Native Languages and English Politics: Native-Colonial Relations in Roger Williams’ and John Eliot’s Language Manuals

Abstract

This article examines the political and ideological implications of native language manuals published in the New England colonies in the 17th century. There were two such manuals published in that period – Roger Williams’s “A Key into the Language of America” and John Eliot’s “The Indian Grammar Begun”. Both works, apart from their practical purpose, were something of a political statement on contemporary political issues – the separation of powers first and foremost. Besides that, both offered, often in subtle ways, certain templates for native-colonial relations. The article explores the place of these works in the political landscape of both the colonies and England, and the specifics of the native-colonial relations models proposed by the authors.