The Indigenous Poster Child of the Lost Cause: An Examination of the Historiography of Brigadier General Stand Watie and the Legacy of Cherokee Confederate Involvement during the Civil War

Author

Corey CheungFollow

Date of Award

Spring 2021

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

History

First Advisor

Thomas Wickman

Abstract

Stand Watie, the only Indian Brigadier general to serve on either side during the Civil War, has a legacy that is intertwined with the problematic beliefs like that of the Lost Cause and his image has undergone a revision that aims to exploit his Indigeneity for the purpose of exalting the wider Confederacy. This paper seeks to examine how the historiography of biographies on Watie contributed to this image that dominates the public imagination and how the effects of this portrayal can be observed in the modern day.

Comments

Senior thesis completed at Trinity College, Hartford CT for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in History.

Recommended Citation

Cheung, Corey, "The Indigenous Poster Child of the Lost Cause: An Examination of the Historiography of Brigadier General Stand Watie and the Legacy of Cherokee Confederate Involvement during the Civil War". Senior Theses, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 2021.
Trinity College Digital Repository, https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses/880