About this Event
In June 1675, just before the outbreak of the War for New England (known colloquially as "King Philip's War"), a group of Rhode Island officials led by Quaker Deputy Governor John Easton met Metacom (also known as King Philip), the leader of the Pokanoket tribe, at the Bristol Ferry to try to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
Quaker Historian Elizabeth Cazdan will discuss the events of that meeting, as described by both contemporary and later sources, and why it ultimately failed to prevent the fighting that would soon engulf the region.
Elizabeth Cazden is a retired lawyer and Quaker historian based in Providence, RI. She holds degrees from Oberlin College, Harvard Law School, and Andover Newton Theological School. She has written and spoken in both academic and public settings on Quaker history, with a special focus on New England Quakers' participation in the enslavement of Africans and in land expropriation from Indigenous communities. Her research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
Cazdan is an active Quaker, having served in many capacities for the New England Yearly Meeting as well as other national and international Quaker organizations. Cazdan is a direct descendant of John Borden, one of the participants in the meeting she'll be discussing.
This event is co-sponsored with the Sowams Heritage Area, the Rogers Free Library, and KPW 350, a grassroots community project that seeks to educate the public about the conflict best known as King Philip’s War in recognition of its 350th anniversary. For more information on King Philip's War, visit KPW350.org.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, United States
