Gary Clayton Anderson is an American historian who is currently a professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. He is focused mainly on the history of native people in the Great Plains and southwest region of the United States. Anderson received his bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, his master’s degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD, and his Ph.D. from the University of Toledo in Toledo, OH. Along with the classes he teaches, Anderson travels around the country giving lectures about relations between Native Americans and white settlers and other related topics. In addition to Little Crow, Anderson has written several books about Native American history, including multiple that have …show more content…
Following the United States government blatant disregard for several treaties, Little Crow and his nation went to war in what is known by many as the Sioux Uprising. During the war, Little Crow would urge his warriors to go to kill as many enemies as possible, however Little Crow himself would protect white people he deemed worthy. As Anderson suggests, Little Crow prevented the potential death of Reverend Hinman and his assistant who were serving as missionaries in the Lower Sioux Agency. Also, Little Crow’s head soldier prevented the death of a local shopkeeper who did business with the tribe. Anderson also presents information about Little Crow’s warring life through the explanation of the damage that Native American warriors did to white settlers. Anderson discusses how Little Crow’s tribe had joined a race war against the whites, that would lead to countless innocent people getting killed. Overall, Anderson does a masterful job intertwining new and old information known about Little Crow’s involvement in war against the white settlers. While discussing Little Crow’s warring history, Gary Clayton Anderson blends several different sources. For example, Anderson finds information about the escape of Reverend Hinman and his assistant to Fort Ridgely through quotation of missionary papers that had been published in a book by Isaac Heard. Also, he uses the list of victims …show more content…
Little Crow follows the story of the easternmost Sioux people, but the book mainly ponders the decisions and actions of Chief Little Crow. By blending in an analytical style, Anderson can create a book that challenges social and political beliefs of the time period. Anderson scrutinizes the relationship between native people and the United States government to show how politics shaped many of the social issues for native people. Since he creates a book that combines storytelling and historical understanding, Anderson can truly explain the social and political landscapes of Sioux and United States