Writers, artists, and filmmakers have made the 1757 siege of Fort William Henry into a cultural icon, imprinting their visions of that event on American society, culture, and identity. The portrayals of the siege and subsequent massacre illustrate how the events in a war can take on a larger meaning in the nation's history and consciousness.

During the French and Indian War, two English forts were of particular interest to the French. Fort Edward, along New York's Hudson River, and Fort William Henry, on Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains, were about twenty miles from each other. In early 1757 the French, under the command of General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, were preparing to attack Fort William Henry. Lieutenant Colonel George Monro, commander of the fort, had only 2,000 men under his command within it. On the French side, there were 8,000 soldiers...