Living on the Edge of Empire: Alliance, Conflict and Captivity in Colonial New England

The 1704 raid on Deerfield, MA, was an event rooted in religious conflicts, personal and family retribution, alliance, and kinship ties. This raid and the colonial world that produced it helped to create a distinctive American identity and world view that became a backdrop for the American Revolution. Participants will explore global issues while also considering ways in which this history offers a compelling entry point for teaching the complexities of the early American colonial period and the many cultural groups who comprised it—Indigenous nations, enslaved Africans, and French and English settlers.