About This Book

Acclaimed author Ann McGovern has written three masterful biographies of great Indian leaders — Osceola, Tecumseh, and Cochise — that illustrate the long struggle for human rights and freedom that has been part of the troubled history of American Indians. Osceola led the Seminoles against their enemies in Florida; Tecumseh tried to unite all the tribes, and led his people, the Shawnee, as they fought white intruders in the Indiana Territory, after a promise was broken; Cochise and the Apaches battled the white men in the Southwest. It was a time of great fear and sacrifice for the Indians. During the long struggle to keep their homes, it was often too risky to hunt or fish for food. Indian warriors hid their cold and hungry women and children, and dared not make a sound. Women buried children in pits to hide them when the enemy came close.

In clear, unsentimental prose, McGovern tells of the first Americans’ early tragedies as they bravely fought for their liberty and the right to live on their own land. The Florida swamps, the Midwest, and the Western Plains were the sights of many bloody battles during a time when the nation was young and expanding. Thousands of innocent people were killed or captured in the name of progress. Maps, photographs, and other illustrations help readers gain a fuller understanding of the reality of these difficult times. Use the text to prompt discussion of human rights and racism throughout American history.