Ancestors Taken Captive by Native Americans
The colonial wars of the 1600s and early 1700s in America witnessed a lesser-known yet poignant aspect of conflict: the taking of captives. This practice, a byproduct of the complex interactions among European colonists, indigenous peoples, and colonial powers, involved many of our ancestors along with many others. The captives were predominantly women and children, as the French and Indian captors considered them more likely to successfully integrate into their societies. Some captives faced tragic ends during raids or on the grueling 300+ mile trek to Canada, but many found themselves integrated into Francophone society, baptized into the Roman Catholic faith, and even married in New France, their lives taking new and unexpected paths. Some captives were adopted into Native families, reflecting a practice of cultural integration and replacement for lost tribe members, others were ransomed and returned to their original communities. These events of captivity were deeply intertwined with the broader themes of cultural misunderstandings, territorial disputes, and power struggles of the era. Each group—be it indigenous tribes or colonial powers—was navigating a rapidly changing world, vying for survival and dominance. The captives found themselves at the intersection of these complex dynamics, their experiences reflecting the intricate web of human relationships and survival strategies in colonial America.» Ancestors Taken Captive by Native Americans «Prev 1 2
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An engraving depicting Native Americans returning captured white colonists to their families
By After Benjamin West - Library of Congress, originally published in William Smith, An historical account of the expedition against the Ohio Indians in the year 1764, 1766., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1158261
| File name | Bouquet_captives.jpg |
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» Ancestors Taken Captive by Native Americans «Prev 1 2