The Life of Mary Jemison

White Woman of the Genesee

Taken captive at the early age of thirteen by Seneca Indians, Mary Jemison was trained in the wilderness to the ordinary duties of the Indian female. Embedded with the sentiments and lifestyle of the Seneca's she essentially transformed into a member of the tribe. Mary Jemison's story is a remarkable one not because of her extraordinary lifestyle, but because this was the lifestyle that, in the end, she chose for herself. When prisoners were being set free from the bondage of the Indians after the French and Indian War, Mrs. Jemison chose to remain with her Indian friends and accept her Seneca upbringing. Known for her uncommon generosity, as Westward Expansion began to flourish, those who settled near the Genesee River soon became acquainted with The White Woman.