Matthew Rowley: From Children of Abraham to Seed of the Serpent

Описание: Matthew Rowley, PhD candidate, History, University of Leicester presents his paper, "From Children of Abraham to Seed of the Serpent: Changing Beliefs Concerning Native Americans Before and During King Philip's War, 1620-1676" at the 2017 CenSAMM conference, "Violence and Millenarian Movements".

"From Children of Abraham to Seed of the Serpent: Changing Beliefs Concerning Native Americans Before and During King Philip’s War, 1620–1676."

Between 1620 and 1676, Puritan attitudes towards the Native Americans went through three main—though at times overlapping—phases: ambivalence, expectation, and disillusionment. As with other European colonies in the Americas, their beliefs were usually complex and tension-laden. The Pequot War (1636–1637) initially drove the English towards closer relations with their Native neighbours. By mid-century, many came to believe that the conversion of Algonquian Indians held special eschatological importance for New England and the world. By 1676, these hopes were dashed. As Puritans and Algonquians entered the prolonged and costly ‘King Philip’s War’, English beliefs took a decisive negative turn—with some even plotting the extermination of civilian Indian converts. This paper details these changing beliefs and evidences the relationship between perceived injustice, scriptural and eschatological reflection, and the justification of violence.


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