Mary H. (Mary Henderson) Eastman

Mary H. (Mary Henderson) Eastman
Mary Henderson Eastman (1818ā€“1887) was an American writer known for her works defending slavery and her depictions of Native American life. Her most notable book, "Aunt Phillis's Cabin" (1852), was a pro-slavery novel written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Eastman also wrote "Dacotah, or Life and Legends of the Sioux Around Fort Snelling" (1849), which offered romanticized portrayals of Native American life based on her experiences at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Her writings contributed to the national debate on slavery and reflected the tensions between Northern abolitionism and Southern pro-slavery sentiments.

Author's Books:


I. SIOUX CEREMONIES, SCALP DANCE, &c. The Sioux occupy a country from the Mississippi river to some point west of the Missouri, and from the Chippewa tribe on the north, to the Winnebago on the south; the whole extent being about nine hundred miles long by four hundred in breadth. Dahcotah is the proper name of this once powerful tribe of Indians. The term Sioux is not recognized, except among... more...

CHAPTER I. There would be little to strike the eye of a traveler accustomed to picturesque scenes, on approaching the small town of Lā€”ā€”. Like most of the settlements in Virginia, the irregularity of the streets and the want of similarity in the houses would give an unfavorable first impression. The old Episcopal church, standing at the entrance of the town, could not fail to be attractive from its... more...