderson makes is one to cast Andrew Jackson in a more favorable light. Contrary to many historians assertion that Jackson actively sought to remove and destroy Indians, Anderson says Jackson was "legally powerless" to act in favor of the Cherokees when the state of Georgia refused to abide by the Supreme Court's decision for the Cherokees in "Worcester v. Georgia". Anderson argues that Jackson overlooked Georgia's non-compliance in order to keep Georgia from joining South Carolina in open rebellion over the nullification of federal tariffs. It is an interesting idea that Anderson proposes, and one not always considered in standard texts of U.S. History. In addition to editing this book, Anderson contributes a wonderful bibliographical essay, a rich road map of sources for study of the Cherokees during prehistoric time, the colonial period, and federal influence.

The first essay, by Douglas C. Wilms, examines how outsiders such as fur traders, missionaries, and the federal government instituted change in how the Cherokees farmed, apportioned and populated their land. The essay contains useful charts and maps showing where and how the Cherokees lived prior to their removal in the late 1830s to what is now Oklahoma. Wilms draws from a census of the Cherokee Nation in 1835 and puts the information in an easily understandable format. A key point of the essay is that the Cherokees came much further in "civilizing" themselves at the time of removal than the federal government was willing to recognize.

The second composition, by Ronald N. Satz, provides a closer look at President Andrew Jackson. While some historians have portrayed Jackson as a devil in regard to his Native American policies, others have said his aims were benevolent and paternalistic. Satz compares the rhetoric versus the reality of the Jackson administration. Satz's analysis points out the danger of one dimensional simplification in history and discusses a variety of factors that influenced the fate of the Indians during the Jackson era.

Theda Perdue writes the third essay, in which she examines the state of Cherokee politics at the time of removal. It is a particularly enlightening paper, disputing the contention by many white Americans of the time that the vast majority of Cherokees were in favor of removal but were held back by the aristocratic elite in their tribe. Perdue shows that the aristocrats and the common Cherokees were united against removal. The federal government, however, chose to negotiate with a group of ambitious "middle class" Cherokees who had previously been frustrated in their efforts to become wealthy and join the Cherokee ruling aristocracy. By rewarding these men, the federal government got its removal treaty.

The population loss sustained by the Cherokees along the Trail of Tears is the topic of essay four, by Russell Thornton. Through mathematical calculations or demographics, Thornton more closely examines the birth rate, death rate, and migration patterns of the Cherokees. In addition to describing some of the horrors of this episode, he proposes that the actual population loss should be considered perhaps twice the total as is traditionally quoted by scholars.

John Finger discusses the fate of the North Carolina Cherokees, who escaped the tragedy of removal. This essay brings to the fore certain individuals, both Indian and white, who acted on behalf of the North Carolina Cherokees. Finger explains how the North Carolina Cherokees came to be the Eastern Band in the Great Smoky Mountains that attract millions of tourists annually.

The sixth essay, by Rennard Strickland and William Strickland, tells the story of the Cherokees up to the edge of the 21st century. They high-light some turning points which might have spelled the extinction of the tribe. But their essay also emphasizes Cherokee resilience and accomplishments.

"Cherokee Removal: Before and After" is highly recommended as an introduction to Cherokee History and a reference for further study.