- NĂ©e:
- Mary White
- Born:
- c. 1637, Somerset, England
- Died:
- January 5, 1710/11, Wethersfield, Connecticut [U.S.]
Mary Rowlandson
-
Who was Mary Rowlandson?
Mary Rowlandson (c. 1637â1710/11) was a British American colonial author known for writing one of the first 17th-century captivity narratives. Her work, revealing aspects of Native American life and Puritan-Indian conflicts in early New England, tells of her capture by Native Americans during King Philipâs War in 1676, when her village was attacked. For three months, she lived as a captive, an experience she later chronicled in her narrative. Published in 1682, The Soveraignty and Goodness of God became a classic in both the captivity genre and colonial literature, with over 30 editions printed.
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Where and when did Mary Rowlandson live?
Mary Rowlandson, born in Somerset, England, around 1637, was brought to America as a child and lived in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony, until 1653, before settling in Lancaster. In 1656, she married Joseph Rowlandson, who became Lancaster's first minister.
During King Philip's War in February 1676, Native Americans attacked Lancaster, taking Mary and her children captive. For three months, she traveled with her captors as far west as the Connecticut River and north into present-day New Hampshire. In May 1676, she was ransomed back to her husband. Mary Rowlandson died in Wethersfield, Connecticut, on January 5, 1710/11.
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What is Mary Rowlandson most famous for writing?
Mary Rowlandson is most famous for writing one of the first 17th-century captivity narratives. In her narrative, she recounts her capture by Native Americans, offering insights into both Native American life and the conflicts between Puritans and Indians in early New England. Titled The Soveraignty and Goodness of God, Together with the Faithfulness of His Promises Displayed: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, her vividly written tale quickly became a classic example of colonial literature, with more than 30 editions published over the years.
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What happened to Mary Rowlandson during King Philipâs War?
During King Philipâs War in February 1676, Native Americans attacked Lancaster, where Mary Rowlandson and other townspeople sought refuge in her house. The Native Americans captured 24 people, including Rowlandson and her three children; one child died a week later. For three months, Rowlandson was a prisoner and traveled with her captors as far as the Connecticut River and present-day New Hampshire. She met King Philip (Metacom), a Wampanoag chief. Eventually, she was ransomed back to her husband for ÂŁ20 in May 1676; her two surviving children were later returned.
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How does her book describe her experiences as a captive?
The Soveraignty and Goodness of God recounts Mary Rowlandson's experiences as a captive of Native Americans during King Philip's War. Abducted in February 1676, she was held for three months, enduring harsh conditions and meager rations. Despite poor treatment, her skill in sewing and knitting eventually improved her circumstances. The narrative details her travels with her captors, her meeting with King Philip, and the solace she found in a stolen Bible. Ultimately, Rowlandson was ransomed for ÂŁ20, and her children were later returned.
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Why is Mary Rowlandson considered important in American literature?
Mary Rowlandson is an important figure in American literature because she wrote one of the first and most famous 17th-century captivity narratives. Her story describes her capture by Native Americans during King Philip's War and reveals aspects of Native American life, as well as the conflicts between Puritans and Indians in early New England.
Rowlandson's narrative, The Soveraignty and Goodness of God, vividly recounts her experiences as a captive for three months, her treatment by her captors, and her eventual ransom. Her work quickly became a classic example of both the captivity narrative genre and colonial literature, with over 30 editions published.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Mary Rowlandson (born c. 1637, Somerset, Englandâdied January 5, 1710/11, Wethersfield, Connecticut [U.S.]) was a British American colonial author who wrote one of the first 17th-century captivity narratives, in which she told of her capture by Native Americans, revealing both elements of Native American life and of Puritan-Indian conflicts in early New England.
Mary White was taken to America by her parents when she was a child. They lived in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (in what is now the U.S. state of Massachusetts) until 1653, when they moved to the new frontier village of Lancaster. In 1656 she married Joseph Rowlandson; he was ordained a Puritan minister in 1660, and he became Lancasterâs first regular minister. Events of the next 20 years of her life are obscure.
In February 1676, during King Philipâs War, a party of Indians attacked Lancaster and laid siege to the Rowlandson house, where many townspeople had sought refuge. The Indians overwhelmed the defenders and took 24 captives, including Mary Rowlandson and her three children, one of whom died a week later. Rowlandson was kept a prisoner for three months, during which time she was treated poorly. With her captors she traveled as far as the Connecticut River to the west and moved north into what is now New Hampshire. Her wounds slowly healed, and she became accustomed to her captorsâ meagre diet. Her skill in sewing and knitting earned her rather better treatment than less fortunate captives. At one point in her ordeal she met âKing Philipââthe Wampanoag sachem (chief), Metacom. A stolen Bible given her by one of the Indians was her only solace.
In May 1676 Rowlandson was at last ransomed back to her husband for ÂŁ20. Her two surviving children were returned sometime later. The Reverend Rowlandson died in November 1678, and about that time Mary wrote an account of her captivity for her children. Her account was printed four times in 1682. The first printing, published in Boston, is known only from eight pages that were used as lining papers for another book. The second and third printings of 1682, published in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were followed by a fourth version, issued in London. A second editionââCarefully Corrected, and Purged from abundance of Errors which escaped in the former Impressionââwas published in Boston in 1720 with the title The Soveraignty and Goodness of God, Together with the Faithfulness of His Promises Displayed: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. The vividly written tale quickly became a classic example not only of the captivity genre but of colonial literature generally. It ran through more than 30 editions over the years, and selections from it have been included in countless anthologies of American literature.
Rowlandson was long believed to have died soon after her husband, but late 20th-century scholarship revealed that in 1679 she was married a second time, to a Captain Samuel Talcott (died 1691), who had been on the War Council during King Philipâs War. She lived as a widow for some 20 years after Talcottâs death.