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Introduction #

Travis and Matthew together have written a powerful book on the efforts during the American Revolution to take land from Indigenous Peoples, using force, coercion, deception, and the destruction of crops. History has written that these acts were retaliatory, a response to raids committed by Haudenosaunee on frontier settlements. However this is far from the truth. The destruction of Indigenous nations was a priority above all else. American military leaders ignored peace efforts, falsified reports and oriented aggression using any means and excuses possible so that they could gain permission to raid and burn Indigenous villages and lands. These attacks were clearly intended to erode tribal cohesion and take the land by any and all means necessary, using the ongoing Revolutionary war to justify their cause.

Resources #

• Bowman, Travis M. Clearing Iroquoia: New York’s Land Grab in the 1779 Campaigns of the American Revolution. With Matthew A. Zembo and Michael Galban, 1st ed, Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2025.

Credits #

• Music: Onondaga Social Dance songs performed by Orris Edwards and Regis Cook
• Producers: Jordan Loewen-Colón and Adam DJ Brett and Crow Richardson
• Show notes: Adam DJ Brett

Citation #

Lisa Moore, "S06E04 - Washington Said Burn The Corn and New Yorkers Brought Surveyors" Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery (Podcast), 2026-01-29. https://podcast.doctrineofdiscovery.org/season6/episode-04/.