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Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks starts with a diary entry by one of the main characters, Bethia Mayfield, discussing the beginning of her newly found life in Martha’s Vineyard as her and her family is settling in the New World. As her time in the area progressed she had become friends with one of her father’s students. This student, Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, was learning English, Christianity, and Latin, in order to communicate with the new locals that have just moved to the area. Bethia was envious and curious about Caleb and his education, thus causing her to become thirsty for an education as well. As Bethia and Caleb become closer to one another, more issues arise from their differences. At one point, Caleb is very disgruntled with Bethia’s grandfather for actions he had taken against the local natives. “’Must not!’ I am full up to my throat with ‘must not’. You English palisade yourselves up behind ‘must nots,’ and I commence to think it is a barren fortress in which you wall yourselves.”   Caleb says this in an argument about the morbidity of the idea of indentured servitude, and how it is wrong of her family to make that an option and “sell” off a child. Shortly after this Caleb had attended Harvard University as the first Native American to attend and graduate from the University. However, it is shortly after Caleb’s attendance and completion at Harvard University that he suddenly becomes ill and passes away before he is able to receive any sort of official diploma. During the 1660s, in a small town of English Puritans, Bethia Mayfield is living the average life of a child growing up in Martha’s Vineyard. With being eager to learn more than the schooling systems are willing to teach her, because of her gender, she begins sneaking around to watch others and becomes educated. Bethia is the daughter of a Calvinist minister who is working with the Wampanoag Native Americans to help them convert religious views and to teach them the English language. When Bethia is 12 years old, she meets a chieftain’s son named Caleb. After becoming close with one another, the story truly begins to unfold and the story of the two shows how enemies can become friends, or even more than friends. Once Caleb learns English, it is not long before he was going to school to further his knowledge at Cambridge and goes to Harvard University. Caleb is the first Native American in attendance at Harvard University. Throughout the novel, Bethia speaks of how she is being sneaky to be able to write everything that she had in her journal. Bethia also makes a point of how sinful it was for her to write on Sundays being the day of Sabbath and rest. However, she did this so that she was able to keep track of her thoughts and what was going on in her life at that time. This shows how barriers have been overcome for the happiness of the better being as well as the joys of life that would be missed out on otherwise. With the British coming to the lands that the Native Americans had held for so many years, there are adaptations to be made and peace to be found between the two parties. These adaptations include overcoming the language barrier, learning to live with foreigners, diversity, sharing the land, and being able to help one another in time of need or desperation. As mentioned in Caleb’s Crossing the British are interested in helping the Native Americans learn their ways and therefore introduce them to the English language as well as Christianity. This had not always appeared to be the case. With some settlers initiating early on attacks of the Native Americans it had made the beginning of the European- Native American relationship unsteady. However, this was not the case for all of those who had come to the new world and Martha’s Vineyard was one of these exceptions. While trying to simultaneously live with the Native Americans, the British of Martha’s Vineyard had made a point to assist the Natives in learning more of the European way of life. Not only had this aided in the relationship built between the two parties, but it also aided in the survival of the British for they had not been familiar with the seasonal changes and growing techniques of the “New World.” With this, the introduction of an educational system was brought to the “New World” in the lower and higher levels. Beginning to educate the Native Americans opened a whole new door way for them to become more active in the new communities being established. Looking further into the historical aspects of Martha’s Vineyard, the historical accuracy of Caleb’s Crossing, the story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, his life and journey through Martha’s Vineyard and Harvard University this novel shows how life for the Native Americans was improving. After reading Caleb’s Crossing, some of the British that moved to the “new world” were not against helping the Native Americans. From helping them to read and write, to helping one another with food and shelter during the rough times, there are many ideas and facts about what had really happened. The persistent releases of misrepresented information placed out into the public, it can be hard to decipher fact from fiction. Many believe that all of the British that had traveled to the Americas were at a constant battle and rage against the local Native Americans. The thoughts of the British coming to the Americas as blood thirsty, Native American killing war mongers, may be partially true depending on the location that the British landed in the Americas. The British of Martha’s Vineyard, this was not the case. The British were in high hopes of living in a peaceful community alongside the Native Americans. In the novel, Caleb’s Crossing, the peaceful side of the British is shown in their efforts to assist the Native Americans live along side them and peacefully. There were a few people that had gone above and beyond the usual in making attempts to help establish good relations with the Natives of Martha’s Vineyard. The Protestant missionaries that had flocked to the island in the mid 1600’s had showed a high level of respect for the Natives, as well as their rights. The leader, Thomas Mayhew, truly brought a level of authority, patronage, as well as a large level of stability to the relationship on the British’s behalf. For the Wampanoag’s, they embraced and accepted Christianity surprisingly well, for various reasons. The largest and most beneficial reason for the Wampanoag’s accepting Christianity was so that everyone living in Martha’s Vineyard would share at least one thing in common. This had led to other notorious religious figures heading towards Martha’s Vineyard such as John Cotton junior. However, with these groupings of people, the Wampanoag still continued to question Christianity and find a way to link it back to their traditional religion, Seantan. Not only had these religious beliefs built relationships between the British and the Natives, but also had helped to place opposing parties on good terms with one another. All in all, the novel Caleb’s Crossing shows some fictional as well as factual information about the Wampanoag Indian Tribe. By furthering research, the novel leaves out important factors and twists the truth in several instances. Although Caleb was truly the first Native American to graduate from Harvard, they mission and troubles he had gone through to get there are not accurately depicted in the story. Lastly, the ultimate settlements that had come between the Natives and the British had degraded the gradual build up of trust with the British, leaving the Natives disrespected once again.