What unites Roger Williams, Weetamoo, sunksqua of the Pokasset, and Anglican William Blackstone? They all sought refuge in Narragansett Country, today’s Rhode Island. In this presentation, Narragansett and Brown University historian Mack Scott explores a world in which diverse peoples of all backgrounds pledged new allegiances and found sanctuary and self-determination – a world which holds out lessons for us today. Click here for the 84-minute video posted on November 18, 2024 by the Partnership for Historic Bostons.

This talk examines how people of all backgrounds in the Dawnland (the place the Puritans named New England) expressed and altered their political and diplomatic allegiances throughout the 17th century. It foregrounds the experiences and choices of individuals and groups as they sought sanctuary, self-determination, and sovereignty in the Narragansett Country, today’s Rhode Island.

(Above) Lori Rogers-Stokes introduces Dr. Scott who talks about how Narragansett Country was a refuge for displaced persons throughout the 17th century. But more than a sanctuary, it was the only place in the Dawnland where diverse peoples could realize their hopes of self-determination and sovereignty.

By illuminating the choices and actions of Indigenous people, Dr. Scott employs agency as an interpretive lens to understand better the political and social realities wrought by individuals and groups during a turbulent and consequential era racked by shifting allegiances.