Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Deerfield Massacre by James L. Swanson - Available

The Deerfield Massacre

A Surprise Attack, a Forced March, and the Fight for Survival in Early America

by James L. Swanson
Stephen Graybill
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
From the New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt (now an Apple TV+ series) and in the tradition of Empire of the Summer Moon comes "a vivid account" (The Wall Street Journal) of a forgotten chapter in American history: the deadly confrontation between natives and colonists in Massachusetts in 1704 and the tragic saga that unfolded.
Once it was one of the most infamous events in early American history. Today, it has been nearly forgotten.

In an obscure, two-hundred-year-old museum in a little town in western Massachusetts there stands what once was the most revered relic from the history of early New England: the massive, tomahawk-scarred door that came to symbolize the notorious Deerfield Massacre of 1704. 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 tomahawk blades wielded by several attacking Native tribes, is the sole surviving artifact from one of the most dramatic moments in colonial American history: In the leap year of 1704, on the cold, snowy night of February 29, hundreds of Indians and their French allies swept down on an isolated frontier outpost to slaughter or capture its inhabitants.

The sacking of Deerfield led to one of the greatest sagas of survival, sacrifice, family, and faith ever told in North America. One hundred and twelve survivors, including their fearless minister, the Reverend John Williams, were captured and forced to march three hundred miles north into enemy territory in Canada. Any captive who faltered or became too weak to continue the journey—including Williams's own wife—fell under the tomahawk or war club.

Survivors of the march willed themselves to live and endured captivity. Ransomed by the 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, published soon after his liberation, became one of the first bestselling books in American history and 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. Now, in this "immersive and memorable book [and] with his gifts of great storytelling and penetrating insight, James Swanson has given us a compelling account of an unjustly forgotten episode in American history" (Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of And There Was Light).

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 27, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797172538
      • File size: 279209 KB
      • Duration: 09:41:41

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      May 31, 2024

      The Deerfield Massacre was once a widely discussed event in early American history. On Leap Day 1704, the barricaded settlement of Deerfield, MA, was thought impregnable. However, on that fateful day, Indigenous (largely Abenaki) people and their French allies swarmed the settlement, murdering 47 colonists and taking 112 people, including children, on a more than 300-mile, two-month forced march through the rough frontier to Montreal. Narrator Stephen Graybill respectfully relays the traumatic experiences of survivors, many of whom later returned to Deerfield to live. Swanson's (Manhunt) well-researched account dives into the history of Queen Anne's War, the tension between Catholics and Protestants, and the later lives of individual captives. He provides intriguing commentary into how the massacre is remembered today and how descendants of all the groups involved have come together to promote healing and harmony. VERDICT Swanson's account of the massacre and its aftermath provides insight into details of an historical event and the ways in which it has been remembered and even mythologized over the centuries. An excellent recommendation for listeners interested in early American history.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading