A Key into the Language of America facts for kids
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| Author | Roger Williams |
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| Publisher | Gregory Dexter |
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Publication date
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1643 |
A Key into the Language of America (also known as An help to the Language of the Natives in that part of America called New England) is a very important book written by Roger Williams in 1643. It was the first book published in English that studied Native American languages in New England. The book mainly focuses on the Narragansett language, which is part of the Algonquian languages family.
About the Author and the Book's History
The author, Roger Williams, was a Puritan leader. Puritans were a group of Christians who wanted to make the Church of England more "pure." Williams was asked to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony because he had different ideas about religion and land. After leaving, he started a new settlement called Providence Plantations, which later became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Roger Williams believed that the king of England should not just give away land that belonged to Native American tribes without paying them for it. He spent a lot of time with the Narragansett and Wampanoag tribes. He was a missionary, a friend, and a trader to them. He admired many parts of Native American culture and even wrote poems at the end of each chapter in his book to praise them.
Williams published this book for a few reasons. One reason was to share his knowledge of the Native American languages. Another reason was to correct some ideas that others had published about Native Americans. His friend Gregory Dexter printed the book in London, England. When the book came out, it made Roger Williams quite famous.
Words We Use Today
A Key into the Language of America helped introduce many Native American words into the English language. These are called "loan words" because English "borrowed" them from other languages. Some of these words are still used today, including:
See also
- The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience
