Untangling the Roots of Dependency: Choctaw Economics, 1700-1860

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Creator

Stephen P. Van Hoak See all items with this value

Date

1999

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Bibliographic Citation

Van Hoak, Stephen P. 1999. Untangling the Roots of Dependency: Choctaw Economics, 1700-1860. American Indian Quarterly 23(3/4):113-128.

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This article is a historiographical essay that reevaluates Richard White’s The Roots of Dependency in light of more recent work on postcolonial Choctaw history. Van Hoak, a graduate Ph.D. student at the time of writing, identifies three weaknesses in White’s book. Firstly, Van Hoak argues that the Choctaw were not as destitute and dependent as White portrayed and were able to adapt to maintain some economic independence before and after removal. Second, he asserts that White misinterpreted the Choctaw’s traditional self-deprecating rhetoric in diplomatic proceedings as evidence of dependency. Third, Van Hoak posits that White overstated the negative impact of liquor on the Choctaw while ignoring their own internal efforts to combat the liquor trade. He concludes that White did not give the Choctaw proper credit for their adaptability and willingness to engage with the market economy. For evidence, Van Hoak draws upon records of Choctaw diplomatic congresses and more recent secondary sources, including those by Usner and Carson. This short article therefore gives a noteworthy counterpoint to some elements of White’s conclusions and showcases how some subsequent historians have come to different conclusions.

Subject

Commerce See all items with this value

Cultural Accommodation See all items with this value

Alabama See all items with this value

Mississippi See all items with this value

Temporal Coverage

Postcontact See all items with this value

Post-Removal See all items with this value

18th Century See all items with this value

19th Century See all items with this value