Of One Mind and of One Government - (New Visions in Native American and Indigenous Studies) by Kevin Kokomoor (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An in-depth look at the formation of Creek politics and nationalism from the 1770s through the Red Stick War, when the aftermath of the American Revolution and the beginnings of American expansionism precipitated a crisis in Creek country"--

Book Synopsis

In Of One Mind and Of One Government Kevin Kokomoor examines the formation of Creek politics and nationalism from the 1770s through the Red Stick War, when the aftermath of the American Revolution and the beginnings of American expansionism precipitated a crisis in Creek country. The state of Georgia insisted that the Creeks sign three treaties to cede tribal lands. The Creeks objected vigorously, igniting a series of border conflicts that escalated throughout the late eighteenth century and hardened partisan lines between pro-American, pro-Spanish, and pro-British Creeks and their leaders. Creek politics shifted several times through historical contingencies, self-interests, changing leadership, and debate about how to best preserve sovereignty, a process that generated national sentiment within the nascent and imperfect Creek Nation.

Based on original archival research and a revisionist interpretation, Kokomoor explores how the state of Georgia's increasingly belligerent and often fraudulent land acquisitions forced the Creeks into framing a centralized government, appointing heads of state, and assuming the political and administrative functions of a nation-state. Prior interpretations have viewed the Creeks as a loose confederation of towns, but the formation of the Creek Nation brought predictability, stability, and reduced military violence in its domain during the era.

Review Quotes

"This book contributes immensely to the field of ethnohistory in its expert examination of Creek politics in the early nineteenth century and its placement of the Creek Nation into a larger context of nation building."--Alex Colvin, Chronicles of Oklahoma

"A stunning book about an indigenous people's valiant attempts to stand up to American expansionism through an internal political revolution--an attempt that ultimately failed, not because the Creeks could not realize a new political order but because America would not let them. It is just brilliant."--Robbie Ethridge, professor of anthropology at the University of Mississippi and author of Mapping the Mississippian Shatter Zone: The Colonial Indian Slave Trade and Regional Instability in the American South-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"The subject is vital. Nationalism encompasses all people in the early nineteenth century. The Creek National Council has been a source of contention for a long time. [The book's] bold thesis, advocating the efficacy of the Creek National Council, will generate productive debate for years to come."--Steven C. Hahn, professor of history at St. Olaf College and author of The Invention of the Creek Nation, 1670-1763-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Kevin Kokomoor is a teaching associate at Coastal Carolina University.