Fit for War

“Fitts combines archaeology and ethnohistory to explore Catawba strategies for retaining sovereignty and power in the colonial era. A model of interdisciplinary methodology, this book offers new insights into coalescence, colonialism, and Indigenous persistence.”—Christina Snyder, author of Slavery in Indian Country: The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America







“Skillfully mobilizes a rich array of historical and archaeological evidence to recover from obscurity the decisive role that Catawba women played in guiding their society through highly precarious times.”—Daniel H. Usner Jr., author of Indian Work: Language and Livelihood in Native American History







“A fascinating glimpse of the Catawba Nation during this critical period. Fitts succeeds in tracing the mechanics of individual decisions that laid the groundwork for collective change.”—William L. Ramsey, author of The Yamasee War: A Study of Culture, Economy, and Conflict in the Colonial South

“An exacting and fascinating account of the life of Catawba Nation communities. . . . Clearly demonstrates how the Catawba peoples devised ways to maintain their political autonomy by developing networks and communities in the lower Catawba River valley.”—Society for Historical Archaeology



“An authoritative account of how the Catawba Nation came to be in the mid-eighteenth century. . . . A worthy addition to scholarship on Native American and southern history.”—Journal of Southern History