Introduction : clearing the middle ground for American pioneers
1: The language of conquest
A peace, sincere and lasting : treaties and the eroding language of the middle ground
Between savage cruelty and opulent speculation : petitions and the shifting language of settlement
2: Clearing the middle ground
The long looked for storm : writing, religion, and removal
Led by a touch of romantic feeling : art, science, and depictions of the vanishing Indian
They found and left her an Indian : captivity narratives and the whitening of the middle ground
3: Remembering and forgetting
With strong hands and brave hearts : remembering the pioneer
A melancholy but necessary duty : forgetting the American Indian
Epilogue : centennial celebrations.