A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison

The Indian captivity narrative is one of our oldest literary forms. Many such works are important not only in this history of American literature, but also as indispensable sources of information concerning the American frontier and the people who dwelt on either side of it. The story of Mary Jemison is one of the best of this genre. Mary Jemison spent more years among the Indians and became more fully assimilated to the Indian way of life and thought than almost any other non-Indian person of whom we have record. Her story throws light not only on her own adventures and the fortunes of her children, but also on the lives, customs, and attitudes of the Indians with whom she identified herself. Mary Jemison was 80 years old when James E.Seaver interviewed her in Canadaigua, New York, in 1823. First published in 1824, this narrative has gone through at least thirty editions, both in America and in England.