Kit Carson and the Indians [Hardcover]

Thomas W. Dunlay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

Often portrayed by past historians as the greatest guide and Indian fighter in the West, Kit Carson (1809–68) has become in recent years a historical pariah—a brutal murderer who betrayed the Navajos, an unwitting dupe of American expansion, and a racist. Many historians now question both his reputation and his place in the pantheon of American heroes. In Kit Carson and the Indians, Tom Dunlay urges us to reconsider Carson yet again. To Dunlay, Carson was simply a man of the nineteenth century whose racial views and actions were much like those of his contemporaries.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nebraska historian Dunlay (Wolves for the Blue Soldiers) goes to great lengths in searching for the real Kit Carson and finds the truth somewhere between his image as the romantic superhero of dime novels and the negative image of an Indian killer drawn in recent years by revisionist historians and Native Americans. Arguing his position plainly and thoroughly, the author relates how Carson (1809-1868), an unlettered son of the Missouri frontier, went on to a multifarious career: trapper, western guide and scout, Indian agent, combat soldier, U.S. Army officer, leader, adviser, policeman and peacemaker. Dunlay's Carson is a modest and complex man, riddled with contradictions that have contributed largely to his conflicting reputation as Indian slayer and friend (he is credited with bringing down the Navajo nationAhe viewed the Navajo as rabid warriorsAbut he befriended the Ute peoples, among others. Carson also used his own resources in aiding dispossessed tribal families). Carson had no remorse about employing violence when necessary but could be equally critical of injustices at the hands of the U.S. and of various Indian tribes. In the end, Dunlay succeeds in presenting a man who spent much of his life and efforts solving the problems of both Native Americans and the white settlers, a man who can be criticized and lauded but who clearly contributed to what America has become. As Carson said, "I done what I thought was best.'" This book will find a solid readership among western history buffs and those interested in Native American history and affairs. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Carson, once the archetypal frontier hero immortalized in dime novels, has recently suffered from bad press. Various revisionist historians have dismissed him as a shameless self-promoter, a greedy manipulator, and a racist who cold-bloodedly lied to induce the surrender of the Navajos. Dunlay, a freelance writer and historian, doesn't recanonize Carson, but he does present a more balanced portrait that evades the trap of holding Carson to current standards of enlightened attitudes. Undoubtedly, Carson had an entrepreneurial spirit, but Dunlay convincingly illustrates that Carson generally played by the rules in seeking his advancement. While Carson displayed the typical contempt for and mistrust of Indians characteristic of nineteenth-century westerners, he was quite capable of forging amicable relations with individual Indians. Dunlay is a scrupulously fair biographer whose admiration for his subject doesn't interfere with his judgment. This work is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of one of the West's more colorful historical figures. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 537 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803217153
• ISBN-13: 978-0803217157
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,314,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In-depth Analysis of a Complex Personality, November 6, 2006

By 

Ronald B. St John - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kit Carson and the Indians (Paperback)

This is an excellent book and is highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn about Kit Carson, especially his relationship with Native Americans in general and the Navajo in particular. I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico where Carson is often denegrated, particularly in regards to his treatment of the Navajo. While Dunlay's book is not an easy read, it does a good job of presenting and discussing the activities and achievements of Kit Carson within the context of his times, analyzing all facets of his life. He was a complex man who lived in changing times.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, charismatic study, September 29, 2006

By 

William J Higgins III (Laramie, Wyoming United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kit Carson and the Indians (Paperback)

An authoritative and spellbinding examination into the life of our great frontiersman Christopher Carson.
Dunlay delves into every crevice, explores behind and under every rock and examines every shred of research to justify Carson's character toward the American Indian. The premise here is to thwart the image of Kit Carson as an "Indian-hater", racist and genocide advocator. The author has done just that.
Yes, in his youth Kit had killed numerous Indians, but only when warranted. Oftentimes it was kill or be killed from the 1820's to early 1840's. There were good Indians and bad. There were good whites and bad. When the mountain man came west, he was another 'tribe' who had battles to fight.
Later in life when Carson became Indian agent, scout, soldier and superintendent of Indian affairs, his entire demeanor towards the Native American changed dramatically. He did support violence but only to the few hostiles. All told he was there to protect and save the Indians from extermination by white encroachment.
His continued and tireless efforts of feeding and clothing hundreds upon hundreds of Indians, promoting the reservation system to separate whites from Indians in order to suppress troubles between the two cultures, etc. are conclusive evidence of his caring.
I read his autobiography several years ago and thought I was well informed, but these memoirs conclude in 1856. Much more happened to Kit (and the nation) up until his death in 1868. This book by Dunlay covers his entire life.
An absorbing and significant read.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars tour de force, November 7, 2005

By 

Stefan Papp jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kit Carson and the Indians (Hardcover)

This is a thoroughly researched and balanced treatise on Kit Carson and his complex relationship with Native Americans. Recommended!!!