War, captivity and the American civilising process on the colonial frontier of the eighteenth century

This paper looks at the French and Indian War of the eighteenth century North American frontier. As with other periods of intense contestation and conflict, the French and Indian War contained as a historically and culturally significant feature frequent incidents of captivity of colonials by Native Americans actively involved in, or caught up in the conflict. Such Indian Captivity Narratives provide a first-hand account of the experiences of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. It is the intention of this article to examine one such account and to consider some of its wider cultural legacies and historical implications.