The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History By Ned Blackhawk

Ned Blackhawk's "Indigenous America" is a sweeping retelling of U.S. history that acknowledges the essential role of Native Americans in shaping the nation's evolution. While traditional histories often focus on Europeans and their descendants, Blackhawk argues that Indigenous history is crucial for a complete understanding of modern America.

Blackhawk interweaves five centuries of Native and non-Native histories, from Spanish colonial exploration to the rise of Native American self-determination in the late twentieth century. He demonstrates that European colonization in the 1600s was not a predetermined success and that Native nations played a significant role in shaping England's crisis of empire.

The book also highlights how Indian affairs in the interior prompted the first shots of the American Revolution and how California Indians targeted by federally funded militias were among the first casualties of the Civil War. The Union victory in the Civil War forever recalibrated Native communities across the West, and twentieth-century reservation activists refashioned American law and policy.

"Indigenous America" offers a transformative synthesis of U.S. history, acknowledging the enduring power, agency, and survival of Indigenous peoples. Blackhawk's retelling reveals the varied meanings of America and provides a truer account of the United States by recognizing the contributions and struggles of Native Americans. 📚❤️