Harper's Academy U.S. History and American Literature

Class, I absolutely enjoyed meeting each of you today and I thought our first day of class went pretty well. I hope you all walked away with at least a little spark ignited for history and literature. Your readings for this week are already posted to this blog, so look for the post with the link to John Smith's letter to Pocahontas, Mary Rowlandson's story of captivation, and Roger Williams' sermon "Bloody Tenent of Persecution" found here . These are your three readings for the week, but don't put them off til the last minute. Mary Rowlandson's is a bit long and remember, all of these documents are written in Elizabethan English and take a little time to work through. Spend some time thinking of the "Who" "What" "Why" and "When" as your read these. Take down some notes. And then choose one of these readings for your academic paragraph. If you cannot remember the steps, look at the top of the blog for the page lab...

Here's the music video for the song we examined in class, "Don't Drink the Water" by Dave Matthews Band.

Consider her testimony and John Winthrop's perspective. Who was right? Which side would you take? Can we have a government based on religion if we do not allow space for personal conscience and relationships with God? How would this have worked with Moses, Joseph, Saul, or any of the prophets? How can we base laws on the open interpretation of God's word? How can we verify what is truth and what is fabricated? Is this a dangerous slope? What would you have done if you were John Winthrop? Would you allow any person who speaks with God to act on their own behalf? What would you do if you were Anne Hutchinson? Would you deny a revelation from God in order to obey man?

  “Mary (White) Rowlandson was born in England between 1635 and 1637. She was the daughter of John White, an early settler in Lancaster. She married the Reverend Joseph Rowlandson in Lancaster around 1656, just three years after the Town of Lancaster was incorporated (1653). She spent twenty-three of the first thirty-eight years of her life in Lancaster. The early colonists hoped to convert the Indians to Christianity. The colonists supported missionaries and trained willing converts in their faith. Often Christian Indians lived among the colonists, electing their own leaders. However, not all of the Indians were willing to accept the faith of Christ or the government of the English colonies. Many Indians did not want their customs and way of life to come to an end. Although several tribes remained loyal to the English, the Wampanoag Sachem (leader), Philip, was able to persuade many other tribes to revolt against the English colonists” (Mrs. Ogborn, Librarian at Mary Rowlands...