Before the Trail of Tears

The Creek War of 1813-1814 is one of the most tragic episodes in American history, leading to the greatest loss of Native American life on what is now U.S. soil. The war also gave Andrew Jackson his first combat leadership role, and his newfound popularity after defeating the Creeks set him on the path to the White House.

In A Brutal Reckoning, historian Peter Cozzens vividly captures the conflict and the young Jackson, describing a brilliant military commander with unbridled ambition and a taste for cruelty. Jackson would not have won the war without the help of Native American allies, yet he denied their role and even insisted on their displacement, together with all the Indians of the American South in the Trail of Tears.

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