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anovelobsession's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely incredible. It deals with a part of history I was not very familiar with. Heather Cox Richardson’s books should be mandatory in every history class. She not only deals with what happened at Wounded Knee but she puts in context of the politics of the late 1800s. Whenever I read about political history I am constantly amazed at how little has changed in our country. Voter suppression and gerrymandering and political corruption was as rampant during Benjamin Harrison’s administration as it is now.
stevem0214's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book about history we never learned in school. I've seen it written if the history you are reading makes you feel proud...its probably not history. This is certainly the case here. First Nations men, women and children were slaughtered at Wounded Knee SD...mostly for the reason of political gain. The politics of the 1870's through the turn of the century could come from today's headlines...hasn't changed a bit. Seems people will do whatever is necessary for political power.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
Filling more historical gaps in my education. This was infuriating and also timely. Feels like we’ve come back around to the gilded age, when the rich own the government and everyone else works for the man. Can the US ever become the democratic country we say we are?
miocyon's review against another edition
4.0
A dense read that focuses less on the Native Americans and more on the politics behind some of horrible things the US did to them in the build-up to the Wounded Knee massacre. Coming out of the Civil War and following the Custer disaster, Republicans tried to consolidate their power. This was the start of their pro-business stance as they backed an increasingly damaging protectionist tariff, and tried to stack the Senate by adding what they hoped would be Republican western states. Turns out it didn’t work, and the Sioux became the victims of their cronyism and political games. Well-researched and I learned a lot, although at times a little repetitive as the time-line got a bit confusing in the way it was presented.
socraticgadfly's review against another edition
5.0
Great companion to the likes of 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'
Richardson puts a fair amount of the problems in the crosshairs of President Benjamin Harrison, with this book almost a mini-bio of his administration.
The push for admitting western territories as states, including splitting Dakota Territory into two, is one part of the problem. Richardson shows how it was compounded by the Dawes Act, pushed through during Cleveland's first administration. She shows that the "sound money"/high tariff economic bass of the Harrison Administration risked repelling western states Republicans as populist movements arose. Add in this being the era of "the rain follows the plow" hucksterism, and the era was ripe for a final push to slice Sioux lands into slivers. When the rain stopped following the plow, white farmers were hurt, and the Sioux, with fewer resources, hurt even more.
This led some Sioux to pin their hopes on the Ghost Dance. Some adopted it unadulterated; others ran it through Sioux filters.
The final spark was the latest round in conflict between War and Interior departments over Indian management, tied to Nelson Miles' ego and his inside-Washington connections by marriage. All the embers came together for a conflagration late in 1890.
Richardson puts a fair amount of the problems in the crosshairs of President Benjamin Harrison, with this book almost a mini-bio of his administration.
The push for admitting western territories as states, including splitting Dakota Territory into two, is one part of the problem. Richardson shows how it was compounded by the Dawes Act, pushed through during Cleveland's first administration. She shows that the "sound money"/high tariff economic bass of the Harrison Administration risked repelling western states Republicans as populist movements arose. Add in this being the era of "the rain follows the plow" hucksterism, and the era was ripe for a final push to slice Sioux lands into slivers. When the rain stopped following the plow, white farmers were hurt, and the Sioux, with fewer resources, hurt even more.
This led some Sioux to pin their hopes on the Ghost Dance. Some adopted it unadulterated; others ran it through Sioux filters.
The final spark was the latest round in conflict between War and Interior departments over Indian management, tied to Nelson Miles' ego and his inside-Washington connections by marriage. All the embers came together for a conflagration late in 1890.
cj_jones's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think this book could have been written before my lifetime, because of the first person information and documentation done by a Nebraska journalist that mouldered in obscurity until it was recently brought to light. Richardson again does that thing where she ties what's going on across the country together and explains the 'why' and the 'how' of the history that I find so engaging and illuminating. And in the process it also puts light on the present and intimates the future.
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