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Loading... God, War, and Providence: The Epic Struggle of Roger Williams and the Narragansett Indians against the Puritans of New Englandby James A. Warren
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Warren provides us with an intriguing, factual account of Roger Williams work with the Narragansett Indians to achieve freedom of conscience and against Puritan aggression to aggrandize their personal wealth at the expense of the American Indians. Warren quotes Harvard historian, Perry Miller, saying, "for Williams 'the Christian predicament –– which was also the glory of Christianity –– was to hold what the believer conceives to be truth with fierce tenacity, yet never attempting to impose that truth upon the minds pr souls of men,'" especially by coercion, force, and or threats to life. Williams saw the "dire implications of... mistakes[ing] their own vision of truth and the good society for God's" (p.253). And engaging and eye-opening read. no reviews | add a review
"The tragic and fascinating history of the first epic struggle between white settlers and Native Americans in the early seventeenth century: a fresh look at the aggressive expansionist Puritans in New England and the determined Narragansett Indians, who refused to back down and accept English authority over people and their land."--Amazon. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)974.502History and Geography North America Northeastern U.S. Rhode Island StatewideLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Williams comes across as a champion of Native Americans at a time when that was a singularly unpopular position; he repeatedly intervened, usually successfully, on behalf of the Narragansetts. (It’s thus ironic that when the Narragansetts had finally had enough of the colonists and joined with Philip, they looted and burned William’s house too. However, they left the 73-year-old Williams unharmed as he remonstrated with them),
Author James Warren is primarily a military historian, but he explains the political struggles in the colonies quite well. This is a smooth and easy read. Endnotes, bibliography, and a plate section with relevant illustrations. ( )