Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory by Claudio Saunt

The Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory, by Claudio Saunt, is an in-depth exploration of the United States’ sweeping campaign of Indigenous dispossession from 1778 to the early 1870s. The book offers readers a detailed history of how gold seekers, traders, and speculators drove Indigenous people out of their ancestral homelands and relegated them to the Indian Territory.

Saunt paints a vivid picture of the rampant land grabs and deceitful dealings that were all too common in early America’s tumultuous political and economic climate. He recounts how the US government fueled Indigenous dispossession by negotiating pro-American treaties and taking advantage of internal divisions among the various Native tribes.

The Unworthy Republic examines the United States’ dereliction of its duty to protect Indigenous peoples, its violations of the rule of law, and its often callous treatment of Indigenous children. Saunt puts his narrative into context by discussing other consequences of Native American displacement, including poverty, modern-day land loss, and the ubiquitous struggle to ensure tribal sovereignty.

The Unworthy Republic also documents the history of Indian Territory, including the shifting boundaries and the laws that governed life within the territory, especially after the Civil War. Saunt renders a complex history understandable by introducing readers to the principal actors and explaining their moral and political motivations. He examines how state governments, the federal government, and citizens in the Indian Territory tried to protect the tribal nations from further dispossession, and how non-Indians sought to exploit tribal assets.

Tracing the fate of indigenous Americans from their arrival in the Indian Territory to their eventual involvement in the Indian Reform movement of the later 19th century, Saunt paints the territory as a place of despair, but also of possibility. He explains how Indigenous strategies for self-defense and empowerment evolved and ultimately provided the foundation for a stronger presence in the modern day.

The Unworthy Republic brings to life the often-overlooked history of dispossession and its lasting legacy in the United States. In a time when Native Americans are still fighting for their rights and tribal recognition, Saunt’s book is an important reminder of the United States’ long history of intolerance and injustice toward Indigenous peoples. The Unworthy Republic is a must-read for those looking to gain a better understanding of the complex issues at the heart of Indian Territory’s history.