Life of Mary Jemison

An Essay on Aspects of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison
Imagine, a teenage girl of fifteen, leading a typical family life in rural America, suddenly, with little warning, having she and her family violently set upon and abducted by a strange band of invaders. These kidnappers, so different in actions, customs and appearance that the mere sight of them brought a terror that the next breath might be their last. Is this a present day kidnap story. No! It occurred in 1758 to Mary Jemison during the French and Indian wars in rural Pennsylvania. This is a story of great loss and cultural upheaval in a young girl’s life and how she was able to transcend her circumstance and build a life as a white person that has been kidnapped and adopted into the Seneca Indian culture. In 1823, Mary recounted the story of her life at the age of 80 to James Seaver who that developed this into the book “A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison”. This essay analyzes aspects of Mary’s life and ...