November 17. Lecture: Mary Kittamaquund and the Brent Family: English-Piscataway Diplomacy in 17th Century Maryland
7:00 pm
Free
Speaker: Kelly L. Watson
Mary Kittamaquund, sometimes knows as the ‘Pocahontas of Maryland,’ was the daughter of the Piscataway tayac (or chief). At seven years old was sent by her father to live in St. Mary’s City in order to learn English ways. Wealthy spinster Margaret Brent and Governor Leonard Calvert served as her guardians. Before she had reached the age of maturity, Mary wed the much older Giles Brent, who was Margaret Brent’s brother. This talk will provide an in-depth look at an important and understudied figure in Maryland’s early history. Furthermore, this talk will situate the role of indigenous women in colonial diplomacy and negotiation.
Brief Biography:
Kelly L. Watson earned a PhD from Bowling Green State University and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at West Virginia University. She is the author of numerous articles and chapters examining gender in colonial American history. Her first book, Insatiable Appetites: Imperial Encounters with Cannibals in the North Atlantic World was published by NYU Press in 2015.
