Native American affairs are much in the public mind today. Hotly contested debates over such issues as fishing rights, land claims, pipelines, and reservation poverty hold our attention. Accessible Archives has assembled this collection from its own historical newspapers, periodicals, and book collections—an essential resource providing historical threads that are crucial for understanding the present.

Native Americans in History enables the in-depth exploration of the political, social, and cultural history of Native peoples from the 17th through the early 20th centuries. Tribes and reservations presented in this collection range from the Aleut through the Zuni.

• Accounts of fur trappers

• Captive narratives

• Local views on the “Indian Question”

• Histories of various tribes

• Biographies

• Chronicles on wars and massacres

• Descriptions of tribal societies and customs

• Surveys of tribal reservations and settlements

• Short biographies

• Reminiscences

• Literary works

• Memoirs

• Vital statistics

• Military reports

• Legislation and congressional investigations

• Appeals and broadsides

Part I: Newspapers, 1728-1922

News reports and popular editorials provide a variety of points of view on Native Americans. Reports from Native American delegations and personal views of chiefs are also presented.

The Americanization and assimilation campaign to abolish Native American society and culture was one of the most shameful episodes in American history. Users can trace how the campaign lead to various wars and the creation of reservations. The voices of reform are also included in the newspaper content. 

Part II: Books, 1663-1928

Woven from the fabric of local, regional, and national history, these e-books provide an engaging narrative history on Native American social, political, and economic interactions with white Americans.

This rich derivative historical archive includes a significant breadth of coverage on tribes and their popular leaders and state and local responses to depredations and wars. It brings to life Native American historiography.

The file is available as a one-time purchase of perpetual rights or through annual subscription on the Accessible Archives platform. Early in 2024 it will be moved to the History Commons platform. The collection can also be purchased in affordable parts:

• Part I: Newspapers, 1728-1922

• Part II: Books – 1663-1928