"meticulous research"-- Indian Country Today ; "re-examines the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and illustrates the link between slavery and the theft of Native land"-- ProtoView ; "A fascinating tale of political intrigue, land speculation, and sectional haggling"--Jon Kukla, A Wilderness So Immense: The Louisiana Purchase and the Destiny of America ; "an engrossing narrative showing the theft of Native Americans' land and African Americans' labor were inextricably linked"--Woody Holton, Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution ; "Robert Alexander's book provides an amazing amount of historical detail about the early founding of the United States, with an envisioned destiny of westward expansion. The 1787 Northwest Ordinance, the main template for that expansion, quite skillfully professed the 'utmost good faith towards the Indians,' with a full protection of their property, rights, and liberty. Yet, as Alexander's work demonstrates, the vision of those who founded the United States was an unabated imperial advancement across the continent by pushing aside and dispossessing those First Nations. Alexander's work provides deep insight into this history and its continuing impact on Original Nations in our time."--Steven Newcomb, Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery .