The Two Hendricks: Unraveling a Mohawk Mystery
Hinderaker does marvelous detective work unwinding the two Hendricks from each other and weaving their stories back together again, but he goes beyond merely setting the record straight. He provides a deeply researched and sympathetic history of the Mohawks when they loomed large in American history. This book promises to stand as an enduring work of scholarship. (Timothy J. Shannon, author ofIroquois Diplomacy on the Early American Frontier)Hinderaker does readers a great service by showing how profoundly native peoples shaped North American development in the colonial era. In this extraordinary double biography, he brings the two Hendricks to life, rendering Native American historical agency tangible and vivid. Combining first-rate scholarship and graceful prose, this is a splendid book. (Fred Anderson, author ofCrucible of War)This beautifully written book brings to life the long-forgotten careers of two men whose lives epitomize the opportunities and dangers—and the strengths and limits—of Native Americans struggles in a world of contending global empires. Along the way, Hinderaker provides wonderful insights into both the nature of imperialism in the eighteenth century and the construction of historical memory down to the present day. (Daniel K. Richter, author ofFacing East from Indian CountryandBefore the Revolution: America's Ancient Pasts)Hinderaker's finely tuned detective skills unravel a historical mystery, but that is only one of the many contributions of this excellent book, which uses the Mohawk story to provide stunning insights about early America. His mastery of the documentary record and eloquent narrative make this a must read for anyone interested in Native American and colonial American history. (Peter C. Mancall, author ofFatal Journey: The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson)In this dazzling work, Hinderaker recovers two Mohawk chiefs who became transatlantic celebrities in a time of imperial intrigue and violence. He vividly reveals the interplay of empire building, image making, and memory shaping as natives and colonists jockeyed for an edge. Ultimately, the American victors trapped the Indians within legends, but Hinderaker has now restored their rich humanity. (Alan Taylor, author ofDivided Ground)Hinderaker utilizes creative and in-depth research to construct a biography of two Mohawk leaders whose actions were dictated not by British interests but by those of the Mohawks and other members of the Iroquois Confederacy during an era when the Iroquois were the linchpin between New France and Great Britain...Highly recommended as both a historical work and an outstanding example for historiographers in writing ethnohistory. (John BurchLibrary Journal (starred review)2009-11-01)