Indian Givers: How Native Americans Transformed the WorldAn utterly compelling story of how the cultural, social, and political practices of Native Americans transformed the way life is lived throughout the world, with a new introduction by the author “As entertaining as it is thoughtful . . . Few contemporary writers have Weatherford’s talent for making the deep sweep of history seem vital and immediate.”—The Washington Post After 500 years, the world’s huge debt to the wisdom of the Native Americans has finally been explored in all its vivid drama by anthropologist Jack Weatherford. He traces the crucial contributions made by the Native Americans to our federal system of government, our democratic institutions, modern medicine, agriculture, architecture, and ecology, and in this astonishing, ground-breaking book takes a giant step toward recovering a true American history. |
Contents
Piracy Slavery and the Birth of Corporations | 27 |
The American Indian Path to Industrialization | 51 |
The Food Revolution | 77 |
Indian Agricultural Technology | 102 |
The Culinary Revolution | 128 |
Liberty Anarchism and the Noble Savage | 151 |
The Founding Indian Fathers | 171 |
Red Sticks and Revolution | 194 |
The Indian Healer | 224 |
The Drug Connection | 252 |
Architecture and Urban Planning | 279 |
The Pathfinders | 301 |
When Will America Be Discovered? | 319 |
Acknowledgments | 341 |
Other editions - View all
Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World Jack Weatherford Limited preview - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
Africa America American Indians animals areas army arrived Aztec beans became British building built called carried century chocolate churches civilization coast coca colonial Company continued cooks corn cotton Creek crops cultivated cultural cure developed disease drink drugs early English Europe European factory farmers followed French fruit gave gold Greek grew grow houses human hundred important Incas Iroquois known lacked land later leaves less live major medicine Mexico million mines mountain movement native needed never North North America offered Old World passed peasants plants play political population potato Potosí practical produced River road seemed served settlers showed silver slaves soon South Spanish spread supply thousand throughout tion took trade traditional trees turn types United variety village women workers