"The Iroquois in the American Revolution" Analytical Essay
"The Iroquois in the American Revolution"
A look at the historical importance of Barbara Graymont's book in understanding the relationship between the Native Americans and the locals in the American Revolution.
# 50570
| 1,600 words
| 1 source
| MLA
| 2001
| 
Published
on Apr 18, 2004
in
History
(U.S. Colonization of North America)
, English
(Analysis)
, History
(U.S. Birth of the Nation 1750-1800)
, Native-American Studies
(General)
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Description:
This paper examines how the role of the Iroquois Confederacy in the American Revolution and the fate of native peoples in its wake is a topic often overlooked by historians. In Barbara Graymont's work, "The Iroquois in the American Revolution", Graymont attempts to shed light on the underlying issues of the American Revolution, more specifically, the effect of that conflict on the cultural identity and tribal unity of the Iroquois peoples. It shows how "The Iroquois in the American Revolution" examines the struggle between Britain and the thirteen colonies to attain the loyalty of the Iroquois, as well as the impending disintegration of the long-standing confederacy. This paper critiques Graymont's work by analyzing important factors such as her biases, sources, background, assumptions, and overall knowledge of the topic at hand, as well as to examine alternate viewpoints of the subject and the relevance of this topic to our course.
From the Paper:
"To successfully analyze and evaluate a historical work such as The Iroquois in the American Revolution, one must first examine the background of the author, in this case, Barbara Graymont, as well as the type and credibility of the sources used to research the topic and construct the work. Barbara Graymont, a white American author, is an associate professor of history in the United States. Graymont is also an honorary member of the Indian Defense League of America, a position which she achieved through acquaintance with and professional ties to many present day Iroquois in America.1 In light of the fact that Graymont has definite ties to native peoples, a reader would expect to see evidence of favoritism and sympathy toward the Natives as well as more strict criticism of the white peoples involved. Such cases are evident throughout the work. For example, in her prologue, Graymont uses the term Visutskie 2 "pawns"2 to describe the utter usage of the Native peoples by both the British and the Americans in their attempts to defeat the other. In another instance, Graymont's table of contents is valuable in determining exactly who and what the book was written for. The table of contents makes it quite obvious to the reader that Graymont is quite intent on educating the reader about Native culture and that each chapter centers around Native peoples and their roles in not only the American Revolution but in everyday life alongside the white settlers. Graymont makes reference to both the British and the Americans using bribery with alcohol and other presents, promises of military protection, and even grants of land taken from the Natives in the first place to try and win the Natives as allies."Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
"The Iroquois in the American Revolution" (2004, April 18)
Retrieved September 27, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-iroquois-in-the-american-revolution-50570/
MLA Format
""The Iroquois in the American Revolution"" 18 April 2004.
Web. 27 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-iroquois-in-the-american-revolution-50570/>