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JOHN BARTLETT MESERVE : 1930s ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT HISTORY OF NATIVE INDIANS OF THE SOUTH EASTERN USA WRITTEN BY A NOTED HISTORIAN AND JURIST OF OKLAHOMA

4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. On offer is a rare and fascinating manuscript by a noted lawyer, judge and historian in the United States. Dating from the 1930s, this outstanding manuscript is typed on 8.5 inch by 11 inch pages and bound in a 3 inch 3-ring binder. It contains approximately 250 sheets of paper; 3 ring punched, typed 1 side only. Included in the manuscript are 39 black and white illustrations. The binder is in good condition and the pages are all intact, save for the title page which is loose. The manuscript is typed with handwritten editing changes noted on various pages. John Bartlett Meserve was a noted American lawyer. He was a member American and Oklahoma State bar associations, the Oklahoma Society S.A.R. (state president 1928), the Oklahoma State History Society (director) and the N.H. State History Society. Later in his career, he was a judge, serving in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Outside of his distinguished legal career, Meserve was a recognized historian who made significant contributions to the study of the history of the native people of southeastern United States - the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole peoples. His was a regular contributing author to the Chronicles of Oklahoma, the official journal of the Oklahoma Historical Society. His is also a published author with a number of credits to his name - all revolving around the history of the "Five Tribes" of the U.S. southeast. This manuscript is a biography of notable leaders of the Cherokee and Creek people. It is organized into 19 separate chapters. His goals are laid out in the Foreword: The life stories of such Indian Chieftains are of historical significance; some of them were calm, thoughtful and discerning leaders, possessing an intelligence equal to if not above that of many of their white oppressors and rendered a service of sterling worth; some were indifferent; some were bad ... Biography is said to be the alphabet of history. With that thought in mind a portrayal of the lives of these Indian leaders in the historic background in which they moved should mirror the emotions of these simple people. Their history becomes fossilized in the cold narration of facts. [Foreword] The first two chapters, entitled Early Controversy and Lawless Days in the Indian Territory set the historical stage. Pagination of this manuscript restarts with each chapter. Once the stage is set, he begins with 17 individual biographies of men whom he considers significant leaders within these two nations. Included in his list are Sequoyah, John Ross, William Potter Hoas, Lewis Downing, Charles Thompson, Dennis Wolfe Bushyhead, Joel Bryan Mayes, Colonel Johnson Harris, Samuel Houston Mayes, Thomas Mitchell Buffington, William Charles Rogers Opothleyahola, The McIntosh Dynasty, Samuel Chicote, The Perrymans, Iaparhecher and Pleasant Porter . The anglicized names reflect the long interaction between the Cherokee and Creek people and very early colonists and explorers. These men are very much full members of their respective Indian nations. Some of the Chapters were separately published as stand-alone articles in the Chronicles of Oklahoma. The chapters contain photographs of the subject of that chapter, original buildings, drawings and maps. There are 39 in total. There are many editing changes and notations. For a historian, this is an absolute treasure trove. Meserve is a meticulous researcher bringing a trained legal eye for details to a task that he is obviously passionate about. Researchers keen to understand the history of these peoples will find a wealth of details within the manuscript which will shed light on a tumultuous time in the growth of the United States. It will certainly shed light on the foundations of issues that are of significant national interest to this day.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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