Facing East From Indian Country: A Native History Of Early America

Submitted By asingley
Words: 1209
Pages: 5

Richter, Daniel K., Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001. Throughout history several scholars have attempted to revamp the historical significance of how America arose. Daniel F. Richter is a leading historian as well as a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania and is the Director of its McNeil Center for Early American Studies. Professor Richter’s changed the view of how Native American’s became an imperative fact within history. The purpose of this book was to reintegrate Native American’s into North American history and emphasizes on Native Americans during the European colonization. Facing East, is separated into six sections or chapters to give a comprehensive breakdown of the Native American settlers and their way of life collaborated through the information provided about American history. Native American’s played an imperative role in the history of America.
Daniel F. Richter takes an enthusiastic approach by reevaluating history from the east side of the Mississippi River, then the general approach from the west through the Atlantic Ocean in chapter one. This distinct area is close to what is known in today’s society as St. Louis. The author sets the mood by referencing Indians from the focal points of illustrated history and making them the focal points within the text. Professor Richter discusses initial Native American contact with Europeans. Chapter two of Facing East from Indian Country introduces readers to Native Americans in the early sixteenth century through the beginning of the nineteenth century. Daniel F. Richter applied his comprehensive intellectual skills to analyze and define the meaning of what indigenous communities through giving a more definite understanding. The material cultures of Native Americans through trading materials with the Europeans were analyzed as well. Professor Richter pays close attention to the demographic changes by introducing important aspects of events within American history. Multiple examples suggest that Native Americans hunted a great amount to be an asset to the fur trade economic boom. According to Daniel F. Richter, research conducted suggested that the decrease in the Native American society was contributed to by numerous diseases brought by the European cultures. The major transition of this time for the Native Americans was learning ways to adjust their historical religious values to accommodate the new circumstances being introduced by the Europeans. Although their historical values were altered to accommodate the new culture, many of the traditional roots were still kept such as language and the traditional aspects of the common Native American community that society is accustomed to in today’s society. Chapter three covers specific Native Americans and how the impacts of the European cultures being introduced played a major role in their lives. The major players introduced in this chapter are Pocahontas, Kateri Tekawitha, and Metacom. Richter addresses the combination of myths associated with each individual Native American and provides the readers with the correct collaboration of them. Through his analysis, Pocahontas gained her fame and name through Captain John Smith; and Mohawk Kateri Tekakwitha was introduced into history through Pope John Paul II in 1980. The last Native American that Richter placed emphasis on was Metacom, which is commonly known as King Philip and through the analysis provided he was the underlying factor for the bloody war against Puritan New England (p.69). Professor Richter attempts to persuade readers that each of the above individuals wanted cooperation instead of arguments even after a Europeans entering America being the leading cause a major decline in the Native American population through wars. Chapter four examines the narratives between Native Americans and New England. The major narrative was present in