Resources & Links
- The Native American WarFor Native Americans, the War of 1812 was a desperate struggle for freedom and independence.
- Native American Involvement in the War of 1812As Great Britain and the United States spiraled toward war in the summer of 1812, Native tribes in North America found themselves pulled into the conflict. Often, these tribes dealt with divided loyalties, and many were forced to choose sides. The strongest support for the British came from tribes inhabiting the Old Northwest and Great Lakes region.
- War of 1812: Indigenous Peoples StoriesNative nations from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico experienced the War of 1812 as but a chapter in a much longer struggle to defend their homelands against European encroachment and settlement. As empires moved westward, new Native alliances brought together coalitions of nations. Spiritual and cultural renewal combined with military resistance as native communities attempted to stem the tide of American expansion and maintain independence and autonomy.
- The War of 1812 and Indian Wars: 1812-1821A timeline of Andrew Jackson’s military and political career from the War of 1812 to governing Florida Territory.
Streaming Media
- Indigenous Peoples and the War of 1812The Historica-Dominion Institute, in partnership with Fort York National Historic Site, presents the first of our 1812 Shorts. In this edition Ojibway writer Drew Hayden Taylor discusses the role of Indigenous Peoples in the War of 1812.
Perspectives
The Iroquois in the War of 1812
Until now, the story of Iroquois participation in the War of 1812 has not received detailed examination, and there have consequently been major gaps in our understanding of the Iroquois, their relations with Euroamerican society, and the course of the war itself. The Iroquois in the War of 1812 proves that, in fact, the Six Nations' involvement was 'too significant to ignore.' Benn explores this involvement by focusing on Iroquois diplomatic, military, and cultural history during the conflict. He looks at the Iroquois' attempts to stay out of the war, their entry into hostilities, their modes of warfare, the roles they played in different campaigns, their relationships with their allies, and the effects that the war had on their society. He also details the military and diplomatic strength of the Iroquois during the conflict, despite the serious tensions that plagued their communities. This account reveals how the British benefited more than the Americans from the contributions of their Iroquois allies, and underscores how important the Six Nations were to the successful defence of Canada. It will appeal to general readers in both Canada and the United States and will have relevance for students and scholars of military, colonial, and Native history.
Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab
Jacksonland is the thrilling narrative history of two men-President Andrew Jackson and Cherokee chief John Ross-who led their respective nations at a crossroads of American history.Five decades after the Revolutionary War, the United States approached a constitutional crisis. At its center stood two former military comrades locked in a struggle that tested the boundaries of our fledgling democracy. Jacksonland is their story. One man we recognize- Andrew Jackson-war hero, populist, and exemplar of the expanding South-whose first major initiative as president instigated the massive expulsion of Native Americans known as the Trail of Tears. The other is a half-forgotten figure- John Ross-a mixed-race Cherokee politician and diplomat-who used the United States' own legal system and democratic ideals to oppose Jackson.Representing one of the Five Civilized Tribes who had adopted the ways of white settlers-cultivating farms, publishing a newspaper in their own language, and sending children to school-Ross championed the tribes' cause all the way to the Supreme Court. He gained allies like Senator Henry Clay, Chief Justice John Marshall, and even Davy Crockett. In a fight that seems at once distant and familiar, Ross and his allies made their case in the media, committedcivil disobedience, and benefited from the first mass political action by American women. Their struggle contained ominous overtures of later events like the Civil War and set the pattern for modern-day politics. At stake in this struggle was the land of the Five Civilized Tribes. In shocking detail, Jacksonlandreveals how Jackson, as a general, extracted immense wealth from his own armies' conquest of native lands. Later, as president, Jackson set in motion the seizure of tens of millions of acres-"Jacksonland"-in today's Deep South. Jacksonland is the work of renowned journalist Steve Inskeep, cohost of NPR's Morning Edition, who offers here a heart-stopping narrative masterpiece, a tragedy of American history that feels ripped from the headlines in its immediacy, drama, and relevance to our lives. Harrowing, inspiring, and deeply moving, Inskeep's Jacksonland is the story of America at a moment of transition, when the fate of states and nations was decided by the actions of two heroic yet tragically opposed men. CANDICE MILLARD, author of Destiny of the Republic and The River of Doubt "Inskeep tells this, one of the most tragicand transformative stories in Americanhistory, in swift, confident, colorful strokes.So well, and so intimately, does he know hissubject that the reader comes away feeling asif Jackson and Ross's epic struggle for the future of their nations took place yesterday rather than nearly two hundred years ago."
Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership (Library of American Biography Series)
In this biography, David Edmunds examines the life of legendary Shawnee leader Tecumesh and his pivotal role in defending the Native American way of life. Since his death as an avowed warrior at the Battle of the Thames in 1813, the details of Tecumseh's life have passed into the realm of legend, myth and drama. In this new edition, David Edmunds considers the man who acted as a diplomat - a charismatic strategist who attempted to smooth cultural divisions between tribes and collectively oppose the seizure of their land. The titles in the Library of American Biography Series make ideal supplements for American History Survey courses or other courses in American history where figures in history are explored. Paperback, brief, and inexpensive, each interpretive biography in this series focuses on a figure whose actions and ideas significantly influenced the course of American history and national life. In addition, each biography relates the life of its subject to the broader themes and developments of the times.