Conquest by Law: How the Discovery of America Dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of Their Lands

John Marshall's Landmark 1823 Decision In Johnson V. M'intosh Gave The European Sovereigns Who Discovered North America Rights To The Land, Converting Native Americans In One Stroke Into Mere Tenants. Drawing On Records Found In The Basement Of A Pennsylvania Furniture-maker-the Complete Corporate Records Of The Illinois And Wabash Land Companies, The Plaintiffs In The Case-this Book Provides, For The First Time, A Complete And Troubling Account Of Collusion, Detailing How A Spurious Claim Gave Rise To A Doctrine-intended To Be Of Limited Application-which Itself Gave Rise To The Massive Displacement Of Native Americans And The Creation Of A Law That Governs Indigenous People And Their Lands To This Day. --from Publisher's Description. The Illinois And Wabash Land Companies : Purchases And Petitions -- Harper -- Before The Court -- Virginia, Kentucky, And The Complex Politics Of Early Republican Federalism -- The Opinion -- Legacies -- Afterword -- Appendix 1: The 1810 Memorial -- Appendix 2: The Agreed Statement Of Facts And Objections To The Claims. Lindsay G. Robertson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-228) And Index.