The American Indian in the United States, Period 1850-1914: ... The Present Condition of the American Indian

In Short

Compiled by an archaeologist and member of the Board of Indian Commissioners, this 1914 volume examines the status of Native Americans across the United States. It exposes the devastating impact of political instability, bureaucratic incompetence, and predatory white interests—specifically regarding land allotment, the depletion of tribal resources, and the prevalence of preventable diseases like tuberculosis and trachoma. By weaving together personal testimony, government reports, and individual case studies, the text documents a transition from the violent frontier conflicts of the late nineteenth century to a more insidious, pervasive era of administrative exploitation. Its enduring value lies in its refusal to look away from "the darkest page" of American history, providing a detailed, contemporary snapshot of the human cost of federal policy during a turbulent transitional period.

The Story

The narrative begins by establishing the stark, often grim reality of Indian life in 1913. The author presents a statistical landscape where billions of dollars in tribal wealth—land, timber, and oil—are held in a precarious guardianship by the U.S. government. From the opening chapters, the central tension is clear: the government claims to be a protector, but the evidence suggests it is an enabler of a "grafter" class that systematically strips Native people of their property.

The investigation moves regionally, beginning with the Minnesota Ojibwa. Here, the author details the "White Earth scandal," a complex web of land theft and legal manipulation. By examining the lives of individuals like the missionary Joseph Gilfillan, the text illustrates how the legal system was weaponized against vulnerable populations, turning potential prosperity into squalor. The argument shifts then to the Plains, revisiting the traumatic history of the "Messiah Craze," the Ghost Dance, and the subsequent tragedy at Wounded Knee. The author frames these events not merely as historical footnotes, but as the inevitable result of a government that alternated between neglect and disproportionate, panicked military force.

As the scope widens to the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma, the focus centers on the exploitation of minors' estates and the predatory leasing of fertile land. The author highlights the irony of a "civilized" guardianship that allowed white settlers to "shell the woods" for Indian land, effectively dispossessing entire families before they could even understand their legal rights. Through discussions with figures like Captain Grayson, the reader sees how wealth—specifically from oil—often invited corruption rather than security, with unscrupulous guardians often leading native allottees into ruin.

The final segments contrast the lives of famous leaders like Red Cloud and Sitting Bull—men who navigated the shift from warrior status to forced reservation life—with the modern, systemic struggles regarding health and education. The author describes a disastrous medical environment where thousands of people suffered from chronic, infectious diseases with almost no access to basic hospital facilities. The book concludes with a series of recommendations, arguing that the fundamental problem is the constant, politically driven turnover of Indian Commissioners. Because the administration of Indian affairs was treated as a political prize rather than a long-term duty, policies were never allowed to take root, leaving the native population in a perpetual state of instability, waiting for a champion who has yet to fully emerge.

How It Unfolds

A landscape of neglect The introduction sets the stage by contrasting the vast wealth held in trust for indigenous people with the catastrophic reality of their living conditions. The author provides raw data regarding the prevalence of trachoma and tuberculosis, noting that the government's investment in human health was vastly insufficient compared to its expenditures on bureaucracy.

The White Earth investigations The narrative dives into the specific, documented theft of Ojibwa lands, detailing the collaborative work of investigators to expose fraudulent rolls and illegal land transfers. The author demonstrates how easily legal definitions of "blood quantum" or "competency" were manipulated to seize property from those deemed unable to defend themselves.

The legacy of the frontier The text turns to the Plains, analyzing the cultural and religious significance of the Ghost Dance and the inevitable, violent collision with federal troops. By detailing the experiences of survivors and the failures of military policy, the author explains why the "irreconcilable" spirit of leaders like Sitting Bull was a product of sustained humiliation rather than innate hostility.

The Oklahoma trap The focus shifts to the complexities of land allotment in Oklahoma, where oil wealth and bureaucratic guardianship created a perfect storm for fraud. The author uses individual case studies of minors to illustrate how the legal system prioritized the interests of white guardians over the long-term survival of the tribes.

The need for a national voice The concluding chapters address the potential for future progress, emphasizing the role of education and the need for a strong, unified leadership. The author laments the lack of an Indian figure who has successfully taken the public stage to act as a permanent, uncompromising champion for the rights of the race.

The People

Warren K. Moorehead serves as the primary investigator and narrator, a man who acts as the reader’s guide through complex legal records and field observations. His frustration with political inefficiency is the driving force of the book, as he constantly contrasts the stated goals of the Indian Office with the reality of the field.

Joseph Gilfillan represents the moral counterweight in the Minnesota section. A missionary who dedicated his life to the Ojibwa, his presence underscores the contrast between true, personal commitment and the hollow, performative duty of the federal government. His courage in standing up to armed opposition makes him a symbol of the integrity that the government so consistently lacked.

Red Cloud and Sitting Bull appear as figures of the past who loom large over the contemporary struggle. The author views them as farsighted statesmen whose potential was eroded by a government that preferred to treat them as tourist attractions or political problems. They represent the "great men" of the past whose legacy is now threatened by the systemic erasure of their people's property and health.

Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa) is presented as a contemporary bridge between the old ways and the new. As an educated Indian, his correspondence with the author provides a critical, insider perspective on the character of leaders like Sitting Bull and the failings of the reservation system. He serves as an example of the "educated Indian" whom the author simultaneously respects and challenges to take on a more aggressive, public role.

Cato Sells and other Indian Commissioners are portrayed not as villains, but as symbols of a failed, rotation-based system. Each is described as earnest or intelligent, yet ultimately rendered ineffective by the political pressures that prevent any long-term, consistent policy from truly helping the people they are sworn to protect.

In Its Own Voice

The Honorable Commissioner cannot state in his report that it is due to these two influences [the politician in the East and the grafter in the West] that our Indian history is, beyond question, the darkest page in the general American history, but such a statement is absolutely correct.

(In the introduction, the author makes his primary thesis clear, identifying the twin forces of political apathy and active corruption as the causes of the ongoing catastrophe.)

Thirty-two per cent of the Indian deaths are due to pulmonary tuberculosis as against 12.02 per cent among the white people of the United States.

(The author highlights the disparity in health outcomes to demonstrate the systemic failure of the government to provide basic medical infrastructure.)

I never could understand why they changed the name, for the Superintendent is still an Agent. I am perfectly willing to accept the shrewd Indian’s definition—“It is the same man, only he wears a different coat.”

(The author captures the skepticism of the indigenous population toward the government's constant, superficial administrative reorganizations.)

What It's Really About

The book is a profound meditation on the failure of paternalism. Its central argument is that the government’s attempt to "protect" indigenous people through a state of perpetual dependency was fundamentally broken, primarily because the administrative oversight was never insulated from the profit-seeking interests of the frontier. The author asks: can a system built on political patronage ever truly provide justice for a disenfranchised minority? By cataloging the theft of land, the spread of disease, and the breakdown of tribal social structures, the work argues that the Indian "problem" was not a result of the Indians’ failure to adapt, but a result of the government’s failure to act with anything approaching consistency or honesty. The core theme is that without the security of land and the sovereignty of an independent voice, the Indian was trapped in a system that viewed them as a resource to be managed rather than a people to be respected.

Why Read It Today

Reading this work today feels like engaging with a vital, often painful piece of American accountability. It is not an easy read—the prose is dense with the bureaucratic language of 1914, and the author’s tone reflects the paternalistic, though well-meaning, attitudes typical of the reform-minded thinkers of his time. Readers will find the detailed, forensic accounting of the White Earth scandal particularly striking; it reads like a modern investigative report, filled with names, dates, and specific instances of fraud that make the scale of the injustice impossible to ignore.

The value of the book lies in how it humanizes the statistics of history. You are not just reading about policy; you are reading about the specific suffering of families whose health was ignored and whose future was mortgaged by distant politicians. The author’s frustration with the "revolving door" of government appointments feels remarkably contemporary, reminding us that institutional instability is rarely a neutral event; it has real, devastating consequences for those most reliant on that institution.

Those interested in the history of the American West, the mechanics of systemic corruption, or the long-standing efforts toward indigenous advocacy will find this book an essential, if sobering, companion. It stays with you not because of its polish, but because of its insistent, repetitive demand for justice. It is a document that refuses to let the reader rest, forcing a confrontation with the reality that the "darkest page" in our history was not merely a set of past events, but a series of deliberate, administrative choices that continue to echo through the landscape of the present.