*Includes pictures of important people and places.
*Explains the origins, history, religion, and social structure of the Creek.
*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.
“The Muscogee was once a mighty people. The Georgians trembled at your war-whoop, and the maidens of my tribe, on the distant lakes, sung the prowess of your warriors and sighed for their embraces. Now your very blood is white; your tomahawks have no edge; your bows and arrows were buried with your fathers. Oh! Muscogees, brethren of my mother, brush from your eyelids the sleep of slavery; once more strike for vengeance; once more for your country.” – Tecumseh, 1811
From the “Trail of Tears” to Wounded Knee and Little Bighorn, the narrative of American history is incomplete without the inclusion of the Native Americans that lived on the continent before European settlers arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the first contact between natives and settlers, tribes like the Sioux, Cherokee, and Navajo have both fascinated and perplexed outsiders with their history, language, and culture. In Charles River Editors’ Native American Tribes series, readers can get caught up to speed on the history and culture of North America’s most famous native tribes in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
Though they are not as well known as tribes like the Sioux or Cherokee, the Creek are one of the oldest and most important Native American tribes in North America. With roots that tie them to the Ancient Moundbuilders, the Creek were one of the most established groups in the Southeastern United States, and came to be known as one of the Five Civilized Tribes. It’s also believed that the Creek were the first natives encountered by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto’s historic expedition in the mid-16th century. The Creek became known as one of the Five Civilized Tribes for quickly assimilating aspects of European culture, but in response to early European contact, the Muscogee established one of the strongest confederacies in the region. Despite becoming a dominant regional force, however, infighting brought about civil war in the early 19th century, and they were quickly wrapped up in the War of 1812 as well. By the end of that fighting, the Creek were compelled to cede millions of acres of land to the expanding United States, ushering in a new era that found the Creek occupying only a small strip of Alabama by the 1830s.
Native American Tribes: The History and Culture of the Creek comprehensively covers the culture and history of the famous group, profiling their origins, their history, and their lasting legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Creek like you never have before, in no time at all.
MY REVIEW: 1 star. I bought this book because I wanted to learn more about the Muscogee history and culture. This was not a book I received in exchange for a review. I found it on Amazon and read the generous description (above) and thought the book would contain the information I was looking for. I was wrong.
If I were a high school history teacher and this was a student's term paper, I guess I'd give it an A because what is here is well written. However, if you've read the description above (and on the Amazon page), you've basically read the book. This is only the briefest of summaries and has no detail at all.
Even worse, the book has no back cover description at all. I've never seen that before. Very odd. It also has no page numbers inside. There's no copyright page, and no table of contents. What made me finally decide to give it a 1 star instead of a 2 is when I read that Charles River Editors was created by Harvard and MIT alumni. That was the final straw for me. If this had been a self-pub thing, I could forgive an author for not knowing to put page numbers and a back cover blurb. I still wouldn't like it, but it would make more sense. However, if Harvard and MIT alumni got together to create a publishing company and this is the best they can do, then something is seriously wrong with the publishing world today.