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Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America
WINNER • 2022 PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY
Finalist • National Book Award for Nonfiction
Best Books of the Year • TIME , Smithsonian, Boston Globe, Kirkus Reviews
The Pulitzer Prize-winning history that transforms a single event in 1722 into an unparalleled portrait of early America. In the winter of 1722, on the eve of a major conference between the Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois) and Anglo-American colonists, a pair of colonial fur traders brutally assaulted a Seneca hunter near Conestoga, Pennsylvania. Though virtually forgotten today, the crime ignited a contest between Native American forms of justice―rooted in community, forgiveness, and reparations―and the colonial ideology of harsh reprisal that called for the accused killers to be executed if found guilty. In Covered with Night , historian Nicole Eustace reconstructs the attack and its aftermath, introducing a group of unforgettable individuals―from the slain man’s resilient widow to an Indigenous diplomat known as “Captain Civility” to the scheming governor of Pennsylvania―as she narrates a remarkable series of criminal investigations and cross-cultural negotiations. Taking its title from a Haudenosaunee metaphor for mourning, Covered with Night ultimately urges us to consider Indigenous approaches to grief and condolence, rupture and repair, as we seek new avenues of justice in our own era.
Finalist • National Book Award for Nonfiction
Best Books of the Year • TIME , Smithsonian, Boston Globe, Kirkus Reviews
The Pulitzer Prize-winning history that transforms a single event in 1722 into an unparalleled portrait of early America. In the winter of 1722, on the eve of a major conference between the Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois) and Anglo-American colonists, a pair of colonial fur traders brutally assaulted a Seneca hunter near Conestoga, Pennsylvania. Though virtually forgotten today, the crime ignited a contest between Native American forms of justice―rooted in community, forgiveness, and reparations―and the colonial ideology of harsh reprisal that called for the accused killers to be executed if found guilty. In Covered with Night , historian Nicole Eustace reconstructs the attack and its aftermath, introducing a group of unforgettable individuals―from the slain man’s resilient widow to an Indigenous diplomat known as “Captain Civility” to the scheming governor of Pennsylvania―as she narrates a remarkable series of criminal investigations and cross-cultural negotiations. Taking its title from a Haudenosaunee metaphor for mourning, Covered with Night ultimately urges us to consider Indigenous approaches to grief and condolence, rupture and repair, as we seek new avenues of justice in our own era.
464 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2021
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About the author
Nicole Eustace
6 books40 followersNicole Eustace is Professor of History at New York University.
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November 3, 2021DNFing this one at 23% on the audiobook.
I was promised murder! Justice! Instead this is a slow, deliberate look at colonial attitudes about trade during the 1720s, with occasional looks at etymology and the difficulties of translation. The overarching theme seems to be "colonial and indigenous cultures approached contact with their own incompatible assumptions, and this did not end well (especially for the natives)."
The scholarship on display is admirable, and the language of the writing is clear and lovely. However, there's no sense of tension or drama to the story. I was hoping for another Killers of the Flower Moon or even a non-fiction Barkskins, but instead this reads like an academic text. Not bad, but not what I'm looking for.
I was promised murder! Justice! Instead this is a slow, deliberate look at colonial attitudes about trade during the 1720s, with occasional looks at etymology and the difficulties of translation. The overarching theme seems to be "colonial and indigenous cultures approached contact with their own incompatible assumptions, and this did not end well (especially for the natives)."
The scholarship on display is admirable, and the language of the writing is clear and lovely. However, there's no sense of tension or drama to the story. I was hoping for another Killers of the Flower Moon or even a non-fiction Barkskins, but instead this reads like an academic text. Not bad, but not what I'm looking for.
June 12, 2023
Every few years, an international crime captures the attention of the media. A citizen of one country commits a crime in another country. One country has certain social justice norms to address the severity of the crime. The other country has a completely different set of expectations. One country might believe that the person who committed the crime deserves lifetime in jail or the death penalty. The other country believes those punishments to be too severe and that justice would be served via sincere apology and community services
The talking heads in both countries cannot believe the punishment the other country---the issue becomes even more complex when the identity and image of the individual countries become embroiled in the situation.
Often the two principle actors do not understand the games the other party is playing, but believe their understanding to be superior way, this creates a nightmare for all parties involved. The negotiators can't make any headway because they cannot fundamentally undertsand what their counterparts desire.
This book written about events that occured decades after settlers arrived in Pennsylvania. An Iriquios was murdered by a Pennsylvania Quaker. The Iriquios tribe wants to celebrate and mourne the persons death, and move on. To grieve properly, the people who committed the murder have take part and be part of the ceremony. The Colonist, however, have strict rules about how Colonist should be judged. They take the accused captors in lock and key to the nearest city for a trial. The Iriquois don't want this, the Iriquois realize that the death was a mistake. The Colonist believe that execution of the murders might be the only option for justice. The Iriquios are dismayed at the idea that imprisonment or death is even considered.
There was no basis for a coming together of ideas. This was a fundamental difference in worldview of Europeans and Indigenous Tribes. What was done (right or wrong) could impact future relations.
This undoubtedly was not an isolated event in the areana of social justice between the contrary soceities, but it does a great job at enabling the reader to empathyze with both groups in the process.
The book is a 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner, does it deserve that award? I have mixed feelings, the story itself makes it worthy of that prestige. Try finding good books that try to present early ideological differences between two culture in the way she did, you would be challenged. Subject and content wise, this books winning a Pulitzer is a no brainer. Five Stars.
But books are not just about the subject and content, they involve actual writing. The actual writing of this book was not what I consider to be Pulitzer quality. It was good, but it was not Pulitzer Great.
The talking heads in both countries cannot believe the punishment the other country---the issue becomes even more complex when the identity and image of the individual countries become embroiled in the situation.
Often the two principle actors do not understand the games the other party is playing, but believe their understanding to be superior way, this creates a nightmare for all parties involved. The negotiators can't make any headway because they cannot fundamentally undertsand what their counterparts desire.
This book written about events that occured decades after settlers arrived in Pennsylvania. An Iriquios was murdered by a Pennsylvania Quaker. The Iriquios tribe wants to celebrate and mourne the persons death, and move on. To grieve properly, the people who committed the murder have take part and be part of the ceremony. The Colonist, however, have strict rules about how Colonist should be judged. They take the accused captors in lock and key to the nearest city for a trial. The Iriquois don't want this, the Iriquois realize that the death was a mistake. The Colonist believe that execution of the murders might be the only option for justice. The Iriquios are dismayed at the idea that imprisonment or death is even considered.
There was no basis for a coming together of ideas. This was a fundamental difference in worldview of Europeans and Indigenous Tribes. What was done (right or wrong) could impact future relations.
This undoubtedly was not an isolated event in the areana of social justice between the contrary soceities, but it does a great job at enabling the reader to empathyze with both groups in the process.
The book is a 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner, does it deserve that award? I have mixed feelings, the story itself makes it worthy of that prestige. Try finding good books that try to present early ideological differences between two culture in the way she did, you would be challenged. Subject and content wise, this books winning a Pulitzer is a no brainer. Five Stars.
But books are not just about the subject and content, they involve actual writing. The actual writing of this book was not what I consider to be Pulitzer quality. It was good, but it was not Pulitzer Great.
August 1, 2021
Covered with Night by Nicole Eustace is incredibly well researched. I wasn't familiar at all with the part of history she presented in this book it is a fascinating read. The writing style was a little difficult to get through as it can be quite dry and very academic. It definitely comes across as more of a college level textbook than anything else.
March 9, 2021
Eustace writes a hefty tome, but it's chock full of facts and stories. I had never heard of this incident so I read the book with get interest. The author provides plenty of scholarship and professional analysis. I have always enjoyed exploring Native American history, especially at the crossroads with Europeans. This book is well worth the read. Thanks to Liveright and Edelweiss for the advance read.
May 29, 2022
This is an in depth examination of what led up to the The Albany Treaty of 1722, also known as the Great Treaty. At 300 years old this year, it is oldest continuously recognized Indigenous treaty in Anglo-American law. It not only is a record of later land cessions and claims, both colonial and under the United States, but also memorialized the previously referenced Indigenous condolence ceremonies, and requested the release of the alleged murderers, recognizing Native American principles of restorative justice embedded in balanced values of pluralism and communalism in which lies the culture clash described in the text.
It all started when a Native American man, trading with two Pennsylvania brothers, was murdered, and the overarching efforts on the part of the colonial government were not only to determine possible guilt and punishment of the two murderers, but also to head off a possible war and continue to maintain current trade, land acquisition efforts, and friendly relations between the neighbors.
The title refers to the indigenous perception that murder covers the community with darkness at the loss of one of its own and the necessity of replacing that member either with someone from the murderer’s community and/or providing some sort of reparations or compensation for the loss of the deceased’s presence. The narrative about what Native American values and the perception of justice and community are nicely juxtaposed against the narrow and Western views of the colonists.
It all started when a Native American man, trading with two Pennsylvania brothers, was murdered, and the overarching efforts on the part of the colonial government were not only to determine possible guilt and punishment of the two murderers, but also to head off a possible war and continue to maintain current trade, land acquisition efforts, and friendly relations between the neighbors.
The title refers to the indigenous perception that murder covers the community with darkness at the loss of one of its own and the necessity of replacing that member either with someone from the murderer’s community and/or providing some sort of reparations or compensation for the loss of the deceased’s presence. The narrative about what Native American values and the perception of justice and community are nicely juxtaposed against the narrow and Western views of the colonists.
December 30, 2021
This book has a very interesting subject and premise. Unfortunately, almost everything that I will take from the book was written in the Introduction - meaning this book would have been more effective as an article. Hundreds of pages in the middle meandered through colonial ambitions and animosities, ultimately distracting and detracting from the otherwise interesting story of a clash in justice systems. The book would have been more appropriately titled a history of Pennsylvania in 1722 with an emphasis on the impact of the murder of Sawantaeny.
June 11, 2022
Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in History.
This is a remarkable book for its original scholarship and insight into the compromises and treaties of "well meaning" colonial leaders and "well meaning" Native American Leaders.
What happens when a respected Native American is murdered by two colonists? It might not surprise us that age old strategies eventually moved to finding a Native American who is also accused of murdering a colonist.
Fascinating insights into early colonial Pennsylvania.
4 stars.
This is a remarkable book for its original scholarship and insight into the compromises and treaties of "well meaning" colonial leaders and "well meaning" Native American Leaders.
What happens when a respected Native American is murdered by two colonists? It might not surprise us that age old strategies eventually moved to finding a Native American who is also accused of murdering a colonist.
Fascinating insights into early colonial Pennsylvania.
4 stars.
June 30, 2021
Honestly, one of the best history books I've read in the past few years. Well-written and well researched account of the native peoples of the northeast and their interaction with the colonial people of the Pennsylvania colony. Loved the last few pages and it's helpful and hopeful analysis.
February 10, 2022
One of the best works of history I have read in years. This is history as it should be: rich with context, alive with fascinating characters, beautifully written. Eustace skillfully draws the historical lessons from a 1722 murder and illuminates the stark differences between English and Indigenous notions of justice. These themes of communal relationships versus individual rights reverberate through American history and are at the heart of our struggles today.
Not an easy read, but we’ll worth the effort.
Not an easy read, but we’ll worth the effort.
October 5, 2021
I am a great fan of history writing that takes a single event or object and uses it to offer a detailed explanation of the period. (History of the World in 100 Objects is my favorite podcast of all time). The author’s approach reminded me of John Demos’s Unredeemed Captive, one of my favorite early American history books.
Unfortunately, the author simply did not deliver. As in another book by the same author, the book reads as if she came in with a strong thesis and then bent and selected evidence to fit her narrative. The result is that I learned a great deal about the author’s views of the period—very much the ilk of the elite historian playing savior to indigenous peoples (condescendingly depicted as both victims in need of this historian’s saving and empowered). The case itself is wonderfully complex, but the author’s simplistic analysis does not do it justice. The book is not helped by the prose, which was felt unnecessarily complicated and preachy and distracted from the account.
In short, the author’s preconceptions and writing overpowered and distracted from what could have been a great narrative.
Unfortunately, the author simply did not deliver. As in another book by the same author, the book reads as if she came in with a strong thesis and then bent and selected evidence to fit her narrative. The result is that I learned a great deal about the author’s views of the period—very much the ilk of the elite historian playing savior to indigenous peoples (condescendingly depicted as both victims in need of this historian’s saving and empowered). The case itself is wonderfully complex, but the author’s simplistic analysis does not do it justice. The book is not helped by the prose, which was felt unnecessarily complicated and preachy and distracted from the account.
In short, the author’s preconceptions and writing overpowered and distracted from what could have been a great narrative.
March 7, 2022
This book was overly long and packed with irrelevant details. I really lost steam about 2/3 of the way though and ended up skimming the last 100 pages. I don't think it needed to be as exhaustive as Eustace set out to make it in order to have the intended impact.
December 19, 2023
This isn't a true crime retelling of an indigenous murder a la Killers of the Flower Moon, instead it's a detailed look at 18th century Native and colonist life in Southeastern Pennsylvania and the clash between the two cultures when colonists murder a Native man.
Nicole Eustace does her research and notes even the most miniscule details from daily colonist life, to the point of redundancy in places. She also introduces an overly large cast of characters that surround the 1722 murder and subsequent political intrigue that follows as well as Native American philosophies around restorative justice as compared to the English attitudes of crime and punishment.
An incredibly interesting book for readers interested in colonial Pennsylvania life and cultural differences between the groups but definitely not an exciting read and it probably could left out some details without losing anything.
More academic than adventure
Nicole Eustace does her research and notes even the most miniscule details from daily colonist life, to the point of redundancy in places. She also introduces an overly large cast of characters that surround the 1722 murder and subsequent political intrigue that follows as well as Native American philosophies around restorative justice as compared to the English attitudes of crime and punishment.
An incredibly interesting book for readers interested in colonial Pennsylvania life and cultural differences between the groups but definitely not an exciting read and it probably could left out some details without losing anything.
More academic than adventure
February 11, 2024
This well researched book covers a murder of an Iroquois leader by two white fur traders in 1722. The difference between how colonists and indigenous peoples viewed this and their expectations of what would happen to the two charged men is fascinating. I found the book dry at times but it taught me many things about that time in history .
January 15, 2023
Interesting book set in 1722. A murder against an indigenous man. An in-depth look at how people thought and acted at that time. I also really liked learning about the indigenous way of dealing with murder which is try to make reparations instead of punishment.
June 23, 2023
Full disclosure: I did not finish this book completely. I got a little more than halfway through, then skipped to the last chapter and filled in the pieces from that plus the discussion at the book club. Only one person in the book club finished it, out of 5 who showed up for the meeting.
I wanted to like this book, as it is about a period of history that's very interesting and seldom talked about. It takes place in the early 1700s, mostly in 1722, in Pennsylvania, and the whole book is about one incident where some traders killed a Seneca man regarded as a chief because he wouldn't accept a very low payment for a bunch of skins he was trading with them. There was a lot of tension between the Anglicans and the Quakers in Pennsylvania at the time, because William Penn had died and one of his sons from his second (Anglican) wife was appointed the new governor, and he was very much an aristocratic Englishman at heart. The incident of the murder of the Seneca man had the potential to create conflict and even war between the colonists and the Indigenous peoples if it wasn't handled well, and it was a good representation of the difference between justice in the colonists' culture and justice in the Haudenosaunee and Algonquin cultures. The Indigenous people wanted reparations and shows of remorse, whereas the colonists had very strict capital punishments for various offenses, not just murders but even robbery, and threatened to put the culprits to the death for the offense, even though the Indigenous groups continually told them that was not what they wanted and that in fact, they took offense even to imprisonment of these men, since it was also against their culture.
The book was irritating to read because it was extremely detailed, and at times the author really didn't edit herself enough - the topic strayed far from what the book was supposed to be about, as if she was trying to convey every single fact she had learned in her research, not just about the incident but every single thing about Philadelphia, daily life, and anything tangentially related. One person in the book club suggested the author should have written a historical fiction novel about it instead, which may have been more entertaining and allowed her to put in those daily details in a way that was more relevant to the story.
She also repeats herself a lot and isn't the best at making her point. It felt like she didn't trust the reader to understand her main points, so she kept repeating them again and again. Sadly, I feel like I didn't miss much by skipping most of the second half of the book for this reason.
It was worth learning more about this period of time, and about how Indigenous groups dealt with conflict at the time. Restorative justice is coming back into the mainstream at this time, so it's definitely good to revisit what previous societies have used it and how effective it was at resolving conflict. I only wish the colonists hadn't been so greedy, pigheaded, and racist and had actually managed to learn from and integrate into Indigenous cultures back then, because I think we would have a much different country now.
I wanted to like this book, as it is about a period of history that's very interesting and seldom talked about. It takes place in the early 1700s, mostly in 1722, in Pennsylvania, and the whole book is about one incident where some traders killed a Seneca man regarded as a chief because he wouldn't accept a very low payment for a bunch of skins he was trading with them. There was a lot of tension between the Anglicans and the Quakers in Pennsylvania at the time, because William Penn had died and one of his sons from his second (Anglican) wife was appointed the new governor, and he was very much an aristocratic Englishman at heart. The incident of the murder of the Seneca man had the potential to create conflict and even war between the colonists and the Indigenous peoples if it wasn't handled well, and it was a good representation of the difference between justice in the colonists' culture and justice in the Haudenosaunee and Algonquin cultures. The Indigenous people wanted reparations and shows of remorse, whereas the colonists had very strict capital punishments for various offenses, not just murders but even robbery, and threatened to put the culprits to the death for the offense, even though the Indigenous groups continually told them that was not what they wanted and that in fact, they took offense even to imprisonment of these men, since it was also against their culture.
The book was irritating to read because it was extremely detailed, and at times the author really didn't edit herself enough - the topic strayed far from what the book was supposed to be about, as if she was trying to convey every single fact she had learned in her research, not just about the incident but every single thing about Philadelphia, daily life, and anything tangentially related. One person in the book club suggested the author should have written a historical fiction novel about it instead, which may have been more entertaining and allowed her to put in those daily details in a way that was more relevant to the story.
She also repeats herself a lot and isn't the best at making her point. It felt like she didn't trust the reader to understand her main points, so she kept repeating them again and again. Sadly, I feel like I didn't miss much by skipping most of the second half of the book for this reason.
It was worth learning more about this period of time, and about how Indigenous groups dealt with conflict at the time. Restorative justice is coming back into the mainstream at this time, so it's definitely good to revisit what previous societies have used it and how effective it was at resolving conflict. I only wish the colonists hadn't been so greedy, pigheaded, and racist and had actually managed to learn from and integrate into Indigenous cultures back then, because I think we would have a much different country now.
September 23, 2022
Although I struggled to read this book because I was bored most of the time, I still think it is an incredible revelation of the immense chasm between European settlers and Native peoples. One that still exists today. Rather than the whites learning about Native culture and trying to understand it, we are led to believe all were nothing but savages who lived only to kill one another. Expecially if you live in the Western US. So much through the book we saw efforts of the Native Peoples to find a way to co-exist with the Europeans in which there could be mutual respect. But, because of the attitude of the Europeans, that they were superior, it just could not happen. And, sadly, we are still too much there today.
July 20, 2021
I thought the story was interesting and gave me a better sense of the cast of characters that would have inhabited the colonies. The analysis, I felt , was a bit heavy handed, when the colonists set aside the murderers’ indentured servant’s testimony, the author seems quite content to ignore the possibility that they are trying to be just. When the victim went and grabbed his gun, he wasn’t angry or trying to defend himself. It felt to me like this was an historian who preferred black and white characters, good and evil, the stuff of fiction, not history.that marred it a bit for me
June 29, 2021
The civilization of North America´s indigenous peoples is far more admirable than that of our European colonialist ancestors. It was diverse, tolerant and just. It is what most want of our country today.
As a college-level history book, top notch. As casual summer reading not so much. Therefore if I could give this book three and a half stars I would.
As a college-level history book, top notch. As casual summer reading not so much. Therefore if I could give this book three and a half stars I would.
May 25, 2022
I feel so bad giving this 3 stars! It's an excellent book and a lot of it was really interesting, I just felt that sometimes there was more of an emphasis on continuing to showcase the fantastic research she'd done rather than on readability. I think this is a great book but I found it difficult to get through as well.
March 11, 2024
Interesting story, but the book needed editing. Too many chapters were devoted to relatively minor characters whose contribution to the overall thesis was minimal and could've been handled in a paragraph or two.
November 12, 2021
3.5-3.75 stars
This book is meticulously researched and does a great job of synthesizing a variety of sources into a quite readable portrait of life in Pennsylvania in the 1720s. It focuses on a central event, the murder of an indigenous man by two traders, but covers much more than that, including the strong contrast between English and Iroquois ideas of justice and the difficulties in cross-cultural communication between the groups.
I enjoyed many of the bits that add color to the portrait, like quotes from the almanac published that year and background on the colonial leaders and indigenous translators and many other things, but those details did bog down the story a bit. It’s not a super fast read and doesn’t have a dramatic conclusion, but it’s still interesting and I appreciated reading a book set in the colonial era that really prioritizes the perspective of the indigenous peoples there.
“Covered with night and wrapped in darkness” is such a beautiful and clear description of grief.
This book is meticulously researched and does a great job of synthesizing a variety of sources into a quite readable portrait of life in Pennsylvania in the 1720s. It focuses on a central event, the murder of an indigenous man by two traders, but covers much more than that, including the strong contrast between English and Iroquois ideas of justice and the difficulties in cross-cultural communication between the groups.
I enjoyed many of the bits that add color to the portrait, like quotes from the almanac published that year and background on the colonial leaders and indigenous translators and many other things, but those details did bog down the story a bit. It’s not a super fast read and doesn’t have a dramatic conclusion, but it’s still interesting and I appreciated reading a book set in the colonial era that really prioritizes the perspective of the indigenous peoples there.
“Covered with night and wrapped in darkness” is such a beautiful and clear description of grief.
July 19, 2025
I need to preface my review by saying that ultimately World History is my passion and US history is not. This book is interesting and it definitely has a period of history that I know very little about though an area geographically that I am somewhat familiar with so that was kind of interesting. One can’t help but get totally furious with the attitudes of the settlers and even try to draw some major conclusions about American in general by the way, we started things off. And I believe at some point the author even makes mention of the so-called success of some of these people when they are taking someone’s land that they’re not paying for using someone’s labor that they’re not paying for and then are so proud of their success. And one must cry for the poor native Americans who are trying to instill their worldview on the colonizers, not appreciating how futile their efforts will be, and how much they have to lose in the end.
So the historiography is excellent, and the research is really good. Ultimately this one moment in US history isn’t enough for me to say I really like this book or to recommend it to others, but that is really nothing that should be held against the author but rather my own perspective. Plus, the fact that you will end up being rather depressed at the end of it, except perhaps for the little mention of Benjamin Franklin at the end.
So the historiography is excellent, and the research is really good. Ultimately this one moment in US history isn’t enough for me to say I really like this book or to recommend it to others, but that is really nothing that should be held against the author but rather my own perspective. Plus, the fact that you will end up being rather depressed at the end of it, except perhaps for the little mention of Benjamin Franklin at the end.
November 2, 2022
The author was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in History for this account of a 1722 murder of a Native American by two prominent white fur traders in colonial Pennsylvania. In addition to the account of the crime and the investigation, several other subjects are addressed including the growing antagonism between Penn's original Quakers and incoming non-Quakers, the legal code/justice system/incarceration history, and the relationship between the colonists and the Native Americans. As you are reading you can't help but think that the native's philosophy of community was much superior to that of the privileged newcomers who were rapidly overtaking the land.
I'm not a huge reader of history nonfiction (except bios), and was sometimes overwhelmed with the details. But I came away with a huge admiration for the incredible amount of research it took to portray the events of 300 years ago with such attention to detail.
I'm not a huge reader of history nonfiction (except bios), and was sometimes overwhelmed with the details. But I came away with a huge admiration for the incredible amount of research it took to portray the events of 300 years ago with such attention to detail.
November 8, 2021
I’ve never read a history book quite like this one. Nicole Eustace weaves her story together meticulously, always searching for small, humanizing historical details in otherwise bureaucratic primary sources. It’s a tale built on breadcrumbs.
The main body of the book centers itself less on the murder referenced in its subtitle, and more on recreating colonial America in the early 1700’s; specifically, the divergent worldviews of English colonists and native peoples. This recreation is not always value-neutral, but it is enlightening and grounded in solid historical research.
The writing itself gets wrapped around its own axle from time to time—perhaps as a function of Eustace’s inclination to novelize. That said, there are some lovely passages and it’s wonderful to be introduced to people who would otherwise have been utterly lost to history.
Sadly, everything I read about the history of criminal justice in America is infuriating. This is no exception. Our techniques for managing crime and antisocial behavior are deeply rooted in superstition, cruelty, and the fetishization of force. It’s profoundly dispiriting.
The main body of the book centers itself less on the murder referenced in its subtitle, and more on recreating colonial America in the early 1700’s; specifically, the divergent worldviews of English colonists and native peoples. This recreation is not always value-neutral, but it is enlightening and grounded in solid historical research.
The writing itself gets wrapped around its own axle from time to time—perhaps as a function of Eustace’s inclination to novelize. That said, there are some lovely passages and it’s wonderful to be introduced to people who would otherwise have been utterly lost to history.
Sadly, everything I read about the history of criminal justice in America is infuriating. This is no exception. Our techniques for managing crime and antisocial behavior are deeply rooted in superstition, cruelty, and the fetishization of force. It’s profoundly dispiriting.
June 27, 2023
Wow this book took me a while. A
Really interesting look at this treaty and haudenasaunee diplomacy at the time. I enjoyed flipping the script on how these treaties worked between colonists and “savages”. I only wish the book had been a bit shorter, it was just so long with so many characters and detail. It was a real effort to get through.
Really interesting look at this treaty and haudenasaunee diplomacy at the time. I enjoyed flipping the script on how these treaties worked between colonists and “savages”. I only wish the book had been a bit shorter, it was just so long with so many characters and detail. It was a real effort to get through.
July 9, 2024
While I appreciated learning a significant amount of information about relations between Native Americans and colonists it was so painfully slow that I had trouble enjoying the book. I would have preferred it to be half of the length as it was tough to get through.
February 1, 2023
Dense telling of 18th Century colonists and tribes navigating new relationships in response to the death of a Seneca man. It is filled with information, too much for one reading.
August 8, 2022
2022 Pulitzer Prize co-winner in the History category.
September 9, 2022
When things go ill each fool presumes to advise, and if more happy, thinks himself more wise.
January 13, 2023
Comprehensively covering the events, laborious colonial dialogue and patronizing colonial thinking, as well as the Indigenous American dialogue and attitude, leading up to the 1722 Treaty of Albany, aka The Great Treaty, this book by Nicole Eustace is well deserved of the History Pulitzer Prize that it won. It did not win the prize for Literature, which I also agree with.
At a time when the Indigenous population greatly outnumbered the European-Americans, the murder of a Seneca chief, whose tribe was part of the 5 Nation Confederation, by two Quaker traders triggered the very real threat of a devastating war. That the frantic, yet bungling efforts by the Pennsylvanian governor and his council to placate the Indigenous people didn’t result in massive bloodshed is largely not to the credit of the enlightened Anglo thinking.
Although Europeans and Native People had been coexisting for about a hundred years at this time, the language and cultural chasms remained as huge as if they were from different planets, which in a sense, they were. As documented by Eustace, believing in the absolute superiority of English Law (and language & culture), lead to the Anglos barely attempting to understand the Indigenous concept of Justice. Restorative Justice. A concept that they could hardly understand, even when repeatedly explained. Not surprisingly, we still seem to have trouble understanding it, three hundred years later, but this book will hopefully re-start the discussion about it.
At a time when the Indigenous population greatly outnumbered the European-Americans, the murder of a Seneca chief, whose tribe was part of the 5 Nation Confederation, by two Quaker traders triggered the very real threat of a devastating war. That the frantic, yet bungling efforts by the Pennsylvanian governor and his council to placate the Indigenous people didn’t result in massive bloodshed is largely not to the credit of the enlightened Anglo thinking.
Although Europeans and Native People had been coexisting for about a hundred years at this time, the language and cultural chasms remained as huge as if they were from different planets, which in a sense, they were. As documented by Eustace, believing in the absolute superiority of English Law (and language & culture), lead to the Anglos barely attempting to understand the Indigenous concept of Justice. Restorative Justice. A concept that they could hardly understand, even when repeatedly explained. Not surprisingly, we still seem to have trouble understanding it, three hundred years later, but this book will hopefully re-start the discussion about it.
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