Professor Emeritus of History Daniel R. Mandell will trace Natick’s development from its establishment as a Christian Indian town in 1651 to its domination by Anglo settlers a century later.  Initially, the community, led by John Eliot’s initial convert, featured Indigenous and English traits, including a subsistence economy, patriarchal families, and a Biblical leadership structure. In 1675, King Philip’s War shattered this world; most were forced to Deer Island where many died.  Afterward, the surviving Christian Indians resettled Natick and resumed many traditions.  But by the 1720s their numbers were shrinking and elderly, and increasingly sold land to white settlers to pay debts. By midcentury, the Natick Indians were a scorned minority in the town they had created.

Join us to hear Professor Mandell’s lecture on the early history of Natick and how and why it changed so quickly over the course of a century. This event is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required. You can register for this event by filling out our form here.

Indigenous Histories and Futures in Natick, Massachusetts

The three-part speaker series will allow attendees to consider important questions about Indigenous experiences in Natick and beyond from the seventeenth century until today.

The Bridge Street Speaker Series is made possible by a grant from the Bridge Street Fund, a special initiative of Mass Humanities.