Publication of A Key into the Language of America
- When
- 1643
- Where
- London; New England
- Episodes
- 3
Roger Williams published A Key into the Language of America in London in 1643. The work, written during his first voyage to England, serves as the first published colonial study of a Native American language in English, focusing largely on Narragansett.
Episodes
- London Publication
Williams published the book in London in 1643 during his first voyage to England.
- Linguistic Study of Narragansett
The book documents Narragansett, an Algonquian language, as the first English colonial study of its kind.
- Rebuttal of Massachusetts Claims
Williams used the publication to counter Massachusetts' claims about Indian conversions and territory.
Background and detail
Linguistic Content. The text describes Native American languages in New England in the 17th century, primarily Narragansett, an Algonquian language. It is recognized as the first book-length study of a Native American language published in English.
Political Motivation. Beyond linguistic documentation, Williams published the work to rebut Massachusetts' distorted claims regarding early Indian conversions to Christianity. This was intended to halt Massachusetts Bay's territorial claims over Rhode Island.
People involved
- Roger Williams · Author and founder of Providence Plantations
Sources
- A Key into the Language of America Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-09
- Roger Williams Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-13
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.