Religion was very important to people in history, and was a large part of the conflicts and controversies during the 17th Century. In fact, one of the main reasons for English immigrants coming to America was to have religious freedom. They were used to living in a Roman Catholic society, and, as we learned in World History, there were some corrupt events between the Catholic leaders that the public was oblivious to. Many people disagreed with aspects of the Catholic religion claiming that they wanted to purify it. These people became known as the Puritans and quickly found themselves in America looking to start their new religion.
Mary Rowlandson was married to a reverend. She loved her family and her God, but her life changed one night when a battle, later called King Philip's War, swept through her village. She was kidnapped by Native Americans and was held captive for six months. She proved her strength early on admitting, "I had often before this said, that if the Indians should come, I should choose rather to be killed by them then taken alive; but when it came to the trial my mind changed" (Rowlandson 82). Had it not been for her children, Mary probably would have done otherwise. Little did she know, she would be enduring struggles of hunger and strength along this unwanted journey. She later admitted, "I have thought since of the wonderful goodness of God to me, in preserving me so in the use of my reason and senses in that distressed time, that I did not use wicked and violent means to end my own miserable life" (Rowlandson 83). Her statement proves the amount of strength and guidance she was provided with through God, not to mention the protection she was given. During her captivity, Rowlandson survived an injury, lost a child, and was sold for as little as powder. However, she was able to find a positive out of her very dark past. "If trouble from smaller matters begins to arise in me, I have something at hand to check myself with, and say when I am troubled, it was but the other day, that if I had had the world, I would have given it for my freedom" (Rowlandson 85), she stated.
Anne Bradstreet is honorable considering the obstacles she faced and overcame in her life. As the first woman, let alone person, to have published poetry, she is one figure that I'm shocked we never learned about in school. It was considered unethical for women to be writers in the 1600's, which might be why she, like many other female authors in history, kept her writings to herself. When they were leaked to the public by her own family, Bradstreet was not happy. However, her work has proved itself for several decades, and for that we say, Thank you, nosey brother-in-law that disrespectfully published the writings of Ms. Anne Bradstreet. As a young woman, Bradstreet migrated to America. Her piece, "Upon the Burning House", made several religious references. She ended the 1666 piece by saying, "The world no longer let me love, My hope and treasure lies above" (Bradstreet 91).
Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 82-85. Print.
