15th century history
1689-1701
A01=Samuel Marquis
Author_Samuel Marquis
Category=NHK
Colonel Peter Schuyler
early American history
Empire and Frontier
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
forthcoming
Gwynne&rsquo
history
Iroquois
King William's War
late 15th century
Native American history
Philbrick's Mayflower
Product details
- ISBN 9798897101542
- Weight: 550g
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 24 Sep 2026
- Publisher: Pegasus Books
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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The epic story of the alliance forged between Colonel Peter Schuyler and the Five Nations of the Iroquois as English forces joined with the Iroquois against the French and their Indigenous allies.
Empire and Frontier presents a powerful episode of early American history, revealing the very human story of friendship and alliance between Colonel Peter Schuyler and the Iroquois during King William’s War (1689–1701). Like Philbrick’s Mayflower and Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon, this new book reveals how fragile alliances and cross-cultural diplomacy changed the course of empires in North America.
At the heart of the book is Peter Schuyler, a Dutch-American mayor of Albany, Indian Affairs commissioner, and militia colonel who earned deep trust among the Iroquois. Decades ahead of his time in his respect for Native diplomacy and sovereignty, Schuyler helped forge and sustain a fragile alliance between English colonists and the Haudenosaunee (Five Nations of the Iroquois) during a decade of brutal warfare. That alliance, known as The Covenant Chain, not only blocked French ambitions in the region, but also shaped the political and military landscape of the American frontier for the next one hundred years.
Told through multiple perspectives, the book also follows two unforgettable Indigenous figures during the conflict. Lawrence, a Mohawk war captain, serves as Schuyler’s compatriot on the battlefield, working for and navigating the survival of his people. Hilletie van Olinda, a biracial Mohawk-Dutch woman, becomes a key translator and diplomatic go-between, using her language skills and cultural fluency to mediate between the Iroquois and English.
Across a decade of war, espionage, and political intrigue—from the 1689 Leisler’s Rebellion and 1690 Schenectady Massacre to the climactic Grand Settlement of 1701—these intertwined stories reveal the human cost and political complexity behind one of early America’s most consequential alliances.
Empire and Frontier presents a powerful episode of early American history, revealing the very human story of friendship and alliance between Colonel Peter Schuyler and the Iroquois during King William’s War (1689–1701). Like Philbrick’s Mayflower and Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon, this new book reveals how fragile alliances and cross-cultural diplomacy changed the course of empires in North America.
At the heart of the book is Peter Schuyler, a Dutch-American mayor of Albany, Indian Affairs commissioner, and militia colonel who earned deep trust among the Iroquois. Decades ahead of his time in his respect for Native diplomacy and sovereignty, Schuyler helped forge and sustain a fragile alliance between English colonists and the Haudenosaunee (Five Nations of the Iroquois) during a decade of brutal warfare. That alliance, known as The Covenant Chain, not only blocked French ambitions in the region, but also shaped the political and military landscape of the American frontier for the next one hundred years.
Told through multiple perspectives, the book also follows two unforgettable Indigenous figures during the conflict. Lawrence, a Mohawk war captain, serves as Schuyler’s compatriot on the battlefield, working for and navigating the survival of his people. Hilletie van Olinda, a biracial Mohawk-Dutch woman, becomes a key translator and diplomatic go-between, using her language skills and cultural fluency to mediate between the Iroquois and English.
Across a decade of war, espionage, and political intrigue—from the 1689 Leisler’s Rebellion and 1690 Schenectady Massacre to the climactic Grand Settlement of 1701—these intertwined stories reveal the human cost and political complexity behind one of early America’s most consequential alliances.
Samuel Marquis, M.S., P.G., is a professional hydrogeologist, expert witness, and award-winning author of Empire and Frontier, Captain Kidd, and eleven other nonfiction history and historical fiction books, covering the period from colonial America through WWII. His historical titles have been #1 Denver Post bestsellers, received national book awards, and garnered glowing reviews from historians, bestselling authors, and U.S. military veterans. He and his wife live in Louisville, CO, where they raised their three children.
