In “A Short Narrative of My Life,” Samson Occom writes about his life in the American colonies, and his experiences were certainly affected by his ethnicity as a Native American. Let's look at Occom's writing in more detail to see how his work helps us understand what it means to be an American.

Occom first gives us an idea of what growing up in his Native American culture was like. He speaks of their homes, their hunting and fishing, and their language as part of American heritage.

When Occom was sixteen, he converted to Christianity, learned to speak English, and began learning to read and write. This was extremely important to him because he found peace and great pleasure in serving God. His desire to learn only grew from this time, and he also developed a longing to teach others and share the treasures he found. Occom had the opportunity to study with Eleazar Wheelock, and he took full advantage of it as long as his health and his eyesight held up. We can see from this that to Occom, progress was important and opportunities were to be grasped and savored.

Occom then became a schoolmaster and minister among his fellow Native Americans, desiring them to gain an education and embrace Christianity. He married, too, but his life was not easy. He was paid much less for his efforts than his white colleagues, and he had to work very hard just to care for his family even with all his other responsibilities. While Occom realized that it was not fair for him to be paid less because he was Native American, he did not stop teaching or preaching. No matter how much bad luck he had, he kept trying, committed to his undertaking, doing the very best he knew how. For him, this was the American way.