Clinton Smith

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Native American History, U.S. History

Graduate Student
B.A., LeMoyne College

Office: HSSB 3216
Hours:

Advisor: Pekka Hämäläinen

The 18th and 19th century expansion of the United States westward is, perhaps, one of the most familiar narratives. However, my research deals with the intertribal relations that existed well before, during, and after the arrival of Euroamericans and were no less important to the Native American communities on the plains. These relationships shaped the power dynamics on the Great Plains through economic, military, and territorial reorganizations and displacements. (more...)

My research focuses more narrowly on the impact of the Lakota expansion that beginning in the 18th century saw the rise of one of the most dominant Native American groups in history. Crucial to this expansion was the interplay between and access to guns, horses, and bison. I explore these issues to see how the Lakota expansion definitively shaped the Great Plains well before the United States ever arrived.