The Founders of America [Paperback]

Francis Jennings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 1994

"We have lived upon this land from days beyond history's records." These are the words of a Pueblo man, words that describe the experience of Native Americans. They underlie the long work and philosophy of Francis Jennings—the scholar who has done the most to change our view of the relationship of Native Americans and the European settlers.

Jennings describes the experience of the first pioneers of the North American continent, who migrated from Siberia across what is now Beringia—nomadic people who traveled over the continents and islands of the Americas, establishing networks of trails and trade and adapting the land to human purposes. He tells of the rise of imperial city states in Mexico and Peru, and of the extension of cultures from Mexico into North America; he describes the multitude of cultures and societies created by the Native Americans, from simple kin-structured bands to immense and complex cities. Jennings shows that Europeans did not "discover" America; they invaded it and conquered its population. We grew up on history written from the point of view of the victor. Here now is the rest of the story, by the acknowledged dean of American Indian history. It is strong, eye-opening, and timely.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jennings ( The Invasion of America ) argues that the true founders of North America were the Indians who established civilizations here long before the arrival of Columbus, Cortez and others. Synthesizing previously published material into a provocative essay, he forges a history that contradicts European explorers' assertions that the natives were primitive savages. Starting thousands of years ago with the first Indian arrivals from Asia and moving into the 20th century, with its continued immigration from abroad, Jennings traces the history of the peopling of the continent, persuasively demonstrating that the "savages" were often more "civilized" than the newcomers. While he describes various Indian cultures in rich detail, he simplifies the salient points of his argument, dulling the book's overall impact. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This bold, fresh book sifts once more through the disparate, conflicting facts and fictions surrounding the complex histories and cultures of Indian peoples of North America. The author aptly calls it an essay, for here he explores his thoughts and feelings on pre-Columbian cultural history, the European "invasion," and the prospects of Indian self-determination in the years to come. A historian who is no stranger to controversy, Jennings attempts to avoid romanticizing, to treat Indians as bearers of a creative human cultural tradition, and to reject the concept of race in understanding Indian-European interaction. In this absorbing, insightful book, he may well have produced one of the most enduring and genuine contributions to the encounter literature of this quincentennial year. Highly recommended for lay readers and scholars alike. For other books related to the quincentennary, see "Rediscovering Columbus," LJ 8/91, p. 120-22.--Ed.
- William S. Dancey, Ohio State Univ., Columbus
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (August 17, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393312321
• ISBN-13: 978-0393312324
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,029,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Solid History of Native Americans, November 27, 2009

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This review is from: The Founders of America (Paperback)

The myth persists that natives were savages and uncivilized. Little is told in schools how they were conquered and eradicated. They lived here for 30 millennia only to be effectively wiped out. No, they weren't perfect, and not all settlers and explorers were tyrants, but Jennings' book sets history straight. Part of the myth arose from what early settlers found: The natives had been devastated by disease. Their existence destroyed and a shadow of what it once was. This gave rise to myths that these savages couldn't have built cities, Cahokia and the like, and were never much more than cavemen. People like the Mormons built their religion on these myths. History usually rectifies myths, if not slowly, and Jennings is a must read for those interested in American history, espeically pre-U.S. (though he follows the native story to the early 1990s). Perhaps he focuses too much on the negatives, but normally this history is completely ignored. We need to learn form the past and not forget who this continent once belonged to. We didn't discover it, they did. See also 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Mound Builders and A Voyage Long and Strange: On the Trail of Vikings, Conquistadors, Lost Colonists, and Other Adventurers in Early America.