American Beginnings: The Frontiersmen and The White

Late eighteenth century America would be a place completely unrecognizable to a modern day American. While much of the eastern seaboard was tied up in the conflict that would eventually lead to our independence from Great Britain, the areas of Ohio, western New York and Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky were facing their own battles. As white settlers pushed further and further west, they intruded upon the lands of Native Americans, often with disastrous results. The White by Deborah Larsen and The Frontiersmen by Allan Eckert highlight some of these struggles, headlined by names such as Mary Jemison, Simon Kenton, and Tecumseh. Both books are shining examples of how historical fiction can illuminate both the factual and emotional elements behind historical events.

The Frontiersmen is the first of Eckert’s epic six-volume series. It focuses largely on the life of Simon Kenton, who entered the frontier at just sixteen after he thought he had killed another man in a fight. Kenton easily adapted to life in the woods, becoming an expert marksman, scout, and trapper. Kenton travelled up and down the Ohio River and into parts of Kentucky previously unexplored. He surveyed hundreds of thousands of miles of land, helped newcomers safely venture through the area, and guarded the settlers from attack. At one point, he was captured by the Shawnee, but survived long enough that he was eventually adopted into their culture. Upon returning to white culture, Kenton continued to serve as a local living legend until his death in 1836.

Eckert also highlights the hero of the Native Americans - a young Shawnee named Tecumseh. Frustrated at the theft of his people’s lands and the murders of his fellow Native Americans by the whites, Tecumseh quickly becomes a respected leader among the entire Native American community. Travelling all across the country, he gives lengthy and powerful speeches encouraging each unique group of Indians to unite as one strong force against the white invaders. Unfortunately, his own brother’s foolish actions prevent his dream from fully coming to life. He is forced to ally with the British, whose disregard for the Native Americans and general poor planning ends in the rebellion’s defeat. Tecumseh himself is killed in battle, and none other than Simon Kenton identifies the body. Kenton, out of respect for the man he came to know during his explorations, prevents his peers from disrespecting Tecumseh’s body.

Eckert writes in masterful detail, and his lengthy footnotes show his amazing attention to the facts. There is no doubt that Eckert puts the history first in his fictional adaptations. The dialogues are often taken directly from letters and diary entries, and are short enough to really keep from true adaptation. The narrative style adds to the flow of the story and brings each of these amazing American men to life.

Simon Kenton was still an infant when 12 year old Mary Jemison, living just outside of present day Adams County, Pennsylvania, was captured by a group of Shawnee Indians and Frenchmen in 1758. The rest of her family was killed by their captors, but Mary was adopted by two Seneca sisters to replace their murdered brother. The young woman adapted to this new culture and learned to thrive in it, never forgetting her roots but choosing not to let her past hinder her future. Readers watch her transformation from a terrified young girl to a noble, welcoming mother, wife, and community leader.

Author Deborah Larsen first discovered the story of Mary Jemison while touring the area around her home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She came across a statue of Jemison in the Buchanan Valley, the same area of Pennsylvania where the Jemison family was captured back in 1758. After reading an early edition of James Seaver’s A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison, she was hooked. “When one finds such a breathtaking narrative with so much sweep, it is as if a gift has appeared out of nowhere.” Larsen said.

Her passion for Mary’s story is evident in her writing. Larsen uses a far more emotional style of storytelling than Eckert, taking readers inside Mary Jemison’s thoughts and feelings with her captivating prose. In fact, Larsen’s first interpretation of Jemison’s life story came in the form of a screenplay. History is often a place where the stories of brave men overshadow the stories of equally brave women. It is refreshing to see Mary’s life fleshed out in such a unique and captivating way, just as it deserves.

As for the historical accuracy? Certainly, we can only guess at Jemison’s true thoughts and conversations all those years ago. According to Larsen, much of the books events were shaped on Seaver’s account, with additional information gathered from Arthur C Parker’s works as well as American Indian Lacrosse: Little Brother of War by Thomas Vennum Jr. Unlike Seaver’s original account, however, Larsen gives Mary Jemison her own voice, independent from Seaver’s “rather stiff, Victorianish prose”.

She hopes that readers of The White will question its historical authenticity. “I wanted to make American history and personages appealing to others using any means I could. If curious people are led back to other sources and to historical documents, this is all to the good.”

And that is the exact reason why historical fiction is a necessary part of how we preserve our past. History does not have to be boring. It is the story of all of us, both brave and weak. It is the story of mistakes, tragedies, and great accomplishments. But history is not always interesting for everyone, and most people with just a casual interest in a subject will not be thrilled to sit down to a heavily detailed, impersonal nonfiction account. Historical fiction helps to bring these stories to life, and if done in a way that still respects the history behind it, can be a brilliant way to make history accessible for a wider variety of people. Both The Frontiersmen and The White recall the lives of amazing individuals who shaped the history of America, with a little embellishment. And if those extras help to introduce even just one more person to these stories and the historical fact behind them, then it is worth it.

And these stories do still matter. “Mary Jemison faced both personal and early-American turmoil and trauma, including the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution. She suffered and triumphed by facing these events and by being resilient She also went out of herself and often took an active role in aiding others, no matter what their political, racial, or ethnic backgrounds. We think of multiculturalism as a somewhat modern phenomenon, but during Mary’s New-York-State years, she lived right in the middle of it.” Larsen said. “I think the world today could use more of her openness, thoughtfulness, humility, and activism.”