Books | Sports

July 30, 2007

Carlisle's Football Laboratory

Richard Henry Pratt's school was founded as a daring experiment. It eventually bred Native American pride and gridiron innovations he could never have foreseen.

Nick Matros

In her new book, The Real All Americans: The Team That Changed a Game, a People, a Nation, Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins presents the birth and evolution of American football through a seemingly unlikely lens, that of the American Indian. Her historical narrative takes us from the battlefield in Dakota territory in 1866 through the darkest age of American imperialism. Jenkins chronicles the birth of the Carlisle School for Indians, Richard Henry Pratt's answer to the unsolvable Indian question. We follow Pratt on his controversial crusade to "kill the Indian, and save the man."







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- Sports
- posted on Aug 24, 07

Not really a football fan but definitely interested in Native American history; can't wait to read the book The Real All Americans, and depending on the level of difficulty, I may use all or parts of the book for my seventh grade English/reading classes.

- Sports
- posted on Sep 10, 07
susan cashman

My husband,Brad,recently bought a copy of The RealAmericans, while we were on vacation.He LOVED it! We will be attendingthe public reception at the Carlisle HistoricalSociety on Tues.,Sept18.I was wondering if you would be interested in writing an article in the Washington Post about the upcoming 40th anniv. of the upset game with the College of William and Mary beating Navy? My husband played in that game and at that time W and M were known as the Indians. I find it fascinating how mascots have had to become so politicly correct.Brad played on the last George Washington College football team before they dropped football. Hope to meet you on Tues. Susan Cashman

- Sports
- posted on Oct 02, 07
Catherine

I read Ms. Jenkins book and found it enthralling. I wondered if there is or ever been a movement to help restore Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals. It seems appropriate, perhaps at the 2012 Olympics, a hundred years later....

Curious..
Thanks

- Sports
- posted on Feb 27, 08
Jim Friesen

I read with interest your website on the evolution of American football. You may not be aware that we also play football in Canada, and that our game with the forward pass originated in the early 1870's. Mc Gill univeristy of Montreal played two games against Harvard in 1874 in which McGill introduced the forward pass to the game.Also our pro game in which teams from east and west play for the Grey cup has been in existance for over 100 years. Many of the inovations to the game have come out of Canada and although we call hockey our national game, foot ball is a very close second.--- Thanks for being able to comment on this subject.

- Sports
- posted on Feb 28, 08
Carl

Jim, thanks for the comment. This McGill webpage suggests that the forward pass didn't come to the school team until 1921.

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