Mary+White+Rowlandson

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I am one of the most prominent writers in the Colonial Period. I was born in Salem, Massachussetts, and later I moved to Lancaster, Massachussets. Due to the war, my family was forced to relocate which gave me a first hand look at the cruelty of the world around me and forced me to give up a part of my childhood to look after my many brothers and sisters.

My life was drastically changed when my father left to find soldiers to protect my town; this left our family defenseless. Shortly after my father left, many of my friends were slaughtered before my eyes and my family was taken captive by what my church calls "Instruments of Satan". I found the inspiration to begin writing my first novel during the years I was in captivity. I wanted the reader to feel my emotions and the thoughts that were created in my head during the time, so I decided to write in a style no authors before me have done, a captivity narrative.

Once published, my book became a best seller in the Colonial Period. Many authors after me started to write captivity narratives due to my success and the experience the one may receive from reading such a unique style. My novels gave readers in the Colonial Period an experience like no other authors could provide, changed the direction of literature by introducing a new style of writing, and gave the authors after me the encouragement to not only continue writing captivity narratives but to also explore new genres like I did.

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Mary Rowlandson Timeline. [] ======

-I use a colloquial style to make my work more engaging and give readers an experience which has never before been discovered in the Colonial Period. -I was the first author to write a narrative based on captivity. -Much of my writings are influenced by Puritan ideals, beliefs, and sermons.
 * Style: **
 * -** My style is based on the images, thoughts, and events which occured during the eleven weeks I was held captive by Native Americans.

** Genre **
-Narrative -Genre based off Indian captivity -Genre grew as future authors adopted Rowlandson's unique genre. -My narrative genre was based on historical facts, psychological emotions, and the literary style used in the Colonial Period. -One of the earliest forms of autobiographical writings.

** Influence **
-The experience of captivity. - The grace of God which saved me from the savage Indians. -King Phillip's war which not only forced my family to relocate but also resulted in my captivity. -The deaths of close friends whom I met during captivity. -My Puritanic way of life.

**Historical Background/ Defining Factors of the Colonial Period:** Major factors in​clude: -The ongoing colonization of the New World: A complete change was occurring in the lives of the English settlers as they moved towards a new way of life and self-rule. -Wars between the savage Native Americans and the colonists: Native Americans felt strongly about their land, and the English colonists felt that it was their right to take the land for themselves, so tension and conflict often existed between the two groups. -The tensions between Britain and the English colonists yearning for independence: Great Britain continued to try to keep its hold on the English settlers, but the many tariffs it imposed angered the colonists, stoked a hatred of Britain within their hearts, and thus led to later-occurring wars. -The slave trade: Defined some of the writings of that period (i.e. Olaudah Equiano, who became an activist for the abolitionist movement), preceded the abolitionist movement. -Salem witch trials: Showed instability in the lifestyle of the (Puritan) colonists. -The Great Awakening: Period of religious revival(/change); contributed to overall change that was going on, as many believed that independence was their God-given right. -Fur trade between French and Natives: changed Native American way of life; cultural exchange; Provided the Native Americans with firearms (made them more of a threat during aforementioned conflict).

​William Bradford  -Believed in the separation from the church of England (a radical idea, for which many men were hunted and imprisoned). -"The one side [the Reformers] laboured to have ye right worship of God & discipline of Christ established in ye church, according to ye simplicitie of ye gospell, without the mixture of mens inventions, and to have & to be ruled by ye laws of Gods word, dispensed in those offices, & by those officers of Pastors, Teachers, & Elders, &c. according to ye Scripturs. The other partie [the Church of England], though under many colours & pretences, endevored to have ye episcopall dignitie (affter ye popish maner) with their large power & jurisdiction still retained; with all those courts, cannons, & ceremonies, togeather with all such livings, revenues, & subordinate officers, with other such means as formerly upheld their antichristian greatnes, and enabled them with lordly & tyranous power to persecute ye poore servants of God." (From Mr. Bradford's Journal.) -Helped to write and signed //Mayflower Compact//, governor of Plymouth colony (Succeeded Mr. John Carver, who died before taking the position). -Chronicles the hardship, exploits, and progression of the colony in an old English style in his journal, which is an invaluable piece of history. -His beliefs, along with the rest of those bold saintly men and women who came first to the New World, were the precursor to the complete severing of the colonists from Great Britain that would occur over one hundred years later.

Anne Bradstreet  -Considered by many to be the FIRST American Poet. -First collection of poems was the first work written by a woman to be published in America. Quotes: -"If we had no Winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; If we did not sometimes taste the adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

-"Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish."

-"Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are. "

-Her poems not only reflect her Puritan lifestyle and her strong Christian beliefs, but some the hardship of illness that plagued most of the early settlers (in Mrs. Bradstreet's case, paralysis of the joints):

//Upon Some Distemper of Body//

"In anguish of my heart replete with woes, And wasting pains, which best my body knows, In tossing slumbers on my wakeful bed, Bedrenched with tears that flowed from mournful head, Till nature had exhausted all her store, Then eyes lay dry, disabled to weep more; And looking up unto his throne on high, Who sendeth help to those in misery; He chased away those clouds and let me see My anchor cast i' th' vale with safety. He eased my soul of woe, my flesh of pain, and brought me to the shore from troubled main."

For more of Anne Bradstreet's poems, click here -> []

-Mrs. Bradstreet, whose husband was the Chief Administrator of the Boston colony, spent many of her nights reading from an expansive library belonging to her father; this must be in part why she has written such powerful, proverbial poetry, as she learned much about religion,history, science, medicine, and the arts from her readings. -This admirable woman is a prime example of a strong, independent woman of God (raising her eight children and educating them while her husband was away, even despite her ailments), and a very important figure of this period. This is in part because she is a woman, and an extremely important figure of American Literary History (her writings are therefore the first contribution toward a more independent American woman, equal to men in rights).



To further explore the Colonial Period, you may click on the hyper links below. **

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[|http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-early.htm][|http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1990/5/90.05.04.x.html][|http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/H/1994/chap2.htm]======

Be sure to check out the Mary Rowlandson blog at []

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Klekowski, Libby. "MARY ROWLANDSON - CAPTIVE IN 1675/76." //Http://www.bio.umass.edu//. Web. 3 Oct. 2009.//  ====== // Mary Rowlandson, "Sovereignty and Goodness of God, Being a Narrative of the Captvity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary - - Rowlandson." Bedford/St. Martin's, 1997.

"MaryRowlandson ." <span style="font-family: Arial,'Arial Unicode MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; outline-style: none;">__Encyclopædia <span class="IL_SPAN" style="font-family: Arial,'Arial Unicode MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; outline-style: none;">Britannica __. 2009. Encyclopædia <span class="IL_LINK_STYLE" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: #009900 1px solid; color: #009900; cursor: pointer! important; display: inline! important; font-family: Arial,'Arial Unicode MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; outline-style: none; padding-bottom: 1px! important; position: static! important;">__Britannica__ Online. 04 Oct. 2009 - - < __**[]**__>.

Alden T. Vaughn, Edward W. Clark, eds. //Puritans among the Indians: accounts of captivity and Redemption 1676-1724//, - - Cambridge, MA and London, England: Belknap, 1981//

Lewis, Jone J. "Mary White Rowlandson." //About.com//. New York - - Times.<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> [|//http://womenshistory.about.com/od/indiancaptivitynarratives/a/rowlandson.htm//] <span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Tahoma,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> Web. 2 Oct. 2009.

//Kelso, Dorothy Honiss. "William Bradford"// PilgrimHall.org//. Pilgrim Hall Museum. 18 May 2005 - - < []>

Greene, S. "Anne Bradstreet."// AnneBradstreet.com//. 16 January 2003. <[]>