
Declarations of Independence
Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution
Christopher R. Pearl(Author)
University of Virginia Press
Published on 31. October 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
324 pages
978-0-8139-5199-7 (ISBN)
Description
How Indigenous Americans and colonial settlers negotiated the meaning of independence in the Revolutionary era
On July 4, 1776, two hundred miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Indigenous land along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, a group of colonial squatters declared their independence. They were not alone in their efforts. This bold symbolic gesture was just a small part of a much broader and longer struggle in the Northern Susquehanna River Valley, where diverse peoples, especially Indigenous nations, fought tenaciously to safeguard their lands, sovereignty, and survival.
This book immerses readers in that intense, decades-long struggle. By intertwining the experiences of Indigenous Americans, rebellious colonial squatters, opportunistic land speculators, and imperial government agents, Christopher Pearl reveals how conflicts within and between them all set the terms and ultimately shaped the meaning of the American Revolution. In the crucible of this conflict, memories, histories, and animosities collided and converged with tremendous consequences. Declarations of Independence delves into the racial violence over land and sovereignty that suffused the Revolutionary Age and helps restore Indigenous peoples to their central position at the founding of the United States.
On July 4, 1776, two hundred miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Indigenous land along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, a group of colonial squatters declared their independence. They were not alone in their efforts. This bold symbolic gesture was just a small part of a much broader and longer struggle in the Northern Susquehanna River Valley, where diverse peoples, especially Indigenous nations, fought tenaciously to safeguard their lands, sovereignty, and survival.
This book immerses readers in that intense, decades-long struggle. By intertwining the experiences of Indigenous Americans, rebellious colonial squatters, opportunistic land speculators, and imperial government agents, Christopher Pearl reveals how conflicts within and between them all set the terms and ultimately shaped the meaning of the American Revolution. In the crucible of this conflict, memories, histories, and animosities collided and converged with tremendous consequences. Declarations of Independence delves into the racial violence over land and sovereignty that suffused the Revolutionary Age and helps restore Indigenous peoples to their central position at the founding of the United States.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Charlottesville
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
13 b&w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
526 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8139-5199-7 (9780813951997)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Christopher R. Pearl
Declarations of Independence
Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution
E-Book
10/2024
1st Edition
Naval Institute Press
from
€74.99
Available for download
Person
Christopher R. Pearl is Associate Professor of History at Lycoming College and the author of Conceived in Crisis: The Revolutionary Creation of an American State.