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God, War, and Providence: The Epic Struggle of Roger Williams and the Narragansett Indians against the Puritans of New England
The tragic and fascinating history of the first epic struggle between white settlers and Native Americans in the early seventeenth century: “a riveting historical validation of emancipatory impulses frustrated in their own time” (Booklist, starred review) as determined Narragansett Indians refused to back down and accept English authority.
A devout Puritan minister in seventeenth-century New England, Roger Williams was also a social critic, diplomat, theologian, and politician who fervently believed in tolerance. Yet his orthodox brethren were convinced tolerance fostered anarchy and courted God’s wrath. Banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, Williams purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and laid the foundations for the colony of Rhode Island as a place where Indian and English cultures could flourish side by side, in peace.
As the seventeenth century wore on, a steadily deepening antagonism developed between an expansionist, aggressive Puritan culture and an increasingly vulnerable, politically divided Indian population. Indian tribes that had been at the center of the New England communities found themselves shunted off to the margins of the region. By the 1660s, all the major Indian peoples in southern New England had come to accept English authority, either tacitly or explicitly. All, except one: the Narragansetts.
In God, War, and Providence “James A. Warren transforms what could have been merely a Pilgrim version of cowboys and Indians into a sharp study of cultural contrast…a well-researched cameo of early America” (The Wall Street Journal). He explores the remarkable and little-known story of the alliance between Roger Williams’s Rhode Island and the Narragansett Indians, and how they joined forces to retain their autonomy and their distinctive ways of life against Puritan encroachment. Deeply researched, “Warren’s well-written monograph contains a great deal of insight into the tactics of war on the frontier” (Library Journal) and serves as a telling precedent for white-Native American encounters along the North American frontier for the next 250 years.
A devout Puritan minister in seventeenth-century New England, Roger Williams was also a social critic, diplomat, theologian, and politician who fervently believed in tolerance. Yet his orthodox brethren were convinced tolerance fostered anarchy and courted God’s wrath. Banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, Williams purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and laid the foundations for the colony of Rhode Island as a place where Indian and English cultures could flourish side by side, in peace.
As the seventeenth century wore on, a steadily deepening antagonism developed between an expansionist, aggressive Puritan culture and an increasingly vulnerable, politically divided Indian population. Indian tribes that had been at the center of the New England communities found themselves shunted off to the margins of the region. By the 1660s, all the major Indian peoples in southern New England had come to accept English authority, either tacitly or explicitly. All, except one: the Narragansetts.
In God, War, and Providence “James A. Warren transforms what could have been merely a Pilgrim version of cowboys and Indians into a sharp study of cultural contrast…a well-researched cameo of early America” (The Wall Street Journal). He explores the remarkable and little-known story of the alliance between Roger Williams’s Rhode Island and the Narragansett Indians, and how they joined forces to retain their autonomy and their distinctive ways of life against Puritan encroachment. Deeply researched, “Warren’s well-written monograph contains a great deal of insight into the tactics of war on the frontier” (Library Journal) and serves as a telling precedent for white-Native American encounters along the North American frontier for the next 250 years.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 12, 2018
107 people are currently reading
739 people want to read
About the author
James A. Warren
12 books13 followersJames Warren is a freelance writer specializing in modern American military history. He has written books on the Vietnam War and the cold war, and contributed the chapter on the Vietnam War to The Atlas of American Military History (1993). His reviews and articles have appeared in MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, as well as in Society and The Providence (RI) Journal.
He is the author of a highly acclaimed History of the U.S. Marines from Iwo Jima to Iraq, American Spartans, and Portrait of a Tragedy: America and the Vietnam War. He lives in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
He is the author of a highly acclaimed History of the U.S. Marines from Iwo Jima to Iraq, American Spartans, and Portrait of a Tragedy: America and the Vietnam War. He lives in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 6, 2022
I’ll admit I had a bit of a bias going into this one. It is about one of my ancestors by marriage.
This book focused on Roger Williams’s relationship with the Original People who lived in the area known today as Rhode Island. It touched upon some of his religious beliefs and politics. So if you are looking for a book about his religious philosophy, try another one.
The narrative describes how he befriended the local bands of people and how they learned from one another and became allies against the encroaching Puritan based colonies of Massachusetts and Connecticut. While fighting for the freedoms of the people who settled in Rhode Island he fought for the Original People as well.
This book is a good starting point for those interested in the history of Rhode Island.
This book focused on Roger Williams’s relationship with the Original People who lived in the area known today as Rhode Island. It touched upon some of his religious beliefs and politics. So if you are looking for a book about his religious philosophy, try another one.
The narrative describes how he befriended the local bands of people and how they learned from one another and became allies against the encroaching Puritan based colonies of Massachusetts and Connecticut. While fighting for the freedoms of the people who settled in Rhode Island he fought for the Original People as well.
This book is a good starting point for those interested in the history of Rhode Island.
June 15, 2018
Perhaps because I read so many history books, I tend to be somewhat of a tough critic of them, but I cannot find fault with this one. This is a riveting, fascinating story and recounted by the author in such a way that you feel like you are right there, witnessing the events for yourself. If you think history is boring, I challenge you to read this book, for it might just change your opinion.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but particularly because this author does not simply give a dry and acerbic recount of what happened during this period. He has a way of making the facts interesting and making history alive again. So may authors get caught up in accurately reporting the facts that their books begin to feel like little but lists of important events all piled one on top of the other. That is not the case with this book.
You will undoubtedly learn something during your reading of this, for it is packed with valuable information, but you will also find that the human element to the story is always present and makes you feel like you are reading about real people, faced with obstacles they must overcome and decisions that will affect them, just as we are today.
This is an excellent book, with a lot to offer to both the scholar and the general reader. I cannot recommend it enough.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but particularly because this author does not simply give a dry and acerbic recount of what happened during this period. He has a way of making the facts interesting and making history alive again. So may authors get caught up in accurately reporting the facts that their books begin to feel like little but lists of important events all piled one on top of the other. That is not the case with this book.
You will undoubtedly learn something during your reading of this, for it is packed with valuable information, but you will also find that the human element to the story is always present and makes you feel like you are reading about real people, faced with obstacles they must overcome and decisions that will affect them, just as we are today.
This is an excellent book, with a lot to offer to both the scholar and the general reader. I cannot recommend it enough.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
August 19, 2018
3.5 review soon.
October 13, 2018
Very well written book and informative. If you live in the New England area then you have to read this book to understand the current situation between the Native American tribes and the federal government.
February 7, 2023
Some interesting information presented, especially Roger Williams and the Narragansett relationship and shared ideals of “freedom of conscience,” which translates as freedom of and from religion. It’s no wonder that Rhode Island became a haven for Friends and other separatists of the overreaching and arrogant Puritan oligarchy, and the first home for Jews in British North America.
A bit of editing and more coherence would have earned four stars from me.
A bit of editing and more coherence would have earned four stars from me.
June 22, 2018
“God, War, and Providence” is a superbly written and exquisitely researched work by James A. Warren. I was very excited to read this book, and I wasn’t disappointed.
There seems to be a huge gap in American popular history spanning the years between the Mayflower and the Declaration of Independence. This is indeed a shame because Puritan New England is rife with fascinating history, including heroes, villains, epic struggles, and brutal war. Perhaps no individual from this era is more fascinating than Roger Williams. We often dramatically underestimate his influence on our present-day nation and liberty, and framing a historical work that depicts the relationship between Williams, the Narragansett, and the Puritans is brilliant.
The relationships between the various Indian nations and European settlers in this era were quite complex, and the author masterfully navigates through all of them. If I had to complain, I’d say approximately 2/3 of the way through the book, it seems to lose its focus on Roger Williams, and becomes more of a recounting of King Philip’s War. For example, I’d say the fact that Williams served as Captain of the Providence militia while in his seventies is a remarkable facet of his life, but one the author scarcely mentions, if at all.
Additionally, I’d say one of the most tragic and poignant moments of Colonial New England history would be Canochet and Williams facing each other across the Salt Cove as Providence burned. I felt certain this would be a climactic moment in the book, a moment in which all of Williams’ labors came crashing down around him due to the malfeasance and heavy-handedness of his Puritan adversaries, but it barely merited a paragraph.
Overall however, this is an extremely important book, and Mr. Warren is to be lauded for his crisp writing, detailed scholarship, and superb choice of subject matter. 4.5/5 stars.
There seems to be a huge gap in American popular history spanning the years between the Mayflower and the Declaration of Independence. This is indeed a shame because Puritan New England is rife with fascinating history, including heroes, villains, epic struggles, and brutal war. Perhaps no individual from this era is more fascinating than Roger Williams. We often dramatically underestimate his influence on our present-day nation and liberty, and framing a historical work that depicts the relationship between Williams, the Narragansett, and the Puritans is brilliant.
The relationships between the various Indian nations and European settlers in this era were quite complex, and the author masterfully navigates through all of them. If I had to complain, I’d say approximately 2/3 of the way through the book, it seems to lose its focus on Roger Williams, and becomes more of a recounting of King Philip’s War. For example, I’d say the fact that Williams served as Captain of the Providence militia while in his seventies is a remarkable facet of his life, but one the author scarcely mentions, if at all.
Additionally, I’d say one of the most tragic and poignant moments of Colonial New England history would be Canochet and Williams facing each other across the Salt Cove as Providence burned. I felt certain this would be a climactic moment in the book, a moment in which all of Williams’ labors came crashing down around him due to the malfeasance and heavy-handedness of his Puritan adversaries, but it barely merited a paragraph.
Overall however, this is an extremely important book, and Mr. Warren is to be lauded for his crisp writing, detailed scholarship, and superb choice of subject matter. 4.5/5 stars.
June 22, 2018
I received a free Kindle copy of God, War and Providence by James Warren courtesy of Net Galley and Scribner, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as all I really know about the history of the founding of Rhode Island is what I read many years ago in school. This is the first book by Jame s Warren that I have read.
This a well researched and well written history of what happened during the founding of the area now known as Rhode Island. While the subtitle of the book addresses the content it does leave out one important item in my opinion. It is that Roger Williams in establishing a new colony and obtaining a charter was an incubator for the democratic process that has been the foundation for our country.
The book addresses the narrow mindedness and lack of true christian values that the Puritans in Massachussetts espoused. Williams walked the talk and lived a life that very much represented what the Puritans were supposed to represent.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the early history of the northeastern United States and in the early establishment of the principles upon which our country now operates.
I requested this book as all I really know about the history of the founding of Rhode Island is what I read many years ago in school. This is the first book by Jame s Warren that I have read.
This a well researched and well written history of what happened during the founding of the area now known as Rhode Island. While the subtitle of the book addresses the content it does leave out one important item in my opinion. It is that Roger Williams in establishing a new colony and obtaining a charter was an incubator for the democratic process that has been the foundation for our country.
The book addresses the narrow mindedness and lack of true christian values that the Puritans in Massachussetts espoused. Williams walked the talk and lived a life that very much represented what the Puritans were supposed to represent.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the early history of the northeastern United States and in the early establishment of the principles upon which our country now operates.
May 3, 2024
Really liked learning more about the founder of my state. I knew about his beliefs around religious tolerance but nothing about his friendships with the native people especially the Narragansetts. He was really ahead of his time on so many things.
June 21, 2018
“Williams saw more clearly than any other first-generation English settler the dire implications for the Indians of the Puritans’ inclination to mistake their own vision of truth and the good society for God’s. For fifty years, he struggled to bring to light the yawning gap between Christ’s teachings as he understood them, and the Gospel of the New England Way.”
Roger Williams loomed large in my history as the founder of my home state, Rhode Island, which is why I requested this early copy. The book goes into great detail about his life- personal and professional, and how his “calling” of confrontation changed how people related in the “new world”. Long distance political intrigue was thwarted by one man who took the time to be present with and within the “problems” and then deal with “them”.
James Warren has written an extremely “user friendly” resource for anyone interested in how America was shaped by all those involved. Roger Williams’ understanding, intelligence and openness to all people made him a mediator between the indigenous people, the settlers, and the British politicians who believed they could reap rewards long distance. At best, Williams made people (un)comfortable by acceptance of almost anyone despite what others thought or did. It gave him a long career as an advocate and mediator alomost until his death.
From politics to religion, to ignorance, corruption and greed, this highly recommended book will go into my personal library and suggested for anyone interested in early US history. 5/5
Roger Williams loomed large in my history as the founder of my home state, Rhode Island, which is why I requested this early copy. The book goes into great detail about his life- personal and professional, and how his “calling” of confrontation changed how people related in the “new world”. Long distance political intrigue was thwarted by one man who took the time to be present with and within the “problems” and then deal with “them”.
James Warren has written an extremely “user friendly” resource for anyone interested in how America was shaped by all those involved. Roger Williams’ understanding, intelligence and openness to all people made him a mediator between the indigenous people, the settlers, and the British politicians who believed they could reap rewards long distance. At best, Williams made people (un)comfortable by acceptance of almost anyone despite what others thought or did. It gave him a long career as an advocate and mediator alomost until his death.
From politics to religion, to ignorance, corruption and greed, this highly recommended book will go into my personal library and suggested for anyone interested in early US history. 5/5
July 26, 2018
Simply outstanding. Roger Williams needs to be regarded as one of the greatest of all our founding fathers.
August 27, 2025
This was one of those books that I probably would have been better off reading the old-fashioned way rather than listening to the audiobook. The narrator was fine, but there are so many names and dates and places, many of them unfamiliar to me, that it was hard at times to keep track of all of them without having the book in front of me. Ultimately, I enjoyed learning about Roger Williams--a heterodox thinker if ever there was one--and Rhode Island's formative years, together revealing the first spark of American libertarianism. That said, God, War, and Providence was so strongly pro-Williams and anti-Puritan that I couldn't help but wonder if what I was reading was truly a fair account of events. The Puritans are easy targets for criticism; they managed to alienate everyone, including each other, and we're still complaining about them 400 years later. But because of this, they're also easily scapegoated, and so criticism of them usually needs to be met with a bit of skepticism.
April 11, 2024
Am I the only person offended and confused by a book that claims to be neutral on the subject using the word 'Indian' to describe Native Americans?
This book was written in 2018. Maybe using First Nation People is a stretch, but 'Native' or even 'local' would certainly be more appropriate.
And no, I'm not talking about where Warren cites sources. I'm talking about sentences where, at some point in writing 250 pages of text, he should have wondered to himself why he was using that word.
This book was written in 2018. Maybe using First Nation People is a stretch, but 'Native' or even 'local' would certainly be more appropriate.
And no, I'm not talking about where Warren cites sources. I'm talking about sentences where, at some point in writing 250 pages of text, he should have wondered to himself why he was using that word.
December 18, 2025
James A. Warren's God, War, and Providence: The Epic Struggle of Roger Williams and the Narragansett Indians against the Puritans of New England makes some very compelling arguments (although not all of them are). It also appears to be well researched in many respects, and incorporates direct quotes from primary sources pretty often, which I personally like. This book could definitely serve as a great introductory-level survey for someone without prior knowledge of this topic. Despite this, I was not super satisfied with this book personally.
For one, Warren seems to have a profound ignorance of Native American studies scholarship based on his approach and terminology. I knew Warren wasn't an early American historian or a Native American historian before going in, but I would be lying if I said there weren't several cringeworthy sections that made me almost put the book down. I mostly encountered this problem during Warren's accounts of the first encounters between the Indians and English, as well as the King Philip's War. He referred to the Great Swamp Massacre as the Great Swamp Fight... eek. He also repeated words from English sources like "friendly Indian" without problematizing them.
Warren seems to believe that he's sufficiently cognizant of his Anglo-American bias, but it often doesn't materialize in how he describes the Narragansett people and other Indigenous groups, which is disappointing. Perhaps as part of this problem, Indigenous political systems and cultural practices are not explained or contextualized properly. For example, about midway through the book Warren mentions that minor sachems didn't have the right to sell land without the permission of the superior sachem. The sachem system of governance was not properly explained before this point was raised (although he spent many a page explaining early democracy in Rhode Island).
Perhaps the book could've honed in on a smaller window of time to provide more detail and nuance. This book also could've done with some more editing, as some of the prose fluctuated randomly between scholarly and casual tones. Readers may be disappointed by his somewhat lackluster discussions of Narragansett and tribal politics.
For one, Warren seems to have a profound ignorance of Native American studies scholarship based on his approach and terminology. I knew Warren wasn't an early American historian or a Native American historian before going in, but I would be lying if I said there weren't several cringeworthy sections that made me almost put the book down. I mostly encountered this problem during Warren's accounts of the first encounters between the Indians and English, as well as the King Philip's War. He referred to the Great Swamp Massacre as the Great Swamp Fight... eek. He also repeated words from English sources like "friendly Indian" without problematizing them.
Warren seems to believe that he's sufficiently cognizant of his Anglo-American bias, but it often doesn't materialize in how he describes the Narragansett people and other Indigenous groups, which is disappointing. Perhaps as part of this problem, Indigenous political systems and cultural practices are not explained or contextualized properly. For example, about midway through the book Warren mentions that minor sachems didn't have the right to sell land without the permission of the superior sachem. The sachem system of governance was not properly explained before this point was raised (although he spent many a page explaining early democracy in Rhode Island).
Perhaps the book could've honed in on a smaller window of time to provide more detail and nuance. This book also could've done with some more editing, as some of the prose fluctuated randomly between scholarly and casual tones. Readers may be disappointed by his somewhat lackluster discussions of Narragansett and tribal politics.
June 8, 2021
This book made my proud of my Baptist heritage. The book goes into detail on Rodger Williams' desire to start a colony that would separate the church from the state and give complete freedom to all beliefs. His work among, and vision for the Narragansetts was exemplary. He wanted to evangelize, but not by the sword, but through persuasion (is it any wonder why many converted). Williams also fought to keep Rhode Island, both it's colonists and the Indians from the Puritans' clutches of dominance in the region. Williams "above all, defended the Narragansetts and his fellow Rhode Island settlers against the predations of the Puritan establishment because he felt called to do so by the spirit of Christ. For Christ was Williams' anchor and inspiration and every facet of a long and varied career of public service." May Baptists continue this form of thinking and never stray.
January 9, 2021
Excellent read on Audible. Excellent reader, esp because of the many Indian names he had to get through.
The focus is on Williams as the advocate and occasional chider of the Narragansetts, who lived on the West Bay from below the Warwick border on down. Does a great deal with Rogers' version of religious liberty and puts it in a context of the Puritans' intolerance and the "progressives" who espoused tolerance but not true liberty. He is definitely against the "Puritan oligarchy", esp of Massachusetts and their constant persecution of other sects, in order to maintain the purity of "God's new people."
The focus is on Williams as the advocate and occasional chider of the Narragansetts, who lived on the West Bay from below the Warwick border on down. Does a great deal with Rogers' version of religious liberty and puts it in a context of the Puritans' intolerance and the "progressives" who espoused tolerance but not true liberty. He is definitely against the "Puritan oligarchy", esp of Massachusetts and their constant persecution of other sects, in order to maintain the purity of "God's new people."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2020
What a great read! I absolutely loved this one!
Roger Williams was one that popped up continually in my history courses, but there was no in-depth discussions. This book went further into Williams and the many different incidents that he was involved in. I found myself intrigued by many of the different uprisings, as well as the unrest that was going on with the native tribes.
Definitely worth a read!
Roger Williams was one that popped up continually in my history courses, but there was no in-depth discussions. This book went further into Williams and the many different incidents that he was involved in. I found myself intrigued by many of the different uprisings, as well as the unrest that was going on with the native tribes.
Definitely worth a read!
November 8, 2024
Learn about the fascinating relationship between the New England Puritans and the local native peoples, and the relationship between staunch magisterial protestant pilgrims and non-conformist pilgrims, such as Roger Williams.
While many attempt to idealize the Puritan pilgrims, or they try to idealize the native peoples, history shows that both people groups had their virtues and vices, with incredibly upright people from both groups along with maliciously evil people as well.
One sided over-generalized interpretations of history is for fools, zealots, and politicians.
Roger Williams, a peacemaker at heart, sought for many years to keep the peace between the immigrants and the native people. But both sides having committed injustices against each other the dye was cast for the conflict that that ensued.
While many attempt to idealize the Puritan pilgrims, or they try to idealize the native peoples, history shows that both people groups had their virtues and vices, with incredibly upright people from both groups along with maliciously evil people as well.
One sided over-generalized interpretations of history is for fools, zealots, and politicians.
Roger Williams, a peacemaker at heart, sought for many years to keep the peace between the immigrants and the native people. But both sides having committed injustices against each other the dye was cast for the conflict that that ensued.
February 4, 2025
It’s hard to review a book where you started 2/3 of it in spring of 2023 and finish it in February of 2025, but I guess that’s a testament to me wanting to go back and finish it.
I’ll read anything to do with Rhode Island history, and this was certainly one of the more researched and well-written books I’ve read about a topic in the state’s history.
I’ll read anything to do with Rhode Island history, and this was certainly one of the more researched and well-written books I’ve read about a topic in the state’s history.
May 8, 2019
This a well written account of the beginning of Rhode Island and the birth of religious freedom and Indian
June 28, 2025
Once you read about the death of great sachem Miantonomi you’ll never stop wanting to dismantle Connecticut with your bare hands
July 3, 2019
Excellent. Roger Williams was quite a man! Helpful treatise which makes the subjugation of New England's most powerful Indians understandable.
August 5, 2019
I went into this book thinking it was about Roger Williams and the founding of Rhode Island. Because of that, this book was a slow start for me. About a third into the book, I changed my mindset to it being about the Narragansett Indians vs the Puritans. The book got so much more fascinating after that. A powerful history lesson about the struggle of natives against the colonists. I look forward to reading more about the early Indian Wars and the time before the American Revolution.
June 4, 2019
Many students of American history and religion know of Roger Williams' role in founding the colony of Rhode Island and bringing the idea of religious liberty to its first full and sincere expression in the North American continent. Not so many know of his role in a story far more tragic and shameful: the Massachusetts Puritans' generation-long campaign against the Narragansett Indians, culminating in the misnamed "King Phillip's War" in which the Narragansetts were dispossessed of their land.
Williams was the first Englishman known to have learned the New England Indians' language well enough to teach it to others, and he was one of the only colonial authorities of the time to openly advocate that the Indians be treated as equals and human beings, whose tribal governments were just as sovereign and legitimate as the Massachusetts Bay Colony or, for that matter, the King of England. And even though the Puritan colonial government had exiled him from their lands for his unorthodox religious views, they still regarded him as an intelligent and principled man who had useful influence among the Indians. Both sides, for good reason, considered him to be one of their only reliable go-betweens. Unfortunately, greed, deception and bad faith on the part of the colonists and other Indian tribes doomed his efforts to promote peace and goodwill.
Warren documents, as best he can, the many Machiavellian manipulations by which the Puritan colonies in Massachusetts and latter-day Connecticut schemed against the Narragansetts and the other Indian tribes in the area (and also, less successfully, against Williams' annoying upstart colony.) He also points out where the historical record is suspiciously blank. Those who win the war write the history books, as the proverb goes, and a good many documents regarding the negotiations and communications between the Puritans and their Indian predecessors seem to have gone missing -- especially those which other sources and common sense suggest might have reflected poorly on John Winthrop and the Puritan leaders.
Enough survives, however, to show the general course of events. Williams is a peripheral but important figure in the buildup to the war, whose respect and good intentions toward the Narragansetts were tragically doomed by the greed and self-righteousness of others. It was, of course, a pattern that would be repeated many more times in the service of "manifest destiny".
Williams was the first Englishman known to have learned the New England Indians' language well enough to teach it to others, and he was one of the only colonial authorities of the time to openly advocate that the Indians be treated as equals and human beings, whose tribal governments were just as sovereign and legitimate as the Massachusetts Bay Colony or, for that matter, the King of England. And even though the Puritan colonial government had exiled him from their lands for his unorthodox religious views, they still regarded him as an intelligent and principled man who had useful influence among the Indians. Both sides, for good reason, considered him to be one of their only reliable go-betweens. Unfortunately, greed, deception and bad faith on the part of the colonists and other Indian tribes doomed his efforts to promote peace and goodwill.
Warren documents, as best he can, the many Machiavellian manipulations by which the Puritan colonies in Massachusetts and latter-day Connecticut schemed against the Narragansetts and the other Indian tribes in the area (and also, less successfully, against Williams' annoying upstart colony.) He also points out where the historical record is suspiciously blank. Those who win the war write the history books, as the proverb goes, and a good many documents regarding the negotiations and communications between the Puritans and their Indian predecessors seem to have gone missing -- especially those which other sources and common sense suggest might have reflected poorly on John Winthrop and the Puritan leaders.
Enough survives, however, to show the general course of events. Williams is a peripheral but important figure in the buildup to the war, whose respect and good intentions toward the Narragansetts were tragically doomed by the greed and self-righteousness of others. It was, of course, a pattern that would be repeated many more times in the service of "manifest destiny".
May 22, 2019
Nonfiction about New England in the 1600s, specifically regarding interactions between Native Americans and the English. Warren does an excellent job of explaining in detail the Narragansett religion and government, and their complex trade and political alliances with other Indian nations (the Nipmucks, Mohegans, Montauks, Niantics, Pequots, Wampanoags, and others). I particularly liked his emphasis that, from the viewpoint of the early 1600s, it was not inevitable that the English would win control of the region. It's easy to look back now and assume things could only have gone the way they did go, but Warren reminds us that the Puritans weren't actually destined to defeat the Native Americans.
My main criticism is that Warren seems to struggle in finding a focus. Is this book a biography of Roger Williams? Not really, though he certainly gets more attention than any other individual person. Is it about King Philip's War (1675-8)? Also not really; though the war forms the climax of the book, two chapters out of eleven don't make for a "focus". Is it about the Narragansetts? I suspect Warren wanted that to be his focus, but without many written sources, he ends up spending way more time on the English than the Native Americans. Is it about the founding of Rhode Island? Eh, that's the closest any particular topic comes to summarizing the whole book, but there's far too much about the internal dynamics of the Puritan colonies (Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven) and the various nearby Native Americans to quite capture it. In the end, God, War, and Providence comes off as some neat facts without a clear beginning or end to give them structure and explain why these neat facts and not some other compilation of equally neat facts.
Despite that, it's an easily readable, gripping book, written for a general audience rather than an academic one. It's a great look at a time and place in American history that hasn't received enough attention.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
My main criticism is that Warren seems to struggle in finding a focus. Is this book a biography of Roger Williams? Not really, though he certainly gets more attention than any other individual person. Is it about King Philip's War (1675-8)? Also not really; though the war forms the climax of the book, two chapters out of eleven don't make for a "focus". Is it about the Narragansetts? I suspect Warren wanted that to be his focus, but without many written sources, he ends up spending way more time on the English than the Native Americans. Is it about the founding of Rhode Island? Eh, that's the closest any particular topic comes to summarizing the whole book, but there's far too much about the internal dynamics of the Puritan colonies (Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven) and the various nearby Native Americans to quite capture it. In the end, God, War, and Providence comes off as some neat facts without a clear beginning or end to give them structure and explain why these neat facts and not some other compilation of equally neat facts.
Despite that, it's an easily readable, gripping book, written for a general audience rather than an academic one. It's a great look at a time and place in American history that hasn't received enough attention.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
July 12, 2020
Excellent historical narrative covering the colony of Rhode Island, Roger Williams and interactions with the Narragansett - against other Native Americans, the Puritan colonies, English Parliament and the King. Contains an extensive bibliography and index.
The Puritans of Massachusetts and Connecticut were a real bunch of low-lifes, and that comes through in spades in this book. Unfortunately, their "winning" position means they also destroyed (er, "lost") a lot of the documents and correspondence relevant to this. The author, a Brown University scholar, pieces together the story from what remains and the reactions of contemporaries.
That story is excellent, well told, and fits neatly into a 250 page package. It was very interesting reading through the whole book, with some good maps and paintings (though Williams never sat for a portrait - we don't really know what he looked like). I would recommend this book to anyone the least bit interested in the colonies and early American history. Rhode Island - they did it right then and continue to do it right today.
The Puritans of Massachusetts and Connecticut were a real bunch of low-lifes, and that comes through in spades in this book. Unfortunately, their "winning" position means they also destroyed (er, "lost") a lot of the documents and correspondence relevant to this. The author, a Brown University scholar, pieces together the story from what remains and the reactions of contemporaries.
That story is excellent, well told, and fits neatly into a 250 page package. It was very interesting reading through the whole book, with some good maps and paintings (though Williams never sat for a portrait - we don't really know what he looked like). I would recommend this book to anyone the least bit interested in the colonies and early American history. Rhode Island - they did it right then and continue to do it right today.
April 29, 2022
James Warren lives in Rhode Island. It certainly goes far in explaining why this book is a hit job on Massachusetts. Warren does not hold back! However, it does help that he has all the evidence to back it up.
Warren tries to cover a lot of ground in his book. It is part biography of Roger Williams, part chronicle of the Pequot War and King Phillip’s War, and the founding of Rhode Island. Warren is only partially successful mainly because any three of these subjects deserves its own lengthy book. Roger Williams alone is fascinating as truly being a precursor to the America we know now.
Ultimately, if you know the time period pretty well, then this book will leave you wanting more but in a good way. I wanted Warren to spend a lot more time on his subjects than he did. If you are just beginning to learn about the time period, then this is a fantastic book to get your feet wet. Warren has a sly sense of humor which adds a nice touch to the endeavor.
Warren tries to cover a lot of ground in his book. It is part biography of Roger Williams, part chronicle of the Pequot War and King Phillip’s War, and the founding of Rhode Island. Warren is only partially successful mainly because any three of these subjects deserves its own lengthy book. Roger Williams alone is fascinating as truly being a precursor to the America we know now.
Ultimately, if you know the time period pretty well, then this book will leave you wanting more but in a good way. I wanted Warren to spend a lot more time on his subjects than he did. If you are just beginning to learn about the time period, then this is a fantastic book to get your feet wet. Warren has a sly sense of humor which adds a nice touch to the endeavor.
November 21, 2018
King Philip's War is a topic I have explored most of my life. As a life-long Rhode Islander I continually ponder the events of nearly 400 years ago and try to imagine what it must've been like to live through it. This book painted a picture of the Narragansetts that was fleshed out in great detail. I thoroughly enjoyed this different viewpoint and the events that led up to that inevitable conclusion.
February 19, 2023
This book is my introduction to Roger Williams! His thought that enforced worship has led to bloodbath in the name of a peaceful god aligns with my beliefs. How America could have been so different if everyone would have had mutual respect for the other peoples living on the continent. Good read even though I have never been to Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
April 28, 2019
Well researched and interesting. I don't know much about the state I call home and this helped fill in some blanks.
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