Livingston High Grad, Award Winning Researcher to Speak at Livingston Historical Society

Bianca Falcone, a 2007 Livingston High School graduate a will present her award winning thesis “Finding Redemption in Captivity: The Role of Women as ‘Spiritual Dependents’ in New England Captivity Narratives, 1675-1730” to the Livingston Historical Society, Monday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 pm at the Hillside Avenue Senior Community Center.

Captivity narratives are the accounts that were written by colonists taken captive by Native Americans during raids. For the project, Falcone studied both women’s and men’s captivity narratives from the period between 1675-1730.

Falcone will focus her presentation on the differences between men and women’s narratives and arguing why she believes the women’s narratives were centered on religion, and therefore able to be used as a form of Puritan propaganda, while the men’s narratives were not.

The basis of her argument is that due to the submissive and secondary roles women played in Puritan culture, they relied more on their faith then their own agency to help them endure captivity.

In contrast, men, who were used to being the leaders of the society, relied more on their own agency (ex. attempting to escape). She also argues that the women’s focus on religion while in captivity afforded the Puritan church the ability to use the women’s narratives as a form of Puritan propaganda during a time of religious turmoil.

About Bianca Falcone

Bianca Falcone is a student at the Institute of World Politics where she is working towards her Master’s Degree in Statecraft and National Security Affairs and is also an Archive and Research Assistant at a private office in Washington, DC.

She is a 2007 Livingston High School graduate, and a Seton Hall University graduate who majored in history and secondary education. “Finding Redemption in Captivity: The Role of Women as ‘Spiritual Dependents’ in New England Captivity Narratives, 1675-1730” was her thesis for the Seton Hall University Honors Program and one best senior thesis.

As an intern at the Heritage Foundation’s Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy in Washington, D.C., Falcone researched and wrote on defense issues.

About the Livingston Historical Society

The Livingston Historical Society meets on the fourth Monday of the month, September thru April, except for December at the Senior Community Center. The Public is invited to attend the monthly meetings and programs free of charge, but donations are gratefully accepted. Refreshments will be served.