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All the United States Massachusetts Newton John Eliot Memorial
AO Edited

John Eliot Memorial

Eliot was the first missionary to produce religious text for Algonquians in their own language.

Newton, Massachusetts

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Vladimir Petrovic
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John Eliot Memorial   Vlado / Atlas Obscura User
John Eliot Memorial   Vlado / Atlas Obscura User
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New Testament translated by John Eliot, 1663   This is a media file that Houghton Library believes to be in the public domain of the United States. This applies to a work published before January 1, 1923, or the unpublished work of an author who died more than 70 years ago. Houghton Library and Harvard University claim no rights in this photographic reproduction of the work, and the image is free to download and reproduce for any use, commercial or non-commercial, without any further permission required. We request that where these media files are used, the Houghton Library is credited as the source of the materials. Please include this citation: "*AC6 Eℓ452 663m, Houghton Library, Harvard University" as its source. In the event that any of the media files infringes your rights or the rights of any third parties, or file is not properly identified or acknowledged, we would like to hear from you so we may make any necessary alterations. In this event, please contact: Houghton_Library@harvard.edu.
Eliot comforting the Praying Indians 1675, mural in Natick Post Office.   Vlado / Atlas Obscura User
Eliot Church in Natick.   Vlado / Atlas Obscura User
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John Eliot preaching at the oak.   "John Eliot Preaching to the Indians" by Felix Octavius Carr Darley is marked with CC0 1.0
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About

John Eliot was a missionary who came from Cambridge, England to Boston in 1630. His major interest was the conversion of the native population of Massachusetts Bay.

This desire led him to translate the Bible and other religious material into the Wampanoag dialect of Native Americans, who inhabited the area they called Nonantum. Eliot preached at Nonantum under the famed Oak and converted several Native Americans to Christianity. This culminated with the 1646 conversion of Chief Waban in his wigwam. The location of the chief's wigwam is not exactly known, but is believed to be in the vicinity of this monument erected in 1880.  

Waban and his followers under Eliot's guidance resettled from Nonantum to over a dozen localities across Massachusetts. Their center was the township of Natick, settled in 1651. During King Phillip's War, this population was distrusted by colonists and were forcibly relocated to Deer Island.

Suffering hardships, Eliot was powerless and could not help the tribe, who were known as the "Praying Indians." The group was further oppressed during the postwar period. 

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Native Americans History & Culture Christianity Religion Sacred Spaces

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Vlado

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Ragnar of Ballard

  • Ragnar of Ballard

Published

December 16, 2020

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Sources
  • https://www.natickhistoricalsociety.org/naticks-beginnings
  • http://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/e-f/eliot-john-1604-1690/
John Eliot Memorial
99 Magnolia Ave
Newton, Massachusetts
United States
42.344683, -71.178904
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Photo of Newton

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