| Conquest by Law: How the Discovery of America Dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of Their Lands Contributor(s): Robertson, Lindsay G. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0195314891 ISBN-13: 9780195314892 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $41.79 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 2007 Annotation: John Marshall's landmark 1823 decision in Johnson v. M'Intosh gave the European sovereigns who "discovered" North America rights to the land, converting Native Americans in one stroke into mere tenants. In 1991, while investigating the historical origins of this highly controversial decision, Lindsay Robertson made a startling find in the basement of a Pennsylvania furniture-maker--the complete corporate records of the Illinois and Wabash Land Companies, the plaintiffs in the case. Drawing on these records, Conquest by Law provides, for the first time, a complete and troubling account of collusion, detailing how a spurious claim gave rise to a doctrine--intended to be of limited application--which led to the massive displacement of Native Americans and the creation of a law that governs indigenous people to this day. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Native American - History | United States - 19th Century - Law | Legal History |
| Dewey: 346.730 |
| Physical Information: 0.71" H x 6.21" W x 9.13" (0.85 lbs) 272 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 19th Century - Ethnic Orientation - Native American - Geographic Orientation - Illinois - Cultural Region - Midwest - Cultural Region - Upper Midwest - Geographic Orientation - Indiana |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: John Marshall's landmark 1823 decision in Johnson v. M'Intosh gave the European sovereigns who discovered North America rights to the land, converting Native Americans in one stroke into mere tenants. In 1991, while investigating the historical origins of this highly controversial decision, Lindsay Robertson made a startling find in the basement of a Pennsylvania furniture-maker--the complete corporate records of the Illinois and Wabash Land Companies, the plaintiffs in the case. Drawing on these records, Conquest by Law provides, for the first time, a complete and troubling account of collusion, detailing how a spurious claim gave rise to a doctrine--intended to be of limited application--which led to the massive displacement of Native Americans and the creation of a law that governs indigenous people to this day. |