Praying Indian is a 17th century term referring to Native Americans of New
England who converted to Christianity.
In 1646, the General Court of Massachusetts
passed an "Act for the Propagation of the Gospel amongst the Indians". This act and the success of Reverend John Eliot and other missionaries in preaching the Christianity to the New England tribes raised interest in England. In
1649 the Long Parliament passed an Ordination forming "A Corporation for the Promoting and
Propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ in New
England" which raised funds to support the cause. Contributors raised approximately 12,000 pounds to investment in this cause, to be used mainly in the Colony of Massachusetts and in New York. Reverend Eliot received financial aid from this corporation to start schools for teaching the Native Americans.
On October 28, 1646, in Nonantum (in Newton),
Rev. Eliot gave his first sermon to Native Americans in their own language. This happened in
the wigwam of Waban, the first convert of his tribe. Christian Indian Towns were eventually located throughout Eastern and Central
Massachusetts. They included: Natick,
Littleton (Nashoba), Lowell
(Wamesit) (then part of Chelmsford), Grafton (Hassanamessit),
Marlborough (Okommakamesit), Hopkinton (Makunkokoag), and Canton (Punkapoag).
Today only Natick retains its original name (a proposal to rename it "Eliot" was rejected by the General Court).
These towns were situated so as to serve as an outlying wall of defense for the colony, but came to an end in 1675 during King Philip's War when residents were first confined to
their villages (thus restricted from their farms and unable to feed themselves), and many were confined on Deer Island in Boston Harbor.
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