How Did Joseph Fish Preache To The Native Americans

Joseph Fish Preaches to the Narragansett Indians, 1768

This document was a journal of Joseph Fish and this travels to preach to Indians. His goal was to convert Indians to Protestant Christianity.

He documents several visits and provides details such as when he preached to 20 Indians from “Matth: 22-39. Thou Shalt love thy Neighbour as Thy Self-A grace and Duty much Wanting and greatly Neglected Among these Indians.” (page 135) He states that most of the Indians acted bored. Toward the end of this sermon he was surprised that a Molatto (Ammon,) “fell into great distress, manifested by Crying out bitterly, which continued through the Remainder of the Service.” (page 135) After the sermon he talked to Ammon and Joseph Fish was told by Ammon

I often wonder how people can believe that if your beliefs are different then you are wrong and they are right, because they think they know better. That shows again how the whites came here and because the Indians didn’t practice their religion they had not religion and were heathens. Although, Indians practiced their own spirituality and believed in Mother Earth, Father Sky and the Great Spirit. Which to me was much more pure and innocent then all the rules that the Christian religion has with a greater chance for

He mentions that even though there was several Preachers who had talked to the family they continued their heathen ways. Samson discusses that at age 16 he heard rumors that there was preachers who were extraordinary and were traveling from place to place. They did not arrive until summer time and preached the word of God to the Indians. He said that he was impressed with the preachers and it was at that period that he was awakened and converted to Christianity. Several months after converting he takes the time to learn to read with assistance from his neighbors. About the time he turned 19 he could read a little of the bible. His mother knew a man names Mr. Wheelock who had taken English student under his guidance to educate them, so Samson asked his mother to help him be educated by Mr. Wheelock and this was granted. He was so excited he worked hard and his knowledge and education grew, but due to his hard work that his health became impaired and after four years of training he had to quit his