{"product_id":"massacring-indians-from-horseshoe-bend-to-wounded-knee-9780806168647","title":"Massacring Indians: From Horseshoe Bend to Wounded Knee","description":"During the nineteenth century, the U.S. military fought numerous battles against American Indians. These so-called Indian wars devastated indigenous populations, and some of the conflicts stand out today as massacres, as they involved violent attacks on often defenseless Native communities, including women and children. Although historians have written full-length studies about each of these episodes, \u003ci\u003eMassacring Indians\u003c\/i\u003e is the first to present them as part of a larger pattern of aggression, perpetuated by heartless or inept military commanders. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In clear and accessible prose, veteran historian Roger L. Nichols examines ten significant massacres committed by U.S. Army units against American Indians. The battles range geographically from Alabama to Montana and include such well-known atrocities as Sand Creek, Washita, and Wounded Knee. Nichols explores the unique circumstances of each event, including its local context. At the same time, looking beyond the confusion and bloodshed of warfare, he identifies elements common to all the massacres. Unforgettable details emerge in the course of his account: inadequate training of U.S. soldiers, overeagerness to punish Indians, an inflated desire for glory among individual officers, and even careless mistakes resulting in attacks on the wrong village or band. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e As the author chronicles the collective tragedy of the massacres, he highlights the roles of well-known frontier commanders, ranging from Andrew Jackson to John Chivington and George Armstrong Custer. In many cases, Nichols explains, it was lower-ranking officers who bore the responsibility and blame for the massacres, even though orders came from the higher-ups. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e During the nineteenth century and for years thereafter, white settlers repeatedly used the term \"massacre\" to describe Indian raids, rather than the reverse. They lacked the understanding to differentiate such raids--Indians defending their homeland against invasion--from the aggressive decimation of peaceful Indian villages by U.S. troops. Even today it may be tempting for some to view the massacres as exceptions to the norm. \u003cbr\u003e By offering a broader synthesis of the attacks, \u003ci\u003eMassacring Indians\u003c\/i\u003e uncovers a more disturbing truth: that slaughtering innocent people was routine practice for U.S. troops and their leaders. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNichols, Roger L.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRoger L. Nichols \u003c\/b\u003eis Professor Emeritus of History and Affiliate Professor of Indian Studies at the University of Arizona. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eAmerican Indians in \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eU.S.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e History \u003c\/i\u003eand editor of \u003ci\u003eThe American Indian: Past and Present, \u003c\/i\u003eSixth Edition\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Oklahoma Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50529128677650,"sku":"9780806168647","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_d5cd00d7-3cff-4502-8994-d469a0c98195.jpg?v=1731340624","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/massacring-indians-from-horseshoe-bend-to-wounded-knee-9780806168647","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}