Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America
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- Author：Nicole Eustace
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Summary
In the winter of 1722， on the eve of a major conference between the Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee （also known as the Iroquois） and Anglo-American colonists， a pair of colonial fur traders brutally assaulted a Seneca hunter near Conestoga， Pennsylvania。 Though virtually forgotten today， the crime ignited a contest between Native American forms of justice—rooted in community， forgiveness， and reparations—and the colonial ideology of harsh reprisal that called for the accused killers to be executed if found guilty。 In Covered with Night， historian Nicole Eustace reconstructs the attack and its aftermath， introducing a group of unforgettable individuals—from the slain man’s resilient widow to an Indigenous diplomat known as “Captain Civility” to the scheming governor of Pennsylvania—as she narrates a remarkable series of criminal investigations and cross-cultural negotiations。 Taking its title from a Haudenosaunee metaphor for mourning， Covered with Night ultimately urges us to consider Indigenous approaches to grief and condolence， rupture and repair， as we seek new avenues of justice in our own era。
Reviews
Kathleen （itpdx）
，
Nicole Eustace follows the historic record of the Albany Treaty of 1722。 The treaty came about as the result of the English colonists of Philadelphia and the Natives of the Susquehanna Valley trying to reconcile the killing of a Native man by two white brothers。 The meetings and negotiations demonstrate the difference in cultures and values of the two groups。 The book is well written and provides much food for thought。
Cindy Leighton
，
"Tanachaha had one more instruction: 'that the men who did it may be released from Prison and set at Liberty， to go wither they please。' Unlike colonists， who insist that freedom of movement is privilege reserved for propertied men - meaning that high-rankig women cannot appear in public with propriety and that servants and enslaved people require written passes in order to move about - Native people believe that liberty begins with the body。" So much to unpack here about who our Founding Father "Tanachaha had one more instruction: 'that the men who did it may be released from Prison and set at Liberty， to go wither they please。' Unlike colonists， who insist that freedom of movement is privilege reserved for propertied men - meaning that high-rankig women cannot appear in public with propriety and that servants and enslaved people require written passes in order to move about - Native people believe that liberty begins with the body。" So much to unpack here about who our Founding Fathers thought deserved to have control over their bodies and freedoms and who other cultures believed deserved these rights。 。 。 and yet the colonists were obsessed with the idea that they were bringing "civilization" to the "New World" to replace the existing "savagery。"And this， really， is Eustace's main focus in this fascinating （although occassionally repetitive） look at a very specific case of justice in 1722， and what do we mean by justice。 Just before a conference between the Confederacy of the Haudenosaunee （Iroquois） and the colonists to sign the Great Treaty of 1722， two white men fur traders attempt to play a Seneca trader named Sawantaeny with rum so he will "make a better trade" despite being asked repeatedly by the Confederacy to stop bringing alcohol。 A gun is raised， a struggle ensues， the traders attack Sawantaeny and leave him to die。 The colonists are terrified that this death will throw a kink in the Treaty conference - they want more land。 The scheming Governor of Pennsylvania spends all his time trying to figure out if they can pretend they didn't know Sawantaeny died （the body disappears）， conducting a "thorough investigation" and ensuring the representatives of the Confederacy that the Cartlidge brothers who are accused of the murder will be treated the same "as if they had murdered an Englishman" - they are put in jail awaiting trial and execution。 The list for things colonists can be executed for is long - theft， manslaughter， covering up the death of an infant。 What is interesting， and what Eustace focuses on， is that the colonists are utterly unable to understand what "the Native Americans" （as Eustace keeps calling them - more on my gripes about her generic use of the term below） are trying to teach them about what they want and expect in the way of justice。 "It recreates the daily life of the region to show what happened when colonists， who claimed that the aim of colonization was the expansion of civility yet subjected Indians to invasion and slavery， matched wits with Indians， whose reputation for ferocity belied their principled approach to resolving conflicts through ritual demostrations of emotional reciprocity and material generosity。" Everything we read today about "restorative justice" had been practiced for centuries by the members of the Confedercy Nations。 What they wanted was 1）an acknowledgement of shared grieving， that all feel "covered by night" in their mourning and 2） reparations for their loss。 In this way relationships can be mended。 But the colonists are obsessed with punishment and "an eye for an eye" which provides the aggrieved parties nothing but revenge。 Eustace is not subtle in her repeated questioning of who is really "civil" and who is "savage。"My only complaint is that at time sshe overgeneralizes cultural traditions of "Native Americans" as if all people who lived in the Americas before European contact shared one common culture instead of the thousands of different and uniques cultures represented。 She says things like "Among Native Americans， marriages are not only entered into by choice but also easiy exite at will。 When a man and woman join in marriage， men move to live with th families of their new wives and women retain their property rights。。 。 。 " she continues。 This matrilocal， matrilineal tradition is practiced by SOME cultures， but certainly not ALL as she implies。 It is true that the Iroquois Haudenosaunee， made up of six nations—the Seneca， Cayuga， Onondaga， Oneida， Mohawk and Tuscarora—who joined the confederacy after its formation （popularly known as the Iroquois Confederacy） did follow this tradition， and women farmed， and allocated land。 But it bothers me that she would frequently refer to Native Americans or Indigenous Persons as if all are the same。 If she made a disclaimer in the beginning that talked about the language she was going to use and said something like "when I say "Native American" or "Indian" in this context I am talking specifically about the six tribes （or the five at the time） of the Haudanosaunee Confederacy I would feel better。 。。。more
Eric
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A true joy for listeners。 I recall the word "stunning" being used in the publisher's verbiage and wonder at the utility of that word here。 Yes， there are historical events that move the needle in historical terms， but I am less clear that Eustace has uncovered one。 Perhaps I shall keep this one out for a week and listen again。 June 30， 2022。4 July 2022 - A second listen has me enjoying the book a bit more， but it remains at three stars。 I think Eustace goes a bit beyond history and wishes to ref A true joy for listeners。 I recall the word "stunning" being used in the publisher's verbiage and wonder at the utility of that word here。 Yes， there are historical events that move the needle in historical terms， but I am less clear that Eustace has uncovered one。 Perhaps I shall keep this one out for a week and listen again。 June 30， 2022。4 July 2022 - A second listen has me enjoying the book a bit more， but it remains at three stars。 I think Eustace goes a bit beyond history and wishes to reflect modern sensibilities onto the historical participants of this story。 One could probably identify several dozen events of that era that might fall into the same category - a bit of history which shadow falls on modernity。 Tracing the direct impact of those events is hugely interesting but likely falls a bit short of causality。 。。。more
Jeff Macey
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A book that needed to be written and needs to be read！ I understand why it won a Pulitzer for history。 I'm sure the premise of the book goes over the head of modern white people much as it went over the head of the colonists in the story。 A book that is needed！！！ A book that needed to be written and needs to be read！ I understand why it won a Pulitzer for history。 I'm sure the premise of the book goes over the head of modern white people much as it went over the head of the colonists in the story。 A book that is needed！！！ 。。。more
Olivia Dorothy
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This is an excellent exploration of indigenous judicial systems during the earliest days of colonization。 It's a very accessible and easy non-fiction read。 This is an excellent exploration of indigenous judicial systems during the earliest days of colonization。 It's a very accessible and easy non-fiction read。 。。。more
Noel
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Hard read， but interesting facts about early native， indigenous culture （which as been whitewashed by historians）。
Ana
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For the first time in recent memory， I’m deliberately not finishing a book。 It’s just too boring。 I can’t。 You know how meetings can make you feel like they should have been an email instead？ This book feels like it should have been a wiki page instead。
Jude Morris
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As a U。S。 history buff， I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned so much about not only Indian diplomacy， but also social attitudes， Philadelphia， and historical figures。 Excellent writing。
Elizabeth
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2
Pharmacdon
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Historians have an insight and hindsight advantage over the participants of history。 Historians should not impose that advantage over the participants in discussing historical events。 Such is the case with “Covered with Night。” All colonialists should have known what the natives were thinking and doing。 All natives should have known， to a less extent， what the colonialists were thinking and doing。 Unfortunately， the author tilts the scale against the colonialists for apparent reasons。 This book Historians have an insight and hindsight advantage over the participants of history。 Historians should not impose that advantage over the participants in discussing historical events。 Such is the case with “Covered with Night。” All colonialists should have known what the natives were thinking and doing。 All natives should have known， to a less extent， what the colonialists were thinking and doing。 Unfortunately， the author tilts the scale against the colonialists for apparent reasons。 This book is a big DNF for me。 I managed to get to the halfway mark but finally gave up。 The story would have been interesting， but it got bogged down in details and sidelines and， most obvious， the author adding her spin。 A slave led a rebellion in Jamaica with a similar name as a slave in Pennsylvania。 The Pennsylvania slave was attributed to have a rebellious spirit by not planting seeds correctly， as recorded in a journal by the owner。 I know a few people named Joe， but not all are presidents of the United States。 To add to historical fact is called fiction。 。。。more
Max
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Meh。 Pretty repetitive and struggles to tell a compelling story。 Some of it was educational， but it drug on for most of the book。
Caleb Lagerwey
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I enjoyed this book， which I read for a summer 2022 history book club。 The prose was vivid and Eustace has clearly done remarkable research to back her writing。 At times it felt like she was trying too hard to be Erik Larson （e。g。， The Devil in the White City）， but that's barely a criticism。 She writes and researches well。 The overall murder story was reasonably compelling， though not enough to fill the whole of this book。 The real interest， for me， came in the discussions of Native American ver I enjoyed this book， which I read for a summer 2022 history book club。 The prose was vivid and Eustace has clearly done remarkable research to back her writing。 At times it felt like she was trying too hard to be Erik Larson （e。g。， The Devil in the White City）， but that's barely a criticism。 She writes and researches well。 The overall murder story was reasonably compelling， though not enough to fill the whole of this book。 The real interest， for me， came in the discussions of Native American versus European conceptions of justice， property， community， and trade。 The book also provided an interesting look into colonial political maneuvering and the complexities of the inland fur trade in the early 1700s。 The biggest downside to this book was that most of it--other than the introduction--was written in the present tense。 While that's a stylistic choice that the author and editor probably thought would heighten the drama， it was annoying for a history book and a bit inappropriate for the discipline。 。。。more
Dan
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Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in History。This is a remarkable book for its original scholarship and insight into the compromises and treaties of "well meaning" colonial leaders and "well meaning" Native American Leaders。What happens when a respected Native American is murdered by two colonists？ It might not surprise us that age old strategies eventually moved to finding a Native American who is also accused of murdering a colonist。 Fascinating insights into early colonial Pennsylvania。4 star Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in History。This is a remarkable book for its original scholarship and insight into the compromises and treaties of "well meaning" colonial leaders and "well meaning" Native American Leaders。What happens when a respected Native American is murdered by two colonists？ It might not surprise us that age old strategies eventually moved to finding a Native American who is also accused of murdering a colonist。 Fascinating insights into early colonial Pennsylvania。4 stars。 。。。more
Karen Hartley
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Very interesting piece of American history。 Eustace does a good job of describing Native American vs colonial attitudes toward justice。 But extremely repetitive。 Ended up reading just the first sentence per paragraph and still felt I got the book。
Ktbird
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We lost something when we decided as colonists that our jurisprudence was superior。 This book offers so many insights into the numerous weaknesses in how we address crime。 A really interesting look at pre-Revolution and early colonial settlements。
Catherine Woodman
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This is an in depth examination of what led up to the The Albany Treaty of 1722， also known as the Great Treaty。 At 300 years old this year， it is oldest continuously recognized Indigenous treaty in Anglo-American law。 It not only is a record of later land cessions and claims， both colonial and under the United States， but also memorialized the previously referenced Indigenous condolence ceremonies， and requested the release of the alleged murderers， recognizing Native American principles of res This is an in depth examination of what led up to the The Albany Treaty of 1722， also known as the Great Treaty。 At 300 years old this year， it is oldest continuously recognized Indigenous treaty in Anglo-American law。 It not only is a record of later land cessions and claims， both colonial and under the United States， but also memorialized the previously referenced Indigenous condolence ceremonies， and requested the release of the alleged murderers， recognizing Native American principles of restorative justice embedded in balanced values of pluralism and communalism in which lies the culture clash described in the text。 It all started when a Native American man， trading with two Pennsylvania brothers， was murdered， and the overarching efforts on the part of the colonial government were not only to determine possible guilt and punishment of the two murderers， but also to head off a possible war and continue to maintain current trade， land acquisition efforts， and friendly relations between the neighbors。The title refers to the indigenous perception that murder covers the community with darkness at the loss of one of its own and the necessity of replacing that member either with someone from the murderer’s community and/or providing some sort of reparations or compensation for the loss of the deceased’s presence。 The narrative about what Native American values and the perception of justice and community are nicely juxtaposed against the narrow and Western views of the colonists。 。。。more
Haddi Bergstrom
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I picked up this book from the library because I had the honor of attending the author， Nicole Eustace's， #antiracistbookfest session in late April and was intrigued by what she said about her book throughout that session。Eustace's research was meticulous and thorough thanks to a happy happenstance that the 'secretary' taking notes throughout this period was committed （for his own reasons） to keeping precise records detailing the particulars of the who， what， where， and how's surrounding these e I picked up this book from the library because I had the honor of attending the author， Nicole Eustace's， #antiracistbookfest session in late April and was intrigued by what she said about her book throughout that session。Eustace's research was meticulous and thorough thanks to a happy happenstance that the 'secretary' taking notes throughout this period was committed （for his own reasons） to keeping precise records detailing the particulars of the who， what， where， and how's surrounding these events。 Eustace documents and analyzes the historical records of a murder， trial， punishment， and restoration of a community in Pennsylvania in the 1700's。 Two English brothers murder an indigenous man and the drama that plays out illuminates the stark differences in ideas of 'crime and punishment' between the English settlers and the indigenous people affected by these events。 Through her research and examination of the historical records， Eustace illuminates both the English and Indigenous understandings of 'justice' and how those ideals determine the attitudes， actions， and understandings of people involved in this tragedy。 She highlights the contrast between 'punitive justice' and 'restorative justice' and how difficult it is for individuals to fully comprehend another's view when enmeshed in one's own point-of-view。 I thoroughly enjoyed this historical examination of 'what is justice？' and 'how is justice best served？' especially given our current debates on the merits （lack thereof） of the criminal justice system in America。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read history or is interested in more fully understanding differing ideas of 'justice。' This book is well worth your time。Want more book content？ Follow me at thebookwar。com 。。。more
Paul G。 Caron
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Books 2022#42: Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America by Nicole Eustace。A 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner for History。In 1722 an Indigenous American was killed by two white colonists in Pennsylvania。 What unfolds in this book is the story behind the murder， the existing laws and mores of the society， the ramifications and the developing animosity between the Native Americans and the influx of immigrants。 The story is interesting but the writing is Melatonic。Thre Books 2022#42: Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America by Nicole Eustace。A 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner for History。In 1722 an Indigenous American was killed by two white colonists in Pennsylvania。 What unfolds in this book is the story behind the murder， the existing laws and mores of the society， the ramifications and the developing animosity between the Native Americans and the influx of immigrants。 The story is interesting but the writing is Melatonic。Three out of five stars。 。。。more
BiblioBeruthiel
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I feel so bad giving this 3 stars！ It's an excellent book and a lot of it was really interesting， I just felt that sometimes there was more of an emphasis on continuing to showcase the fantastic research she'd done rather than on readability。 I think this is a great book but I found it difficult to get through as well。 I feel so bad giving this 3 stars！ It's an excellent book and a lot of it was really interesting， I just felt that sometimes there was more of an emphasis on continuing to showcase the fantastic research she'd done rather than on readability。 I think this is a great book but I found it difficult to get through as well。 。。。more
Alison Fulmer
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Interesting examination of the indelible impact of the English justice system on society in the era of the colonization of America and the contrast with the ideas of justice and community exemplified by the practices of the Five Nations。 Makes one wonder how different things would be had the colonists not considered the native Americans to be savages。 The white mans negative impacts on the world are legion。 I would have appreciated a list of the main characters as a bit confusing at times
Chris
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I guess its important to know going in that "Covered with Night" is of the thoroughly researched/academic variety of history。 Not that its inaccessible to the general reader， but I saw that a prior reviewer was looking for something along the lines of "Killers of the Flower Moon" （also excellent， but a significantly different genre）。 But if its not a rapid page-turner， it is learned and consistently thought provoking。 Eustace takes us into the world of the mid-Atlantic colonies in 1722。 What a w I guess its important to know going in that "Covered with Night" is of the thoroughly researched/academic variety of history。 Not that its inaccessible to the general reader， but I saw that a prior reviewer was looking for something along the lines of "Killers of the Flower Moon" （also excellent， but a significantly different genre）。 But if its not a rapid page-turner， it is learned and consistently thought provoking。 Eustace takes us into the world of the mid-Atlantic colonies in 1722。 What a world！ NYC's population was considered large at 9，000。 Eustace has learned way more than you would ever need to know about Anglican vs。 Quaker politics in Pennsylvania and the social hierarchy of the colonists。 The details about the value of furs or the specifics of how the fur trade was pursued were just details， but Eustace has gained such a command on these facts that she succeeds in emphasizing how these long-forgotten details served as powerful motivation at the time （just as some ephemera that motivate current politics will be curio in the future）。 As background for the main story， its great stuff （if you're into American history）。The story hinges on the murder of a Seneca man named Sawantaeny by John and Edmund Cartlidge and the ensuing negotiations with the Iriquois （Haudenosaunee） to settle the case。 The fact that the colonists' position was still so precarious that they had to negotiate at all was in stark contrast to later dealings with Native Americans。 By the time of Claudio Saunt's "Unworthy Republic" 115 years later， Andrew Jackson and the ciitzens of the new nation founded on the equality of man heedlessly mistreated Native Americans as sub-humans with little fear of retribution。But the murder and ensuing diplomacy is more of a case in point than the raison d'etre for this history。 What Eustace is after is huge。 What is Justice？ How can different cultures co-exist in peace？ What are the dangers of cultural arrogance？ She includes quite a lot about African （and Native） slaves and indentured servants and their role in （or exclusion from） society。 Its such a different world， we need a thoughtful historian to lead us through it。 Its a time when some humans owned others。 A time when "noble birth" was taken seriously （and taken for granted）。 A time when Europeans arrived and encountered peoples with thousands of years of culture and dismissed them as savages。There is that great kind of history that is at once so circumscribed and specific to the small world of Pennsylvania in 1722 yet so expandable to include much of the human experience。 。。。more
Viola
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Radical Justice in “Covered with Night”Review By Dana Dunham。 April 28， 2021 Chicago Review of Books。Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early AmericaNicole Eustace。 Liveright。 ISBN: 978-1-324-09216-2Early North American colonial history often gets short shrift in the standard American history classroom。 Once the pilgrims have celebrated their first Thanksgiving， the syllabus typically vaults forward in search of the excitement and glamour of 1776。 While the era betwe Radical Justice in “Covered with Night”Review By Dana Dunham。 April 28， 2021 Chicago Review of Books。Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early AmericaNicole Eustace。 Liveright。 ISBN: 978-1-324-09216-2Early North American colonial history often gets short shrift in the standard American history classroom。 Once the pilgrims have celebrated their first Thanksgiving， the syllabus typically vaults forward in search of the excitement and glamour of 1776。 While the era between these two events may not make the marquee of American history， Nicole Eustace nevertheless shines a revealing spotlight on it in her book Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America。 Eustace focuses on a single act that occurred roughly one hundred years after Plymouth Rock and fifty years before “the shot heard ‘round the world。” Her multi-layered exploration of the far-reaching consequences of this crime reveals forgotten treasures in America’s attic。 In the summer of 1722， deep in the Pennsylvania woods， Sawantaeny， a Seneca hunter and warrior， welcomed traders John and Edmund Cartlidge to his home。 The Cartlidge brothers plan to ply their host with rum to try to cheat him out of his valuable animal skins。 When John Cartlidge becomes frustrated that his scheme isn’t working， he assaults Sawantaeny。 The conflict escalates， and the Cartlidge brothers beat Sawantaeny to death with his own gun。For Pennsylvania Governor Sir William Keith， this is less a tragedy than an “inconvenient crime。” Keith wants to guard the fledgling colony’s financial interests against the threat of war with the local Native peoples like the Seneca and the more distant but powerful Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee， a regional confederation of Iroquoian tribes。 He attempts to ameliorate the situation by subjecting John and Edmund Cartlidge to the rigors of the new English penal code he recently signed into law。 If convicted， the brothers would be transferred directly from their cramped prison cell in Philadelphia to the gallows。 But Keith and his governing council are soon dismayed to learn that their efforts to smooth all this over have fallen short。 Native interpreters and diplomats Satcheechoe and Taquatarensaly tell them that they must free the Cartlidges both from prison and from the threat of execution。 Instead， to make things right Keith must journey to meet with the leaders of the Five Nations to “cover the dead，” or perform a series of mourning rituals to address the grief of the bereaved and offer reparations to his kin and community。 Eustace plunges us not only into this conflict but into the era that engendered it。 She painstakingly sketches in the details of eighteenth-century colonial America， from the Cartlidges’ sweltering jail cell where they “bake like bricks” in the summer heat to wealthy merchant John Dickinson’s opulent home， which boasts an abundance of furniture made out of rare and costly mahogany: “couches and chairs and stools; clothes presses， seven chests of drawers， and ten tables。”As plentiful and evocative as these details are， they are not merely set dressing。 Instead， Eustace uses these items to unveil the mechanisms of colonialism。 Of Dickinson’s mahogany furniture， she remarks， “Few if any take in the weight of all the dark wood displayed around Dickinson’s home and think of the expert knowledge and heavy labor of enslaved Africans that was necessary to find and fell the trees。” Similarly， an indentured servant giving testimony on the murder wears clothes made of osnaburg， “a rough fabric reserved for indentured and enslaved laborers that causes great discomfort to the body。” Surveyors carving up the forests for private ownership use a “Gunter’s chain” as a standard of measure: “On horseback or on foot， in fair weather and foul， surveyors string their way westward toward the heart of the continent， stretching their chains over the ground as if taking the land itself captive。” Details like these do paint a picture， but Eustace tells even better than she shows。 She draws from dozens of primary sources and hundreds of secondary ones， yet seamlessly weaves them into a cohesive， compelling narrative full of intrigue and pathos。 Sailing smoothly across the surfaces of ledgers and meeting minutes and treaties and treatises， she anchors us to these antique texts with occasional well-chosen quotes but always goes deeper to reveal the motivations， assumptions， and stratagems lying beneath the words。 Her commentary both offers essential context for the book’s events and infuses them with energy。 When colony secretary James Logan’s account of a meeting ends abruptly， Eustace writes， “His account ends there， sharp as the slap of a riding crop。” She also adds depth by explaining what is not in the record， as when she describes a hastily-written letter from a local official about the crime: ‘Sir，’ a man named Maj。 John Bradford begins a letter to a correspondent， too rattled to remember to use a more polite salutation。 。 。 。 He ought to begin by explaining that he has key news to share。 But he has no time to think about the craft of composition right now。 As for Eustace’s own text， readers will find that it frequently revisits the different approaches to criminal justice in early colonial America， drawing repeated distinctions between rigid， albeit unfairly applied， British law （perpetrator-focused， reprisal-oriented， punishment-driven） and the justice of the Haudenosaunee （victim-focused， restitution-oriented， harmony-driven）。 In this way， Eustace mirrors Satcheechoe and Taquatarensaly， who were faced with the difficult task of explaining this alternative justice system and its value to Keith and his council。 Having been thoroughly spoilered by the subsequent three hundred years， we can guess the colonists’ reactions to their efforts， but Eustace manages to maintain the narrative tension。 After each attempt， we wonder: Do they get it？ How about now？ Still no？ Okay， what about this time？ In Eustace’s savvy retelling， the colonists’ continuous refusal to truly hear and engage with their Native counterparts manages to be both entirely predictable and yet utterly astonishing。 While this is deeply frustrating， we are not left entirely unsatisfied。 The Great Treaty of 1722 records the progress that Satcheechoe， Taquatarensaly， and other Five Nations leaders did achieve in demanding accountability according to their cultures’ values。 But what does the oldest continuous treaty in the U。S。 have to offer us now， with colonists having long since reached the other shining sea， bringing with them a vicious， destructive penal system？By formally documenting a more humane， healing vision of what justice could be—and once was—in this country， the treaty further fortifies current social justice movements centering prison abolition， restorative justice， and reparations。 Though these movements are seen by many as radical， Eustace’s revealing work shows us just how traditional their roots really are。Source /chireviewofbooks。com/2021/04/28/radical-justice-in-covered-with-night/ 。。。more
Mars R
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Gift Ideas -- Dad
Deb
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Read very much like an academic text。 Was hoping for more mystery and intrigue。
Barb
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This was way too academic for my reading life these days。 Listening to others， evidently this is a grand narrative that is not typical for history books。 I will say "hats off" to the author for the extensive research she put in and to her attempt to tell a story。 Honestly， I skim-read a large part of it， slowing down when there was a human-interest angle。 The Great Treaty of 1722 lay the basis for restorative justice claims today。 I am happy to add this part of Native history to my knowledgebase This was way too academic for my reading life these days。 Listening to others， evidently this is a grand narrative that is not typical for history books。 I will say "hats off" to the author for the extensive research she put in and to her attempt to tell a story。 Honestly， I skim-read a large part of it， slowing down when there was a human-interest angle。 The Great Treaty of 1722 lay the basis for restorative justice claims today。 I am happy to add this part of Native history to my knowledgebase and will now be more aware of the definitions of justice that are so much a part of our discussions today。 。。。more
Liz
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This book was overly long and packed with irrelevant details。 I really lost steam about 2/3 of the way though and ended up skimming the last 100 pages。 I don't think it needed to be as exhaustive as Eustace set out to make it in order to have the intended impact。 This book was overly long and packed with irrelevant details。 I really lost steam about 2/3 of the way though and ended up skimming the last 100 pages。 I don't think it needed to be as exhaustive as Eustace set out to make it in order to have the intended impact。 。。。more
Edward （Ted）
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Great story offering a fascinating description of politics， justice， and life in colonial Pennsylvania。 A challenging read， but well worth it for those interested in a scholarly look at indigenous justice and early American history。 Addresses the Great Treaty of 1722， the oldest surviving treaty between native peoples and colonizers in US history。
Peggy Page
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One of the best works of history I have read in years。 This is history as it should be: rich with context， alive with fascinating characters， beautifully written。 Eustace skillfully draws the historical lessons from a 1722 murder and illuminates the stark differences between English and Indigenous notions of justice。 These themes of communal relationships versus individual rights reverberate through American history and are at the heart of our struggles today。Not an easy read， but we’ll worth th One of the best works of history I have read in years。 This is history as it should be: rich with context， alive with fascinating characters， beautifully written。 Eustace skillfully draws the historical lessons from a 1722 murder and illuminates the stark differences between English and Indigenous notions of justice。 These themes of communal relationships versus individual rights reverberate through American history and are at the heart of our struggles today。Not an easy read， but we’ll worth the effort。 。。。more
B
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There's so much in life I don't know that when I learn it， I feel more than I did before I knew it。 This book showed me more。 There's so much in life I don't know that when I learn it， I feel more than I did before I knew it。 This book showed me more。 。。。more
Alexis Kaelin
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