July 27, 1777 – Near Saratoga, New York, a young woman called Jane McCrae was abducted, shot, and scalped by Wyandot Indians, who were allied with the British. This wasn’t unusual during the invasion of America that year; the British commander General Burgoyne offered money, liquor, and guns to the Indians, in exchange for American scalps, encouraging these terror tactics.
The American Army of the North seized on the story of poor Jane and actively spread embellished rumors about the assault that captured the public imagination, inspired international outrage, and spurred recruitment. But the myth of the innocent maiden defiled by savage Indians outlived Jane McCrae, and provided racist propaganda for another century of anti-Indian policy and practice.
GREG MILLER - Writer & Writing Coach 