Elusive Empires: Constructing Colonialism in the Ohio Valley, 1673-1800 [Paperback]

Eric Hinderaker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0521663458 | ISBN-13: 978-0521663458

This book examines and compares the efforts of France, Britain, and the United States to extend imperial dominion over the Ohio Valley, focusing on the relations between Europeans and Indians to tell the story. In a compelling narrative, it considers the ways in which France and Great Britain each attempted to create viable empires in the region, the conflicts that resulted, and the origins and outcome of the American Revolution in the West. The result is a fascinating story that offers a strikingly new interpretation of the origins, progress, and effects of the American Revolution.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this day of increasingly narrow historical specialization, this book is wonderfully expansive." J. Russel Snapp, The Virginia Magazine

"Hinderaker is at his best in depicting the Ohio Valley and Mississippian Indian cultures and economies, and in contrasting the British/Colonial and French experiences in opening the Ohio Valley frontier....this work is informative and provocative in interpretation." H.M. Ward, Choice

"This clearly written and solidly researched overview of Indian and white relations in the Ohio Valley provides an excellent place to begin any study of the region." R. Douglas Hunt, The Journal of American History

"Elusive Empires is an imaginative, elegantly written account of the imperial contest for the Ohio Valley from the arrival of French explorers and missionaries in the late seventeenth century to the final triumph of American interests in the decade that followed the Revolution." Susan E. Gray, The North Carolina Historical Review

"His analysis of the various cultures is fascinating." Lee Soltow, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"Elusive Empires is well written, and Hinderaker has advanced the understanding of relations between Europeans, Euroamericans, and Native Americans by synthesizing old and new scholarship." David L. Kimbrough, Journal of Illinois History

"Elusive Empires is well written, and Hinderaker has advnaced the understanding of relations between Europeans, Euroamericans, and Native Americans by synthesizing old and new scholarship." David L. Kimbrough, Journal of International History

"This thoughtful study, based upon wide research in various sources, makes useful distinctions among the three types of frontier empires." The Journal of the Early Republic

Book Description

This book examines and compares the efforts of France, Britain, and the United States to extend imperial dominion over the Ohio Valley, focusing on the relations between Europeans and Indians to tell the story. In a compelling narrative, it considers the ways in which France and Great Britain each attempted to create viable empires in the region, the conflicts that resulted, and the origins and outcome of the American Revolution in the West. The result is a fascinating story that offers a strikingly new interpretation of the origins, progress, and effects of the American Revolution.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521663458
• ISBN-13: 978-0521663458
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #884,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric Hinderaker was born in South Dakota and attended graduate school in Boulder, Colorado and Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has taught early American history at the University of Utah since 1991. His most recent book, The Two Hendricks, was awarded the Dixon Ryan Fox Prize by the New York State Historical Society.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A scholar's take, July 25, 2000

By 

"alshacke" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elusive Empires: Constructing Colonialism in the Ohio Valley, 1673-1800 (Paperback)

Enough nepotism here. This is a solid work in an area that has long attracted the interest of scholars of the colonial frontier. What really gives Hinderaker's work some novelty is the way he addresses economics in the imperial contest for the Ohio River Valley. The one glaring weakness of the work is the sparing use of French and Spanish primary uses, particularly those not readily available in English translation. Still a well-written work w/ some new insights.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, insightful and compelling, December 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Elusive Empires: Constructing Colonialism in the Ohio Valley, 1673-1800 (Hardcover)

Here is a book that colonial history lovers really need to add to their collection. A new perspective on early American history, with brilliant insight into the motivations of colonists and the consequential reactions of regional Native Americans. The book offers depth into the subject and makes for very interesting reading. And I am not even his sister! Highly recommended reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book, October 6, 2010

By 

likes well written history - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Elusive Empires: Constructing Colonialism in the Ohio Valley, 1673-1800 (Paperback)

This is a very good book that details the history and interactions between Indians, French, British, and Americans in the Ohio Valley. Would highly recommend this to anyone interested in this period of history and region.