Captives among the Indians : $b first-hand narratives of Indian wars, customs, tortures, and habits of life in colonial times

audiobook

Captives among the Indians : $b first-hand narratives of Indian wars, customs, tortures, and habits of life in colonial times

by Francesco Giuseppe Bressani, Massy Harbison, Mary White Rowlandson, James Smith

EN·~3 hours

Chapters

Description

This collection brings together vivid, first‑person accounts from the mid‑1700s, when the American frontier was a meeting point of settlers and Native nations. Readers hear directly from those who were taken captive, endured harsh trials, and learned the rhythms of tribal life. The narratives reveal a range of experiences—from brutal confrontations to moments of unexpected kindness—offering a rare glimpse into an era of conflict and cultural exchange.

Among them is the remarkable story of a young frontier man captured at eighteen and adopted into a Delaware village. He describes the shock of his sudden seizure, the bewildering customs he was forced to endure, and the daily routines of his captors that he gradually came to understand. Over months of living among the tribe, he gains intimate knowledge of their language, dress, and social practices, all while plotting his eventual return to his own people. His account stands out for its blend of personal hardship and insightful observation, shedding light on a world few outsiders ever saw firsthand.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~3 hours (222K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Release date

2014-02-16

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the authors

FG

Francesco Giuseppe Bressani

1612–1672

An Italian Jesuit missionary in New France, he left behind one of the vivid firsthand accounts of 17th-century Canada. His life included scholarship, dangerous travel, captivity, and a return to Italy after years of mission work.

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MH

Massy Harbison

b. 1770

Remembered for one of early America’s most gripping captivity narratives, she survived a brutal frontier raid in 1792 and later told the story in her own words. Her account offers a rare first-person view of danger, loss, and endurance on the Pennsylvania frontier.

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Mary White Rowlandson

Mary White Rowlandson

d. 1711

Best known for one of early America’s most widely read captivity narratives, this colonial writer turned personal trauma into a book that shaped how generations imagined frontier life. Her account is still read for what it reveals about Puritan belief, war, survival, and the making of American literature.

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James Smith

James Smith

1737–1812

A colonial frontiersman who turned hard experience into firsthand storytelling, he is remembered for a captivity narrative that became an early American classic. His writings draw on years spent on the Pennsylvania and Kentucky frontier, where he was also known as a soldier, farmer, and political leader.

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