King Phillip’s War was an armed conflict between native New England Indian tribes and the English Colonists and allies that arose from disagreement about the Indian surrender of firearms and the subsequent execution of three Wampanoag Indians for murder at Plymouth in 1675. On February 10, 1675, the settlement of Lancaster in north central Massachusetts was attacked by natives, who burned down houses and fired on the settlers, killing some and wounding others. Most of the survivors were captured and taken to an Indian settlement, including Mary Rowlandson and her son and two daughters. Her son and oldest daughter were separated and moved. Mary and her youngest daughter were wounded; her youngest daughter died after a week. She was moved about as the tribe traveled throughout the region evading English soldiers. At Wachuset she finally met with King Phillip, who promised her freedom and with the tribal council sent a letter to Boston offering her for ransom for the sum of 20 pounds. After more raids and Indian victories she was allowed to travel back to Lancaster and from there to Concord and Boston, reuniting with her husband after eleven harrowing weeks.

In the six years after her release she wrote A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, also known as The Sovereignty and Goodness of God, which was published in 1682 and became a best seller in the colonies, some say America’s first, and in England, selling out four editions. It is considered a model example of the genre of captivity narratives. Several key themes weave their way through the narrative. First, it is an extended reflection on the uncertainty of life and a humble appreciation of the blessing of one’s continued existence amid toil and trouble. Second, it shows the unwavering faith in the will of God and the rationalization of all events as a part of a divine plan characteristic of the Puritans. Lastly, it is a meditation on civilization and savagery, with fear and revulsion of the “barbarous creatures” mixed with a growing awareness that the so-called savages are not so different and the line between the two can become indistinct.

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