This book traces the history of the American Indians from their early mastery of the wilderness, through the classical era of their great civilizations, and the dark ages that followed European invasion and conquest. Jennings investigates how the Indians struggled to retain their cultural identity against efforts of government and society to force assimilation onto them. He documents the gradual population and cultural revival among Indians in the 20th century after their catastrophic decline in earlier years. By emphasizing the diversity of Indian cultures and the variety of their interactions with Europeans, Jennings refutes the legends characterizing the Indians as antagonistic warriors, and illuminates the complexity and significance of the realtionships that formed between the Indians and the settlers.