Redemption Rock
Encyclopedia
Redemption Rock is a colonial-era historic site in Princeton, Massachusetts
. In 1676, during King Philip's War
, the release of Mary Rowlandson
(the wife of a Puritan
minisiter) from her Native American
captors was negotiated atop a granite
ledge. The 0.25 acre (0.1011715 ha) parcel upon which the rock stands was acquired by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
in 1953, and is open to the public.
Rowlandson would later write about her experience in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, considered a seminal work in the American literary genre of captivity narrative
s.
Redemption Rock is located off Massachusetts Route 140, near Wachusett Mountain
.
between the Indians and John Hoar
of Concord
. King Philip
was with the Indians but refused his consent.
The official state marker at the site, placed in 1930, reads: Upon the rock fifty feet West of this spot Mary Rowlandson wife of the first minister of Lancaster was redeemed from captivity under King Philip. The narrative of her experience is one of the classics of colonial literature.
Princeton, Massachusetts
Princeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.It is bordered on the east by Sterling and Leominster, on the north by Westminster, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by Rutland, and on the southeast by Holden....
. In 1676, during King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, the release of Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowlandson was a colonial American woman who was captured by Native Americans during King Philip's War and held for 11 weeks before being ransomed. After her release, she wrote a book about her experience, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and...
(the wife of a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
minisiter) from her Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
captors was negotiated atop a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
ledge. The 0.25 acre (0.1011715 ha) parcel upon which the rock stands was acquired by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
in 1953, and is open to the public.
Rowlandson would later write about her experience in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, considered a seminal work in the American literary genre of captivity narrative
Captivity narrative
Captivity narratives are stories of people captured by "uncivilized" enemies. The narratives often include a theme of redemption by faith in the face of the threats and temptations of an alien way of life. Barbary captivity narratives, stories of Englishmen captured by Barbary pirates, were popular...
s.
Redemption Rock is located off Massachusetts Route 140, near Wachusett Mountain
Wachusett Mountain
Wachusett Mountain may refer to:* Mount Wachusett, the highest point in Worcester County, Massachusetts* Wachusett Mountain , the name of a ski area on the same mountain...
.
Inscriptions and markers
The inscription on Redemption Rock reads: Upon this rock May 2, 1676 was made the agreement for the ransom of Mrs Mary Rowlandson of LancasterLancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
between the Indians and John Hoar
John Hoar
John Hoar was a militia leader & Indian liaison in colonial Massachusetts during King Philip's War. A founding settler of Concord, Massachusetts, he is best known for securing the release of Mary Rowlandson from Indian captivity at Redemption Rock.-Ransom of Mary Rowlandson:On Feb...
of Concord
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. King Philip
Metacomet
Metacomet , also known as King Philip or Metacom, or occasionally Pometacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philip's War, a widespread Native American uprising against English colonists in New England.-Biography:Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit...
was with the Indians but refused his consent.
The official state marker at the site, placed in 1930, reads: Upon the rock fifty feet West of this spot Mary Rowlandson wife of the first minister of Lancaster was redeemed from captivity under King Philip. The narrative of her experience is one of the classics of colonial literature.