THE AMERICAN INDIAN EXPERIENCE

Before the arrival of European colonialists, North America belonged to Native Americans, whose cultural, social, and political systems shaped the US in many tangible ways, including the Constitution, the names of places, and spiritual beliefs. While often not given the proper attention in history curriculums, appreciating Native American societies and their interactions with and influences on others is a necessary aspect of a thorough understanding of American history.

ABC-CLIO’s The American Indian Experience: The American Mosaic highlights the contemporary and historical customs and tribulations of more than 150 Native American tribes across North America. Articles and essays from Native American writers give voice to the American Indian experience of trade economies, colonial conflict, decisive wars, dividing Native American land, assimilation, and native peoples’ claims to land, among other topics.

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Indigenous Americas, Precontact-1600s

  • Early Mesoamerica, Precontact-1500s
  • Regional Cultures of North America, Precontact-1600s

Early Colonial Era, 1490-1664

  • Spanish Colonies, 1490-1610
  • French Colonies, 1524-1660
  • Dutch and English Colonies, 1602-1664

Trade and Destruction of Native Economies, 1664-1754

  • European Expansion and Native Resistance, 1664-1720
  • Mississippi Valley Expansion, 1713-1754

War and Revolution, 1754-1810

  • Colonial Crisis, 1754-1768
  • The Revolutionary Period, 1771-1783

Western Expansion and Removal, 1800-1851

  • Native Life in the New Republic, 1800-1821
  • Jacksonian Indian Policy, 1818-1832
  • Removal to Indian Territory, 1832-1851

Battle for the Great Plains, 1851-1877

  • Treaty of Fort Laramie and Grant’s Peace, 1851-1868
  • Plains Culture Upended by Warfare, 1863-1871
  • Reconstruction, 1865-1877

Assimilation and Allotment, 1878-1928

  • Indianness Confronts Conformity, 1878-1887
  • Reservations and Resistance, 1887-1928

Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945

  • Indian New Deal, 1934-1941
  • Supporting the War Effort, 1941-1945

Termination and Urbanization, 1945-1968

  • Federal Termination Policy, 1945-1953
  • Urban Migration, 1953-1968

Indian Activism and Self-Determination, 1968-1988

  • Expanding Civil Rights, 1968-1977
  • Taking a Stand, 1975-1984
  • Regaining Ground, 1980-1988

Modern Native Nations, 1988-Present

  • Reclamation of Native Identity, 1988-2000
  • Affirming Tribal Sovereignty, 2000-Present

Created explicitly for middle and high school students, each database includes:

  • A comprehensive reference library from more than 230,000 primary sources, including audio, video, photographs, illustrations, maps, and rich media
  • A standards-based curriculum updated every day by a team of subject matter experts and supported by an exhaustive range of instructional material
  • An expansive library of model commentaries from noted scholars to help foster critical thinking by exposing students to multiple points of view
  • An educator support center with helpful, professional development tools plus educational resources like discussion points, activities, and lesson plans

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