The Pen of Justice: William Apess and his Eulogy on King William

The Puritans saw their settlement as a divinely blessed endeavor, sanctioned by higher powers. In this light, people who lived in the “new” land had to accommodate the newcomers and, in the popular imagination in the following centuries, to take their place in history.
For William Apess, member of the Pequot tribe and Methodist minister in the early 19th century, such a version of history was both incorrect and unjust.
In this book club Zoom meeting, we discussed how William Apess took up his pen to fight for justice through reading one of his most hard-hitting publications, his 1836 Eulogy on King Philip. Delivered as an oration in Boston, it is a work which turns upside down a Eurocentric story of early New England history.
Our discussion was led by scholar Drew Lopenzina, professor of early American and Native American literature and author of multiple books, chapters and articles on Native writers and writings. The discussion includes information from of Dr. Lopenzina’s Red Ink: Native Americans PIcking Up the Pen in the Colonial Period. We also suggest readings from Dr. Lopenzina's new book, Through An Indian’s Looking Glass: A Cultural Biography of William Apess, Pequot.