THE INDIAN COLLEGE AT CAMBRIDGE In 1638, the funds placed at the disposition of the college at Cambridge, through the bequest of John Harvard, enabled those having the work in charge to begin the construction of the college building. When this building was completed, the eight chambers in it for a time accommodated the students, but in the course of a few years dormitories had to be provided elsewhere. Henry Dunster, the first president of the college, had, upon very damageful conditions to himself, as he terms it, erected a house for his own use. In this house the printing-press was originally placed, and the room over that in which the press was situated was used as a dormitory. Johnson, in his Wonder-Working Providence, records the fact that when he wrote, which is thought to have been in 1651, the college was "enlarging by purchasing the neighbors' houses.' One of the houses thus purchased was that of Edward Goffe, in Braintree, now Harvard street, and the rooms in this house were used as dormitories. About the same time that this purchase was effected, the president and fellows, in a petition to the commissioners of the United Colonies, represented that "through the increase of scholars many of them are forced to lodge in the town." * Up to this time the growth of the college which had caused this demand for an increase of the dormitories had been exclusively composed of white students. The names of the students suggest to those familiar with the early colonial history of New England, the families whom they represented.† In 1645, Winthrop records in his diary an event which foreshadowed the possibility that there might be in the future other than white students. He says that divers free schools were established that year, at which "Indians' children were to be taught freely." In 1646, John Eliot was preaching in the Indian language to attentive audiences. He followed up this work by "the establishment of schools among the praying Indians, and he taught some himself to read, that they might be capable to teach others, and by his procurements some of the choice Indian youths were put to school with English schoolmasters to learn both the English and Greek tongues." + *Hazard's State Papers, Vol. II., p. 197. Winthrop's New England, Vol. II., p. 215. In 1649, the society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Indians was incorporated in London. They raised funds to carry out the purposes of the organization, and intrusted the distribution of these funds to the commissioners of the United Colonies. The position and influence of these commissioners had already attracted the attention of those in authority at Cambridge. Samuel Shepard appealed to them in 1644 for a contribution for the maintenance of poor scholars, and Dunster, in 1647, pleaded the inability of the college, even at that early date, to meet the expense of keeping the college building in repair with the rentals from the dormitories. Both of these appeals were favorably considered, but the commissioners then had no funds at their disposal for such purposes, and could only refer the matter to the towns and the general courts, with recommendations that some active measures should be taken in behalf of the college. The appropriation of £400 in 1636 by the General Court was simply for the foundation of a school or college. It is not probable that at that time any thought was bestowed upon the possible necessity of providing for the education of the natives. After the free schools were founded and provision was made for the admission of Indian children, the possibility that there might be some Indian youths who would work their way to Cambridge, may have suggested itself, but as a practical question it was even then not of much moment. To secure Indian patronage for public schools, it would have been imperative either to locate the schools in the Indian villages or, if the schools were not thus situated, to provide for the maintenance of the Indian children while in attendance. Besides, the rigid rules laid down by some of the towns for the conduct of the pupils in these public schools must have proved an insurmountable barrier to aspirants among the Indians for education. Eliot understood the ways of children and the peculiarities of the Indian people. He won their hearts by gifts and secured their attention by various devices adapted to the age and condition of his pupils. His success with the Indian children, and the deposit of funds in the hands of the commissioners of the United Colonies, by the society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Indians, seems to have suggested to the president and fellows of the college that the time had come when the commissioners might be induced to apply some of these funds to the construction of a dormitory at Cambridge. The work of the society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Indians would have to be carried on through preachers who could speak the Indian tongue. On the one hand Harvard college might be made a nursery for future Eliots, and on the other hand Eliot's work in teaching the natives might through school and college be so improved as to produce the desired results. In either event, whether in the education of white or native preachers, dormitories would be required for the students while at Cambridge, and this would justify the commissioners in thus applying the funds of the society. This seems to have been the line of argument used by the president and fellows in their petition. Perhaps it would be better to give the résumé of the petition contained in the answer of the commissioners, in September, 1651. They say: “By yours of August 27th, we understand that the former college buildings are in a decaying condition and will require considerable change ere long for a due repair, and through the increase of scholars, many of them are forced to lodge in the town, which proves many ways inconvenient and will necessarily require an enlargement of your buildings, for which you propound, and we have seriously considered whether any help may be had from the collections for the propagation of the Gospel amongst the Indians, but cannot find by the Act of Parliament (now passed), that any such liberty is granted. "Yet we now desire Mr. Winslow to inquire the mind of the corporation therein, ourselves conceiving that the advancement of learning here may also advance the work of Christ amongst the Indians and, accordingly, out of that stock (as it comes in) should gladly contribute. Might we do it without offence?" While the commissioners expressed themselves flatly to the president and fellows of the college to the effect that they would gladly contribute from the funds of the corporation toward the general object of the advancement of learning if they had felt at liberty to do so, the phraseology of their London letter was couched in more courteous language. In this they put forth the following tentative expression of opinion: "It is apprehended by some, that according to the intent of the Act of Parliament, an eye may be had in the distribution to the enlargement of the college at Cambridge, whereof there is great need, and furtherance of learning not so immediately, by respecting the Indian design, though we fully concur not, yet desire to know what the apprehensions of the honored. corporation are herein." The language of this communication is involved, but apparently the commissioners suggest an interpretation of their powers which would permit the construction of a dormitory irrespective of the question of Indians, an interpretation in which they say they do not fully concur, but still they would like to know if the society approves of it. Apparently the officers of the corporation were not prepared to cut adrift entirely from the Indians in authorizing an expenditure of their funds for the enlargement of accommodations for students at Cambridge. Their consent appears, however, to have been obtained for the erection of a dormitory capable of accommodating six Indians. This appears from a letter to Winslow, September 24, 1653. in which the commissioners say: "What you proposed from the honorable corporation about six hopeful Indians to be trained-up at the college under some fit tutor, that, preserving their own language, they may obtain the knowledge of other tongues and dispense the Indian tongue in the college, we fully approve as a hopeful way to further the work. But the college being already to straits for the English students we shall be forced to raise some building there for the convenience of such Indians, wherein we shall expend at least one hundred pounds, desiring the building may be strong and durable though plain." This announcement was immediately followed by the following instructions to the commissioners from Massachusetts Bay: "The commissioners for the Massachusetts are also desired to consider and order the building of one entire room at the college for the convenience of six hopeful Indian youths, to be trained-up there, according to the advice received this year from the corporation in England, which room may be two stories high, and built plain but strong and durable, the charge not to exceed one hundred and twenty pounds besides glass, which may be allowed out of the parcel the corporation hath lately sent up on the Indian account." On request of the president of the college, the commissioners were in 1654 authorized to alter the form of the building, “provided it exceed not thirty feet in length and twenty in breadth." Thus a building was secured. The fact that Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck is the only Indian name which figures in the quinquennial catalogue must not be accepted as showing that there was but one Indian connected with the college. There are scattered through the papers, from which the foregoing extracts are taken, references to the Indians which show that there were for several years from six to eight Indians pursuing their studies at Cambridge, some in the grammar school, some in the college. In May, 1659, the officers of the society write from Coopers' Hall asking for information about their protégés: "We desire you," they say, "to inform us as opportunity offers what number of Indians there are at the university and what progress and proficiency they make in learning and to what degree and manner they have obtained." To this the commissioners reply from Hartford in November of the same year, giving the following rose-colored statement of the condition of affairs at Cambridge: "There are five Indian youths at Cambridge in the Latin school, whose diligence and proficiency in their studies doth much encourage us to hope that God is fitting them and preparing them for good instruments in this great and desirable work. We have good testimony from those that are prudent and pious that they are diligent in their studies and civil in their carriage. And from the president of the college we have this testimony in a letter directed to us the 23d of August, 1659, in these words: The Indians in Mr. Arlett's school were examined openly by myself at the public commencement, concerning their growth in the knowledge of the Latin tongue, and, for their time, they gave good satisfaction to myself and also to the honored and reverent overseers.' It is stated in the reply to the royal commissioners that in 1665, the year that Cheeshahteaumuck graduated, the number present in the grammar school and at college was eight, "one whereof is at college and ready to commence." As we examine the various sources of information open to us on this subject we find that about two-thirds of them were content with the education furnished by the school. The other third prosecuted for a while the higher studies of the college, and of these one only had the perseverance to finish the course and take a degree. I have quoted above the flattering picture of the conduct of these students which the commissioners in their report laid before the corporation. The results obtained were not proportionate to the hopes which such a report was calculated to raise. It may have been true that for a while the Indians pursued their studies with interest, but Gookin speaks of them as becoming disheartened, and leaving the school when almost ready to enter college. According to Gookin the commissioners constructed "a house of brick" which passed under the name of the Indian college. Its cost he estimated at between three hundred and four hundred pounds. It was large enough for twenty scholars, and was fitted with convenient lodgings and studies. He says it was strong and substantial though not very capacious. Edward Randolph, in his report on colonial affairs to the Privy Council in 1676, mentions the Indian college.* He speaks of it as a "small brick building, called the Indian college, where some Indians did study, but now converted to a printing house." Dankers and Sluyter, who visited Cambridge in 1680, say that they looked into the building "through a broken paper sash." Thomas, in his History of Printing, * Historical Collection relating to the Colonial Church, Vol. III., p. 22. |