"The Great Father" was widely praised when it appeared in two volumes in 1984 and was awarded the Ray Allen Billington Prize by the Organization of American Historians. This abridged one-volume edition follows the structure of the two-volume edition, eliminating only the footnotes and some of the detail. It is a comprehensive history of the relations between the U.S. government and the Indians. Covering the two centuries from the Revolutionary War to 1980, the book traces the development of American Indian policy and the growth of the bureaucracy created to implement that policy.

When the" Handbook for Research in American History" was first published, reviewers called it "an excellent tool for historians of all interests and levels of experience . . . simple to use, and concisely worded" ("Western Historical Quarterly") and "an excellent work that fulfills its title in being portable yet well-filled" ("Reference Reviews"). The "Journal of American History" added, "It is not easy to produce a reference work that is utilitarian and enriching and does not duplicate existing works. Professor Prucha has done the job very well." This second, revised edition takes account of the revolution that is occurring in bibliographic science as printed reference works extend to electronic databases, CD-ROMs, and online networks such as the Internet. Focusing on and expanding the major section of the original Handbook, it provides information on traditional printed works, describes new guides and updated versions of old ones, notes the availability of reference works and of some full-text sources in electronic form, and discusses the usefulness to researchers of different kinds of material and the forms in which they are available. Extensive cross-referencing and a detailed index that includes authors, subjects, and titles enhance the book's usefulness.

The many congressional acts and plans for the administration of Indian affairs in the West often resulted in confusion and misapplication. Only rarely were the ideals of those who sincerely wished to help American Indians realized. This book, first printed as a part of the hearings before the House of Representatives Committee on Indian Affairs in 1934, is a detailed and fully documented account of the Dawes Act of 1887 and its consequences up to 1900. D. S. Otis's investigation of the motives of the reformers who supported the Dawes Act indicates that it failed to fulfill many of the hopes of its sponsors. The reasons for the act's failure were complex but predictable. Many Indians were not culturally prepared for severalty. Provisions in the act for leasing or selling their land enabled many to circumvent the responsibilities of private ownership, which reformers and bureaucrats alike had thought would provide a "civilizing" influence. The Dawes Act and the Allotment of Indian Land is the only full-scale study of the Dawes Act and its impact upon American Indian society and culture. With the addition of an introduction, revised footnotes, and an index by Francis Paul Prucha, S. J., it is essential to any understanding of the present circumstances and problems of American Indians today. Volume 123 in The Civilization of the American Indian Series D. S. Otis held a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and was employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs under Commissioner John Collier as a historian during the 1930s. Francis Paul Prucha is the author of The Great Father: The United States Government and American Indians and holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University. A native of Wisconsin, Father Prucha is a priest of the Society of Jesus and professor emeritus of history at Marquette University.

"In a style that is clear, unhurried and . . . vigorous, Francis P. Prucha has written a definitive study of the] frontier army that was itself a pioneer. It pushed the line of occupation far beyond settlements. It raised crops, herded cattle, cut timber, quarried stone, built sawmills and performed the manifold duties of pioneers. It restrained lawless traders, pursued fugitives, ejected squatters, maintained order during peace negotiations and guarded Indians who came to receive annuities."-New York Times Book Review "A work of original research which stands almost alone in relating the Army's work to the peaceful processes of territorial expansion and social development. Studying the thirteen army posts established in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and northern Illinois, the author demonstrates their importance for Indian and land policy administration, as cash markets for the early settlers, and as centers of exploration, road-building, and cultural developments."-A Guide to the Study of the United States of America "Well-written. . . . a significant contribution to the study of . . . both the westward movement and our military establishment."-Mississippi Valley Historical Review Known for his books about American Indian government policy and the frontier army, Francis Paul Prucha, S.J., is an emeritus professor of history at Marquette University Introducing this edition is Edward M. Coffman, a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the author of The Old Army: A Portrait of the American Army in Peacetime, 1784-1898.

From Fort Snelling on the upper Mississippi and Fort Leavenworth on the Missouri to Fort St. Philip below New Orleans, the string of military bases along the western frontier of the United States played an essential part in the orderly advance of settlement following the War of 1812. Small, isolated, and insignificant in terms of fortification-after all, the authorized strength of the whole army was only 6,000 men-they were nevertheless the stabilizing and moderating force in the dramatic "rise of the new West." For twenty years prior to the Mexican War, Colonel George Croghan, as inspector general of the army, examined these frontier garrisons with a critical eye. His reports give an intimate, firsthand picture of what the western outposts were really like. Moreover, whether lashing out at the unreasonable discipline prescribed for privates or quietly commending an officer's good work, he wrote with a warmth and vitality seldom found in government documents. Arranged topically with brief introductions by the editor, the reports cover all phases of army life: quarters, clothing, the mess, hospitals and medical care, army chaplains, quartermaster supplies, the small arms of the troops, instruction, fatigue duties, military discipline, recruiting, and army sutlers. They also contain much additional information on roads, frontier conditions, Indian affairs, and related matters. George Croghan was a perceptive reporter, and his account of life and conditions at the western forts will prove valuable and interesting to the western Americana enthusiast as well as to the student of western history. Colonel George Croghan, a nephew of the famous George Rogers and William Clark, was acclaimed as the hero of Fort Stephenson, Ohio, during the War of 1812. Francis Paul Prucha, who selected and edited Croghan's reports in this book, is the author of The Great Father: The United States Government and American Indians and holds the Ph.D. from Harvard University. A native of Wisconsin, Father Prucha is a priest of the Society of Jesus and professor emeritus of history at Marquette University.

The third edition of this landmark work adds forty new documents, which cover the significant developments in American Indian affairs since 1988. Among the topics dealt with are tribal self-governance, government-to-government relations, religious rights, repatriation of human remains, trust management, health and education, federal recognition of tribes, presidential policies, and Alaska Natives.

American Indian affairs are much in the public mind today--hotly contested debates over such issues as Indian fishing rights, land claims, and reservation gambling hold our attention. While the unique legal status of American Indians rests on the historical treaty relationship between Indian tribes and the federal government, until now there has been no comprehensive history of these treaties and their role in American life.
Francis Paul Prucha, a leading authority on the history of American Indian affairs, argues that the treaties were a political anomaly from the very beginning. The term "treaty" implies a contract between sovereign independent nations, yet Indians were always in a position of inequality and dependence as negotiators, a fact that complicates their current attempts to regain their rights and tribal sovereignty.
Prucha's impeccably researched book, based on a close analysis of every treaty, makes possible a thorough understanding of a legal dilemma whose legacy is so palpably felt today.

American Indian affairs are much in the public mind today--hotly contested debates over such issues as Indian fishing rights, land claims, and reservation gambling hold our attention. While the unique legal status of American Indians rests on the historical treaty relationship between Indian tribes and the federal government, until now there has been no comprehensive history of these treaties and their role in American life.
Francis Paul Prucha, a leading authority on the history of American Indian affairs, argues that the treaties were a political anomaly from the very beginning. The term "treaty" implies a contract between sovereign independent nations, yet Indians were always in a position of inequality and dependence as negotiators, a fact that complicates their current attempts to regain their rights and tribal sovereignty.
Prucha's impeccably researched book, based on a close analysis of every treaty, makes possible a thorough understanding of a legal dilemma whose legacy is so palpably felt today.

" Francis Paul Prucha's] contextual definition and rigorous exemplification of what 'assimilation' meant to Protestant reformers of the late nineteenth century represents a unique and valuable contribution to our cultural history." American Historical Review The years 1865 to 1900 formed one of the most critical periods in Indian-white relations in the United States. Here, renowned historian Francis Paul Prucha discusses in detail the major developments of those years-Grant's Peace Policy, the reservation system, agitation for transfer of Indian affairs to military control, the General Allotment Act (or Dawes Act), Indian citizenship, Indian education, civil service reform of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the dissolution of the Indian nations of the Indian Territory. In examining these developments, American Indian Policy in Crisis focuses on the Christian humanitarians and philanthropists who ultimately drove the "reform" of Indian affairs. Prucha examines at length the programs of these men and women intent on individualizing and Americanizing the Indians and turning them into patriotic American citizens indistinguishable from their white neighbors. The story is not a pretty one, for reformers' changes were often disastrous for the Indians, and yet this is a tremendously important work for understanding the Indians' situation and their place in American society today. Prucha does not treat Indian policy in isolation but relates it to the dominant cultural and intellectual currents of the age. This book furnishes a view of the evangelical Christian influence on American policy and the reforming spirit it engendered, both of which have a significance extending beyond Indian policy. Complete with thorough documentation and an excellent bibliography, Prucha's text is a valuable contribution to America's cultural history. Francis Paul Prucha, S.J., is Professor Emeritus of History at Marquette University and the author of numerous articles and books, including The Great Father: The United States Government and American Indians.