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A once numerous class of Christian Indians existed in America known as ''praying Indians'' mainly in New England. These helped the  the [[Patriot]] cause in the American Revolution, but were treated shamefully due to distrust by most of the Colonialists during the period of [[King Phillip's War]], reducing their numbers (approx. 1100) from an estimated estimated 20 percent of Massachusetts Indians to a few hundred.  

A once numerous class of Christian Indians existed in America known as ''praying Indians'' mainly in New England. These helped the  the [[Patriot]] cause in the American Revolution, but were treated shamefully due to distrust by most of the Colonialists during the period of [[King Phillip's War]], reducing their numbers (approx. 1100) from an estimated estimated 20 percent of Massachusetts Indians to a few hundred.  

   

   

[[Roger Williams]] of [[Rhode Island]] and and Thomas Mayhew of [[Martha's Vineyard]]  were the first  English missionaries to  seek the conversion of  New England's natives, but John Eliot was much more successful, largely because of his command of the complex native  Algonquian language (spoken by many Indian nations) which was without a written tradition, but which Eliot provided and translated the Bible into.

[[Roger Williams]] of [[Rhode Island]] and and Thomas Mayhew of [[Martha's Vineyard]]  were the first  English missionaries to  seek the conversion of  New England's natives, but [[John Eliot]] was much more successful, largely because of his command of the complex native  Algonquian language (spoken by many Indian nations) which was without a written tradition, but which Eliot provided and translated the Bible into.

Historian and author Robert D. Hall stated that “Eliot was a genius." "He was a missionary, a teacher, a linguist. He founded the Roxbury Latin School. He learned the Algonquin tongue and translated it into English.’’

Historian and author Robert D. Hall stated that “Eliot was a genius." "He was a missionary, a teacher, a linguist. He founded the Roxbury Latin School. He learned the Algonquin tongue and translated it into English.’’