|
Loading... The Deerfield Massacre: A Surprise Attack, a Forced March, and the Fight for Survival in Early America (edition 2024)41 | None | 617,866 |
(2.67) | None | "Once it was one of the most famous events in early American history. Today, it has been nearly forgotten. In an obscure, two-hundred-year-old museum in a little village in western Massachusetts, there lies what once was the most revered but now totally forgotten relic from the history of early New England-the massive, tomahawk-scarred door that came to symbolize the notorious Deerfield Massacre. This impregnable barricade-known to early Americans as "The Old Indian Door"-constructed from double-thick planks of Massachusetts oak and studded with hand-wrought iron nails to repel the flailing tomahawk blades of several attacking native tribes, is the sole surviving artifact from the most dramatic moment in colonial American history: Leap Year, February 29, 1704, a cold, snowy night when hundreds of native Americans and their French allies swept down upon an isolated frontier outpost and ruthlessly slaughtered its inhabitants. The sacking of Deerfield led to one of the greatest sagas of adventure, survival, sacrifice, family, honor, and faith ever told in North America. 112 survivors, including their fearless minister, the Reverand John Williams, were captured and led on a 300-mile forced march north, into enemy territory in Canada. Any captive who faltered or became too weak to continue the journey-including Williams's own wife and one of his children-fell under the knife or tomahawk. Survivors of the march willed themselves to live and endured captivity. Ransomed by the King of England's royal governor of Massachusetts, the captives later returned home to Deerfield, rebuilt their town and, for the rest of their lives, told the incredible tale. The memoir of Rev. Williams, The Redeemed Captive, became the first bestselling book in American history and published a few years after his liberation, it remains a literary classic. The old Indian door is a touchstone that conjures up one of the most dramatic and inspiring stories of colonial America-and now, finally, this legendary event is brought to vivid life by popular historian James Swanson"--… (more) |
▾LibraryThing Recommendations ▾Will you like it?
Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. ▾Conversations (About links) No current Talk conversations about this book. ▾Series and work relationships
|
Canonical title |
|
Original title |
|
Alternative titles |
|
Original publication date |
|
People/Characters |
|
Important places |
|
Important events |
|
Related movies |
|
Epigraph |
One of the pillars of the land . . . he was redeemed from the flames, passed through the wilderness and sea of danger, and . . . reached a temple eternal in the heavens. - From an epitaph for the Reverend John Williams, spiritual leader of Deerfield, Massachusetts, 1686 to 1729 It is not exaggeration to say that Deerfield is not so much a town as the ghost of town . . . the most beautiful ghost of its kind, and with the deepest poetic and historic significance to be found in America. - from "Deerfield, A Beautiful Ghost", an essay written by Conrad Aiken for the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Project Administration, 1937 | |
|
Dedication |
In memory of my parents, Lennart and Dianne Swanson, who set me on the path to Deerfield a long time ago. In honor of John Hope Franklin, Arthur Mann, and Mark Kishlansky, with fond memories of University of Chicago days. And in remembrance of Joseph Peter Spang III, a passionate antiquarian, obsessive collector, and gentleman of the old school who embodied the spirit of Old Deerfield as deeply as John Williams. | |
|
First words |
|
Quotations |
|
Last words |
|
Disambiguation notice |
|
Publisher's editors |
|
Blurbers |
|
Original language |
|
Canonical DDC/MDS |
|
Canonical LCC |
|
▾References References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in EnglishNone ▾Book descriptions "Once it was one of the most famous events in early American history. Today, it has been nearly forgotten. In an obscure, two-hundred-year-old museum in a little village in western Massachusetts, there lies what once was the most revered but now totally forgotten relic from the history of early New England-the massive, tomahawk-scarred door that came to symbolize the notorious Deerfield Massacre. This impregnable barricade-known to early Americans as "The Old Indian Door"-constructed from double-thick planks of Massachusetts oak and studded with hand-wrought iron nails to repel the flailing tomahawk blades of several attacking native tribes, is the sole surviving artifact from the most dramatic moment in colonial American history: Leap Year, February 29, 1704, a cold, snowy night when hundreds of native Americans and their French allies swept down upon an isolated frontier outpost and ruthlessly slaughtered its inhabitants. The sacking of Deerfield led to one of the greatest sagas of adventure, survival, sacrifice, family, honor, and faith ever told in North America. 112 survivors, including their fearless minister, the Reverand John Williams, were captured and led on a 300-mile forced march north, into enemy territory in Canada. Any captive who faltered or became too weak to continue the journey-including Williams's own wife and one of his children-fell under the knife or tomahawk. Survivors of the march willed themselves to live and endured captivity. Ransomed by the King of England's royal governor of Massachusetts, the captives later returned home to Deerfield, rebuilt their town and, for the rest of their lives, told the incredible tale. The memoir of Rev. Williams, The Redeemed Captive, became the first bestselling book in American history and published a few years after his liberation, it remains a literary classic. The old Indian door is a touchstone that conjures up one of the most dramatic and inspiring stories of colonial America-and now, finally, this legendary event is brought to vivid life by popular historian James Swanson"-- ▾Library descriptions No library descriptions found. ▾LibraryThing members' description
|
Current DiscussionsNoneGoogle Books — Loading...
|