may have been forgotten. However, his selection of stories was biased towards portrayals of Native Americans as violent. Criticisms and legacy Critics dismiss Priest's books as compilations of poorly supported theories motivated by racism. Robert Silverberg notes, "The argument he constructs is built on literal interpretations of Biblical passages mixed with popular pseudo-scholarly views and gross misreadings of related texts." Priest was known for integrating many types of sources into his writings, seeking to create a semblance of authority and credibility for a popular audience. Priest's fantastic assertions persist today in the works of pseudoscience, pseudohistory, and New Age pop culture. In this respect, he can be considered a pioneer in popular but highly erroneous publishing. The popularity of his works allowed Americans of his time to indulge in romantic fantasies about the past that encouraged their own racism. Notes References Harpster, Jack; Statler, Ken (2010) Captive! The Story of David Ogden and the Iroqouis. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC. Priest, Josiah (1843) Slavery, As It Relates to the Negro, or African Race. Albany: C. Van Bethuysen & Co. Sloan, De Villo (2002) "The Crimsoned Hills of Onondaga: Josiah Priest's Hallucinatory Epic," Journal of Popular Culture 36 (1) Williams, Stephen (1991) Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory. University of Pennsylvania Press Bibliography The wonders of nature and Providence, displayed, (1826) Google eBook. American antiquities and discoveries in the West, 3rd rev. ed. (1833) Open Library. American antiquities and discoveries in the West, (1835) Internet Archive. American antiquities and discoveries in the West, (1835) Google eBook. Bible defence of slavery and the origins, fortune, and history of the Negro race, as deduced from history, both sacred and profane, their natural relations--moral, mental, and physical--to the other races of mankind, compared and illustrated--their future destiny predicted, etc. (1851) Internet Archive. Bible defence of slavery and origins, fortune, and history of the Negro race, (1852) Google eBook. External links 1788 births 1851 deaths American non-fiction writers 19th-century American writers People from Unadilla, New York Writers from Albany, New York American white supremacists Pseudohistorians Pseudoarchaeologists American proslavery activists