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A New Order of Things: Property, Power, and the Transformation of the Creek Indians, 1733-1816 (Studies in North American Indian History)

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Claudio Saunt has provided a scholarly exploration into the causes of the dramatic changes that took place within the Creek Confederacy during the latter portion of the 18th Century. Using primary sources, Saunt shows that it was the influence of the mestizos (children produced by marriages of Creek women with British and American traders) that introduced revolutionary concepts such as leadership through force and government by coercion, private property, reliance on plantation economy rather than hunting-trade for subsistence. No other mestizo accelerated the transformation than the brilliant leader Alexander McGillivray. Even though Saunt's work is scholarly, it is an easy read. It is certainly a must read for those who are interested in Creek History or an understanding of the Southeast during the latter half of the 18th Century and early 19th.

Often when the authors of history texts write about the history and culture of Native Americans the cultural analysis ends with the introduction of European settlers. While authors since the 1970's have acknowledged the cultural richness and depth of Native Americans before the European explorers touched the New World, suddenly with the introduction of the explorers and the subsequent colonists, hunters become bloodthirsty warriors, women fade into the background, chiefs and elders are naively duped by educated politicians, and eventually the cavalry moves in to conquer and annihilate or force migration to reservations. These authors tell the archaeological history of the Native Americans and the story of their conquest, but tend to leave out or gloss over the transition in between. To most historians the story of Native American culture ends with the ravages of disease and the brutality of a modern army against primitive weapons, but Claudio Saunt fills in the gap in between. In an in-depth analysis of the Upper and Lower Creeks Saunt argues that the children of Creek mothers and European fathers brought the concepts of property ownership and political power to the Creek Indians during the period shortly after the American Revolution, and thus divided the tribes into two factions; those who wanted to maintain their culture and those who wanted to enrich themselves by accepting the European-styled economy and power structure that was beginning to dominate the Southeast. Drawing from American, British and Spanish primary sources, Saunt traces in detail the history of the Creek struggle and transition as it unfolded from 1733 to 1816.
Saunt has done excellent work in detailing the transition of the Creeks and the loss of their culture to the domination of the invading European way of life. His extensive use of primary sources, particularly those coming from Spanish Florida, shows a willingness to see the history of the Creeks from less U.S.-centric view that is welcome to anyone interested in a more complete picture of American history than that which in the past was usually offered by Early American scholars. His analysis of the Creek transition is very comprehensive, and draws from many varying sources, giving the reader impression that he has not left much out of his narrative that is of importance to his argument. The only thing lacking in Saunt's argument is a conclusion of the story; in a few short sentences on the last page of the book Saunt tells us of the relocation of the Creeks to Oklahoma, but gives no further elaboration. The reader is left with many questions, such as whether or not those Creeks who had accepted the "new order" were also forced to relocate, if the mestizos were included in the relocation, and if so, what came of them? But even this criticism is only one of style; his abrupt conclusion in no way detracts from his overall argument. Ultimately, Saunt has compiled a history of European conquest from a Native American perspective that is above all comprehensive, persuasive and eye-opening for any scholar of U.S. history.

This book provides a unique look at how the Muscogee Nation (called Creek by the Europeans) developed into a culture after the arrival of Europeans. The author provides an excellent start to the research available on this subject by looking at the aspects that affect Creek culture following not only the coming of Europeans but the United States as well. Saunt looks at religion, trade, the role of women, and the most importantly how private property changed the conception of what the Creek believed. European viewpoints became infused with Indian ones creating a "new order" that changed the Indians lives. The final part of the book looks at the response to the New Order through the redstick war and the British support during the war of 1812. This is popularly remembered in American history as Andrew Jackson's war against the Creeks. The war was vicious and the slaughter was great on both sides. Saunt does an excellent job of capturing the significance of the war and not getting caught up in the gory details. Although as other revierws point out the book lacks a conclusion it is a great start to the understanding of the people that make up the Muscogee Nation.

This book comes after years of hard work looking at primary sources. The current trend especially with the creek is for those who read not only the British and American sources but the Spanish as well. The Spanish kept excellent records that were well preserved and have offered many valuable insights into Indian culture. When writing an enthnohistory such as this it is always very difficult to capture the Indian voice and not sound like everything is coming from a European and Saunt does this well. The reader feels as though they are included in what the Indians were thinking and going through.