An Indigenous History of the American Revolution

Indigenous people were central players in the American revolution. For instance, Native nations were both allied and opposed to the Patriots’ cause. The Declaration of Independence cited Native people as one of the twenty seven reasons justifying the revolution. In fact, Native nations offered the founders concrete inspiration for the democratic nature of the new United States. Despite this, many histories of the nation’s founding still leave Native communities on the margin of the story. In this talk, we’ll explore an Indigenous history of the American Revolution, a story which has shaped the many nations which today call Wisconsin home.  

Matt Villeneuve (Turtle Mountain Chippewa descent) is Assistant Professor of U.S. History and Native American and Indigenous Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This program is sponsored by Beyond the Page, the Madison Area Community Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Registration is encouraged, but not required.