Erasure: History, Memory and King Philip's War
When:
Thursday, Apr 23, 2026 7:00p -
8:30p
Thursday, Apr 23, 2026 7:00p -
8:30p
Where:
Online event
Admission:
FREE
Hosted by:
Categories:
History, Social Good
Event website:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1981375719113?aff=oddtdtcreator
Why don’t most of us know much, if anything, about King Phillip’s War? Because, says Tricia Peone of the Congregational Library, historians from Increase Mather to Edward Everett wrote the histories.
In this online presentation, Tricia Peone, project director of the Congregational Library's New England's Hidden Histories project, looks at legacy and memory in the archives. Using primary sources to show just how Indigenous history was erased, she will introduce the CLA's invaluable new online resource guide on the shaping of memory of King Philip's War.
The shaping of public memory by white religious and political leaders in New England sought to reframe the meaning and legacy of the war. Through published histories as well as sermons and commemorative speeches from the late 17th through the late 19th century, they effectively erased Indigenous people.
Congregational ministers such as Increase Mather interpreted the war in religious terms and described the outcome as providential and profoundly affected the way many people in New England would make meaning out of these events.
You can see the trajectory of this historical influence through a remarkable new online resource, created by the Congregational Library & Archives for our Metacom's Resistance series. Take a few minutes to explore and better understand this history through the library’s unparallaled collections and digital archive - you won't find a more fascinating, comprehensive view of how a contentious history is documented and flattened to present a one-sided view.
The CLA resource guide includes digitized collections of church records, histories of the war written from the perspective of the colonizers, sermons and speeches given during and on anniversaries of the war, and other documents related to King Phillip’s War.
