Mary Rowlandson, born 1637, a Puritan minister’s wife, age 73, of Massachusetts, passed away peacefully in a small ceremony on January 5, 1711. Leaving behind two children and one daughter who sadly perished in the infamous Indian raid. She is most famous for her spiritually autobiographical captivity narrative, a true historical account of Native American captivity which became a bestselling novel during the 17th century. Mary’s writing style propelled this popular subject matter to heights by driving home the concept of colonial racial superiority. Her importance to history comes from the aftermath of King Philip’s War (aka Metacom’s Rebellion). It was the last known effort by indians to drive out the English helping to create a politically
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To best sum up these key events, I turn to an article at freedomsway.org entitled, Women’s History Month: Mary Rowlandson, which states; In 1650 her Puritan family left England only to eventually settle in the notorious frontier town of Lancaster. The colonial woman’s story takes a dramatic turn when she and her children are among those taken in a raid by the Narragansett and Nipmuck tribes during the King Philip’s War. The article goes on to say, thanks to the ransom paid by a leader of her community John Hoar she was released to her family and neighbors at Redemption Rock, a now preserved national park. (N/A, 2008). Mary’s story is a true picture of the consequences that follow settling on native lands by colonist and their fundamental belief in cultural superiority. Mary Rowlandson’s life is a part of the fabric of American culture even today her home and grave are memorialized. According to a post at, HeritageRamblings.net Mary’s grave site is a popular tourist destination along with the Rowlandson garrison house in the historical town of Lancaster, Massachusetts. (N/A, …show more content…
In her book, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God, Mary paints the Indians as savages by saying, “…sometimes one Indian would come and tell me one hour that "your master will knock your child in the head," and then a second, and then a third, "your master will quickly knock your child in the head." (Rowlandson, ch3) According to Rowlandson, the Indians are not welcome in English society and surprisingly, not all missionary work is seen as Christian. In a collection of Rowlandson's work edited by Wayne Hazen entitled, Mary Rowlandson: An Illustrated Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson., Hazen quotes Mary as saying, “There was another Praying-Indian, who when he had done all the mischief that he could, betrayed his own Father into the English hands, … There was another Praying Indian, so wicked and cruel, as to wear a string about his neck, stung with Christian fingers." (Rowlandson, Hazen. p. 98) Mary used the term “Praying Indian” in her writings to ignite a controversy over English missionary conversion and her diction carries racist undertones of Native American genocide. Mary is an important voice in history her valid fear of Indian captivity spread like a wildfire and her gallant recue by leaders built a platform for racial hate and hostile divisions within future
To best sum up these key events, I turn to an article at freedomsway.org entitled, Women’s History Month: Mary Rowlandson, which states; In 1650 her Puritan family left England only to eventually settle in the notorious frontier town of Lancaster. The colonial woman’s story takes a dramatic turn when she and her children are among those taken in a raid by the Narragansett and Nipmuck tribes during the King Philip’s War. The article goes on to say, thanks to the ransom paid by a leader of her community John Hoar she was released to her family and neighbors at Redemption Rock, a now preserved national park. (N/A, 2008). Mary’s story is a true picture of the consequences that follow settling on native lands by colonist and their fundamental belief in cultural superiority. Mary Rowlandson’s life is a part of the fabric of American culture even today her home and grave are memorialized. According to a post at, HeritageRamblings.net Mary’s grave site is a popular tourist destination along with the Rowlandson garrison house in the historical town of Lancaster, Massachusetts. (N/A, …show more content…
In her book, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God, Mary paints the Indians as savages by saying, “…sometimes one Indian would come and tell me one hour that "your master will knock your child in the head," and then a second, and then a third, "your master will quickly knock your child in the head." (Rowlandson, ch3) According to Rowlandson, the Indians are not welcome in English society and surprisingly, not all missionary work is seen as Christian. In a collection of Rowlandson's work edited by Wayne Hazen entitled, Mary Rowlandson: An Illustrated Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson., Hazen quotes Mary as saying, “There was another Praying-Indian, who when he had done all the mischief that he could, betrayed his own Father into the English hands, … There was another Praying Indian, so wicked and cruel, as to wear a string about his neck, stung with Christian fingers." (Rowlandson, Hazen. p. 98) Mary used the term “Praying Indian” in her writings to ignite a controversy over English missionary conversion and her diction carries racist undertones of Native American genocide. Mary is an important voice in history her valid fear of Indian captivity spread like a wildfire and her gallant recue by leaders built a platform for racial hate and hostile divisions within future