The Kidnapping that Yielded a Bestseller

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Hey, D. Biorac here. I'm going to show you site of a 17th century kidnapping that spawned the country's first best-selling book.

[00:00:09]This marker in Lancaster, Massachusetts tells an awful story. On February 10th, 1676, the settlement was attacked by Native Americans. The survivors were taken captive including Mary Rowlandson and her three children. Lived in a house somewhere in this field.

[00:00:23]The prisoners were taken on a journey through New England forest that today cover three states, during which time her daughter Sarah, who was 6 years old, died from wounds sustained during the attack.

[00:00:33]After 11 and 1/2 weeks, Mary and her two remaining children were ransomed and freed. In 1682, Mary published a book A narrative of the captivity and restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. It was a hit both in New England and England. Readers were fascinated by this captivity narrative.

[00:00:49]Story is of course more nuanced and detailed than my summary, but I only have 1 minute of footage of this piece of stone, so that's what you're going to get this time. It's worth looking into though if you're interested.