Abstract
In 18th-century America, tens of thousands of poor, landless immigrants and their families made the harrowing journey from Western Europe to the shores of North America. Forced by their low economic status to the fringes of colonial society, these relative newcomers made their homes along the frontier region separating Native and colonial America. As a series of bitter wars pitted English, French, and Indian peoples against each other, these border settlements became easy targets for Indian raids in which thousands of European settlers and African slaves were taken prisoner. While some individuals were killed after their capture, many were adopted into Indian communities, taking the place of deceased family members and filling a crucial void in a dwindling population.
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