Indian fighters turned American politicians : from military service to public office / Thomas G. Mitchell.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [231]-233) and index.

The Militia and Indian Wars -- The Revolutionary War -- The War of 1812 -- The Second-Party System: Democrats and Whigs -- The Mexican Fighters and the Collapse of the Whig Party -- Indian and Mexican Fighters as Presidents -- Indian Fighters on the Frontier: Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas -- The End of the Indian-Fighter Era -- The Indian Fighter and the Arab Fighter.

"The words "Indian fighter" recall Custer. "Indian fighter politician" brings to mind Andrew Jackson or William Henry Harrison. Yet politicians who rose to prominence by exploiting their participation in bloody campaigns against Native America were much more common than most Americans realize. This book will bring to light important facts and highlight controversial issues regarding well-known figures from American history and folklore, while situating the questionable actions of these politicians within their historical and political times." "While most people know that Davy Crockett went to Congress and died at the Alamo, few realize that his only previous combat experience was in one conflict during the Creek War, which was more massacre than battle. Daniel Boone was a hunter and frontiersman who waged war against the Indians, but he was also a state legislator. How and why did the era of the Indian fighter turned politician begin? Which party was the party of the Indian fighters? Why did the era end just before the Civil War? Mitchell explores this American political phenomenon and reveals how it influenced politics in other nations around the world."--Jacket.