American Indian History , which covers the fifteenth century through the present day, illuminates the richness of American Indian historical traditions. Townsend devotes nearly a third of the volume to the ancient world through the eighteenth century and then moves on to extensive coverage of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
"Unlike any other text, Townsend's accessible collection offers a much-needed gathering of documents in Native history from the pre-Columbian era to the present. It will be an invaluable resource for the undergraduate classroom." Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross
"Camilla Townsend's book is an ideal supplement for any course in Native American history. The documents here will introduce students to crucial aspects of the indigenous experience. More important, the texts testify to the richness of Native American cultures." Peter C. Mancall, University of Southern California
"Filled with a wide range of primary sources, Camilla Townsend's American Indian History: A Documentary Reader offers a comprehensive, yet manageable, resource for instructors wanting to inject more American Indian history into their American history survey courses." Troy Bickham, Texas A&M University
This latest volume in Wiley-Blackwell's Uncovering the Past series supports the premise that indigenous intellects were the equal of European intellects at the moment of conquest, that the people suffered a long period of decline for varied reasons, and that in the recent past they have made great strides in asserting themselves once again. With nearly a third of the volume dedicated to the ancient world through the eighteenth century, Townsend allows the documents to illuminate the richness of American Indian historical traditions and the strength of the efforts they made when the crisis came. The volume then moves on to extensive coverage of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, completing an integral study of the American Indian experience.
