Native people remained in distinct communities during Revolutionary times. They sought to secure their rights, although in vastly diverse ways. Professor and Author Daniel Mandell discusses the experiences of New England Native Americans during the upheavals of the American Revolution in this 105-minute presentation recorded by ActonTV on December 16, 2024.

Acton 250 Committee Chair Bob Ferrara introduces Professor Daniel Mandell who has produced a body of work that tells the story of New England Native Americans from the time of the first European contact through the formation of the United States and its expansion. Mandell discusses their experiences during the upheavals of the American Revolutionary period.

From 1780–1880, Native Americans lived in the socioeconomic margins. They moved between semiautonomous communities and towns and intermarried extensively with blacks and whites.

Mandell analyzes connections and distinctions between Indians and their non-Indian neighbors with regard to labor, landholding, government, and religion; examines how emerging romantic depictions of Indians (living and dead) helped shape a unique New England identity; and looks closely at the causes and results of tribal termination in the region after the Civil War.