Mary Jemiemison Research Paper

Mary Jemison was one of many white captives who lived a full and happy life with her indian captors. The day Mary Jemison was taken by the indians started out like any other day. A friend of her father’s needed to borrow a horse in order to carry a bag of grain to the Jemison’s house. The friend had also taken a gun with him in case he saw any game fit for killing. The Jemison’s heard gunshots coming from nearby outside and quickly became alarmed. When someone finally looked outside to see what had happened, they found the friend and horse, shot and dead right in front of their house. The indians had first secured Mary’s father, then once he was bound, the indians rushed into the house to keep the others prisoner. Two of her brothers evaded

One day in Wiishto, one of Mary’s sisters wanted to take her to the prisoners’ executions. She thought this would cheer Mary up, as she was depressed at the time. When the sister told their mother where she planned on taking Mary, their mother strongly objected. She gave a speech to both of her daughters on why they shouldn’t go to the executions. Mary didn’t want to go in the first place, but her sister was a little discouraged that she couldn’t go. Around the tribe, Mary noticed that more and more indians started to drink alcohol. This habit among some of the indians gradually made them worse. When Mary became old enough, her sisters had planned for her to go and live with a man named She-nin-jee. They were later married according to indian customs. She-nin-jee was a man that Mary later learned to love. During Mary’s second summer at Wiishto, she gave birth to a baby girl. That baby was hers and She-nin-jee’s. Unfortunately, their baby girl only experienced two days. Mary would later give birth to another child of She-nin-jee. This child she had during her fourth winter in captivity. She gave birth to a baby boy whom she named Thomas after her late father. Also in her fourth year of captivity, Mary, She-nin-jee, Thomas, and three of Mary’s indian brothers left Wiishto for a town called Gen-ish-au where Mary had some relatives. During the journey, She-nin-jee split from the party and went a different route, planning to meet the others at Gen-ish-au. After the party completed the journey to Gen-ish-au, Mary’s mother and other members of her family greeted her as she entered the town. Soon after She-nin-jee left Mary, he had taken ill and died in the town of Wiishto, their old home town. When the news reached Mary, she was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. She kept wondering how she was going to raise a child without her