Chainbreaker - (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

One of the earliest memoirs by an American Indian, Chainbreaker presents the recollections of a Seneca chief, also known as Governor Blacksnake. A fighter in the American Revolution who lived more than a century, Chainbreaker told his story as an old man in the 1840s to a fellow Seneca, Benjamin Williams, who translated it and committed it to paper. Epic in scale and yet intensely personal, Chainbreaker's story provides a rare Native view of warfare and diplomacy during a crucial period in American history. His account is only fully available in this edition, featuring extensive commentary by Thomas S. Abler.

Review Quotes

"It is a real pleasure to see the memoirs of Governor Blacksnake at last in print, well edited and introduced by a leading ethnohistorian. . . . All credit is due to Thomas Abler for making Blacksnake's fascinating text available to scholars and general readers in this extremely well edited publication."--Anthony F. C. Wallace, Ethnohistory

"A rare look at the Indian side of the Revolution . . . A substantial contribution to the literature of Indian history, diplomacy, and survival in the Revolutionary Era."--Western Historical Quarterly

"A significant resource."--American Indian Quarterly

"This collaboration is especially noteworthy because both participants were Native American. . . . A powerful work."--Studies in American Indian Literature

About the Author

Thomas S. Abler is a professor of anthropology at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of Hinterland Warriors and Military Dress: European Empires and Exotic Uniforms.