Cherokee Renascence in the New Republic [Paperback]

William G. McLoughlin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 069100627X | ISBN-13: 978-0691006277 | Publication Date: September 8, 1992

The Cherokees, the most important tribe in the formative years of the American Republic, became the test case for the Founding Fathers' determination to Christianize and "civilize" all Indians and to incorporate them into the republic as full citizens. From the standpoint of the Cherokees, rather than from that of the white policymakers, William McLoughlin tells the dramatic success story of the "renascence" of the tribe. He goes on to give a full account of how the Cherokees eventually fell before the expansionism of white America and the zeal of Andrew Jackson.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is more than a chronicle of events in Cherokee history during this decisive period, although the material covered here has not been better treated before. McLoughlin includes not only the tribe's relations with the federal government but also the internal divisions that seemed likely to split the nation on several occasions. -- Gary E. Moulton, American Historical Review



A masterfully crafted, meticulously documented analysis of Cherokee acculturation between 1794 and 1833. -- Mary Young, Journal of the Early Republic

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (September 8, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069100627X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691006277
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 30 years of Cherokee History, October 7, 2003

By 

Randall L. Golden "randy_golden" (Woodstock, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cherokee Renascence in the New Republic (Paperback)

From 1794 until 1834 the Cherokee Nation underwent a change unlike any civilization in the world, past, present or future. It is this time period on which the book focuses. The author covers the years before and after his "Cherokee Renascence" in the first and final chapter.

When people write the history of the Cherokee in Georgia it is understandable that they concentrate on the years leading up to the "Trail of Tears." This tragic event overshadows the history of this Nation, and as William McLoughlin shows us, it is a history rich with acheivement and accomplishment, from the development of a written language by Sequoyah to the adaptation of that language by a majority of the Nation in a 6-month time frame, establishment of a government and newspaper (the Cherokee Phoenix, first American Indian newspaper) and many other accomplishments.

McLoughlin does not pull punches, as many who cover the time period and he does not have an agenda. He accurately recounts the details of the flourishing civilization while describing the evolution of a second society, those who disagreed with the decidedly nationalistic moves of its leaders to protect itself against the desires of the United States and the government of Georgia. Interestingly, Sequoyah was one of the Cherokee against the movement towards nationalism.

A compelling read, factually backed and well researched.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping history, February 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cherokee Renascence in the New Republic (Paperback)

A comprehensive history of the Cherokees up to the Trail of Tears. This history covers the building of a great nation that was able to maintain its own culture while integrating with the developing America, and its subsequent downfall.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The seminal history of the pre-removal Cherokee Nation, November 12, 2004

By 

Megan "Megan" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cherokee Renascence in the New Republic (Paperback)

This is THE seminal history of the Cherokee Nation prior to removal. Written by a professor of religious history at Brown University, it is easy to see how he got swept away from his area of expertise and into the amazingly interesting story of the early years of the Cherokee Nation.

McLoughlin does not romaticize the Cherokee Nation, as many other historians do, but tells a clear story of a complicated time and place. His research is impeccable, and the book is well written. As to the merit of his historical analysis, it is mind-numbingly and brilliantly ground-breaking: the sort of stuff that a historian goes his entire life looking to discover. All that I can say is that this book completely changed the direction of my personal study and when I get a PhD in early American History with a concentration on the Cherokee Nation, it will be entierly due to this book.

I also heartily recomend "Cherokees and Missionairies." McLoughlin also has a very good essay on Samuel Worcester in the book "Massachusetts and the New Nation" which is a major undiscovered gem.