The first major study to draw upon unknown or neglected sources; as well as original interviews with figures like Billy Graham; Awakening the Evangelical Mind uniquely tells the engaging story of how evangelicalism developed as an intellectual movement in the middle of the 20th century. Beginning with the life of Harold Ockenga; Strachan shows how Ockenga brought together a small community of Christian scholars at Harvard University in the 1940s who agitated for a reloaded Christian intellect. With fresh insights based on original letters and correspondence; Strachan highlights key developments in the movement by examining the early years and humble beginnings of such future evangelical luminaries as George Eldon Ladd; Edward John Carnell; John Gerstner; Gleason Archer; Carl Henry; and Kenneth Kantzer.
#24979 in Books Ingramcontent 2016-10-25 2016-10-25Format: Deckle EdgeOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.60 x 1.70 x 6.70l; 2.30 #File Name: 0307958043576 pagesThe Earth Is Weeping The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West
Review
137 of 149 people found the following review helpful. “The only good Indians I ever saw were dead"By Connie (She who hikes with dogs)These were words spoken by General Philip Sheridan in 1869.Thankfully; not everyone in charge of fighting wars with our native Indian tribes shared that sentiment.This book by Peter Cozzens is perhaps the most concise and yet detailed historical narrative of the US government's plan to conquer the American West from the native Indians. Covering thirty years; from 1861 through 1891; Cozzens retells the events that helped shape myths and legends from both sides: the land-hungry whites and the land-holding natives. His mission is to show that much of what is printed in history textbooks about our Indian Wars is inaccurate and romanticized; and the many tribes within our growing boundaries were not always the "barbarians" or "savages" that they were depicted as being. Many tribes fought wars with other tribes. There were good and bad people on both sides. There were rivalries between native tribes over hunting grounds and natural resources before white settlers came in to distract the warrioring parties.Cozzens starts out his 459-page book summarizing the situation between natives and whites after the Civil War. This is important for the direction of how Indian issues were dealt with; and how they ended up on reservations by the 1880s. President Lincoln; hailed as the Great Emancipator of the African slave; was far less tolerant toward the native Indian. The post Civil War US Army was downsized; many generals were now out of the service or had returned to their previous ranks (usually captains if they were officers) and money was now set aside for post-war Reconstruction. There was no longer a Confederate enemy and daily battles were no longer a part of a soldier's routine. Soldiers coming in after the war were paid at best $10 a month and supplemented their income with gambling or trading. Uniforms weren't standardized and new recruits didn't spend much time on marksmanship until it was regulated by the War Department in the 1870s. It's important for the reader new to this genre of history to understand the enlisted man's daily life after the Civil War; stationed along the frontier guarding immigration routes; railroad routes; or mining claims. Alcoholism and sexually-transmitted diseases were rampant among officers and enlisted. A former Civil War officer considered duty on the western frontier as punishment while a young enlistee; who may have been a new recruit from Germany or Ireland; as a new adventure and a steady income.Cozzen's writing style is concise and lacking any flowery prose. He can state more in one paragraph than some writers say in an entire page. Each chapter is around 20 pages; and the narrative is chronological for the most part. He divides the 30 years into three parts with overlapping years among the three regions: 1861-1873 in the Great Plains;1870s in the Northwest and the final battles with the Southwestern tribes until the last chief surrendered in 1891 and life as the Indians knew it was altered forever. He is cautious to depict both chief and general as unbiased as possible. While former Civil War heroes like Generals Sherman; Sheridan and Crook had a general contemptuous attitude about the Indians; there were many Indian Bureau agents who worked with the Indians and witnessed senseless carnage. This is how Cozzen wants the readers to see the Indian Wars: as a battle of trust and mistrust played by chiefs and generals who didn't always honor peace treaties; who lashed out in revenge; or who simply hated one another.Cozzen also stresses that a lot of the blame for some of the senseless massacres such as Sand Creek; Hancock's War; Camp Grant; etc on the profiteering contractors who often followed westward-moving troops to make a living. These contractors knew the life of a frontier soldier was remote and often boring; so they were there to sell them whiskey; clothes and items from the East Coast. They were often the ones making up stories to incite the old generals to conduct sweeping attacks across Indian villages; when the victims were then often women and children unable to escape. Some of these stories are quite heart-wrenching because Cozzen explains his cause-and-effect between the generals and chiefs very well. The generals wanted obedient Indians away from immigrant routes or mining claims; but often did not differentiate between an Indian raid (for coveted items like horses and cattle or guns) to outright attacks of war. When the Union Army's weaponry improved in the 1870s with more reliable rifles; canons (which the Indians feared) and artillery; many tribes now were realizing that they were losing their homeland and living in peace with the white man was no longer possible.But here again Cozzen wants to stress that the US government did not have a policy of extermination in mind. The general consensus was simply to move the tribes out of White man's way and to hopefully Christianize them and teach them to be passive and productive farmers. Most tribes were not stationary famers and were content with their own Creator and farming was not a lifestyle their traditions dictated. This difference of intent of course was complicated with the discovery of lucrative gold mines in Montana and Colorado; and the ever-expanding movement west of the American people in general. Some of the many stories in this book can bring one to tears at the wanton injustice; but there is blame on both sides. The largest tribes today in this country are the tribes that were willing to consent to the White man's plan; who did not wage constant war; and were willing to accept some western ways.Cozzen's research is impeccable. He traveled to some sites for a first-hand feel of what a massacre sight must have felt like (many are now on private land). He also sought the cooperation of other historians; notably James Donovan (author of "A Terrible Glory" and "The Blood of Heroes"). This volume is also replete with archival black-white photographs of Indian chiefs and generals; maps; immigration routes and summarized battle plans.For anyone interested in the history of US-Indian relations post Civil War; this is one book I highly recommend.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good Coverage of TopicBy John L. CasoI really had very little knowledge about this subject. For that reason i liked the straight forward presentation. Not a real page turner; but I wasn't looking for that. Seemed even handed and factual with no particular agenda being preached. For one knowledgeable on the subject it may seem old material. I found it instructive.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book. Shows many tragic instances where tragedy occurred ...By Bucky BadgerExcellent book. Shows many tragic instances where tragedy occurred through terrible judgement; randomness; fueled by hate. Good and bad people on both sides in what was an inevitable conflict considering the times. I highly recommend this book.
