American Studies Commons^™

Mary Rowlandson: The Captive Voice, Elizabeth Scarbrough

Undergraduate Review

The arrival of the Puritans in Massachusetts, the ensuing relationship they developed with the Native Americans and its deterioration over the following years are historical facts that are commonly known, but the reality that numerous women and children were kidnapped for ransom in the years referred to as “King Philip’s War” might surprise many Americans. In fact, on February 20, 1676, in the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts, along with several of her neighbors, Mary Rowlandson and her young daughter were violently ambushed, torn from their homes, and taken hostage by a multi-tribal band of Indians. She was ransomed and released …