Histories of Native American Treaties and Anti-Chinese Violence Win Bancroft Prize

The prestigious award honors works examining financial aspects of U.S. treaties with tribes and legal discrimination against Chinese immigrants.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 9:03am

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The 2026 Bancroft Prize, one of the most prestigious honors in American history, has been awarded to two books: 'Vested Interests: Trusteeship and Native Dispossession in the United States' by Emilie Connolly, which examines the financial aspects of U.S. government treaties with tribal nations, and 'John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life Under American Racial Law' by Beth Lew-Williams, which chronicles the thousands of discriminatory laws passed against people of Chinese origin.

Why it matters

The Bancroft Prize is considered one of the top awards in the field of American history, recognizing works that offer new insights and perspectives on the nation's past. These winning books shine a light on lesser-known aspects of the U.S. government's treatment of Native Americans and Chinese immigrants, highlighting how financial arrangements and legal discrimination were used to systematically dispossess and marginalize these communities.

The details

Connolly's book 'Vested Interests' examines how the U.S. government, rather than outright purchasing Native land, often kept payment in trust with future payments dependent on continued Native compliance. Lew-Williams' 'John Doe Chinaman' looks at the thousands of discriminatory laws passed across the U.S. to target people of Chinese origin, starting with an 1852 California law taxing foreign gold miners.

  • The Bancroft Prize was awarded in March 2026.
  • Connolly's book 'Vested Interests' was published by Princeton University Press.
  • Lew-Williams' book 'John Doe Chinaman' was published by the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

The players

Emilie Connolly

An assistant professor of history at Brandeis University and the author of 'Vested Interests: Trusteeship and Native Dispossession in the United States'.

Beth Lew-Williams

A professor of history and director of the program in Asian American Studies at Princeton University, and the author of 'John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life Under American Racial Law'.

Frederic Bancroft

The historian whose bequest created the Bancroft Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in American history.

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What they’re saying

“This isn't actually boring' is a constant refrain for me,”

— Emilie Connolly, assistant professor of history at Brandeis University

“When you visit small-town archives in the West, ask for records of anti-Chinese violence, and look like you might be Chinese, the apologies come quickly.”

— Beth Lew-Williams, professor of history and director of the program in Asian American Studies at Princeton University

What’s next

The Bancroft Prize winners will be honored at an awards ceremony in New York City later this year.

The takeaway

These Bancroft Prize-winning books offer important new perspectives on the U.S. government's historical treatment of Native Americans and Chinese immigrants, revealing how financial arrangements and legal discrimination were used to systematically dispossess and marginalize these communities over generations.