Dee Brown

Dee Brown was a renowned American historian and novelist, best known for his works on the American West and the treatment of Native Americans by the United States government. His writing often explored the experiences of Crazy Horse, Geronimo, and other notable figures in American history. Brown's work was heavily influenced by his interests in Arkansas history, the Oklahoma Land Rush, and the Dawes Act. He drew inspiration from the lives of Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, and Buffalo Bill Cody.

● Early Life and Education

Dee Brown was born in Alberta, Louisiana, and grew up in Grossett, Arkansas, where he developed a strong interest in Arkansas history and the American West. He attended Arkansas State Teachers College (now University of Central Arkansas) and later earned his master's degree from George Washington University. Brown's early life was shaped by the stories of his parents, who had lived through the Indian Territory era, and the experiences of his friends, including Will Rogers and Woody Guthrie. He was also influenced by the works of Frederick Jackson Turner, Owen Wister, and Zane Grey.

● Career

Brown began his career as a librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and later worked at the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.. He served in the United States Army during World War II, where he was stationed in Iowa and Nebraska. After the war, Brown worked as an editor for the Department of Agriculture and began writing his own historical novels, drawing inspiration from the lives of Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and John Jacob Astor. His writing often explored the interactions between Native Americans, European Americans, and African Americans in the American West, including the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the California Gold Rush, and the Sand Creek Massacre.

● Notable Works

Dee Brown's most famous work is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a historical account of the treatment of Native Americans by the United States government. The book explores the experiences of various Native American tribes, including the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Apache, and their interactions with notable figures like George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, and Geronimo. Brown's other notable works include The Gentle Tamers, a novel about the lives of women in the American West, and The Year of the Century, a historical account of the United States in the late 19th century, including the Haymarket Riot, the Pullman Strike, and the Spanish-American War. His writing often referenced the Homestead Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Reconstruction Era.

● Awards and Legacy

Dee Brown's work has been widely acclaimed, and he has received numerous awards for his contributions to American historical literature. He was awarded the Newberry Library's National Humanities Medal and the Arkansas Historical Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Brown's work has been recognized by the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress, and has been compared to the works of Stephen Ambrose, David McCullough, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. His legacy continues to be felt in the fields of American history and Native American studies, with his work influencing scholars like Vine Deloria Jr., Ward Churchill, and Elizabeth Cook-Lynn.

● Personal Life

Dee Brown lived in Little Rock, Arkansas, with his wife, Sally Stroud Brown, and was an active member of the Arkansas Historical Association and the Western History Association. He was a close friend of historian Alvin Josephy and novelist Louis L'Amour, and often corresponded with historian Shirley Leckie and Native American activist Wilma Mankiller. Brown's personal life was marked by his love of Arkansas history, American literature, and the American West, and he often spent his free time exploring the Ozark Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Southwestern United States. He drew inspiration from the lives of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, and often referenced the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican-American War, and the Indian Removal Act in his writing. Category:American historians