Massasoit Wampanoag (abt. 1577 - 1661)

Born about 1577 in Wampanoag Tribal Lands

Descendants

Died 13 Sep 1661 at about age 84 in Middleborough, Plymouth Colony

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Biography

Massasoit Wampanoag is Notable.

Massasoit, a Pokanoket Wampanoag Indian, was born about 1580 in the Massachusetts Bay area. His parents are unknown, but he had two brothers, Akkompoin and Quadequina. "Massasoit" was probably a title; by 1632 he is often referred to by the name of "Ousemequin” (Yellow Feather). ^[1] The Wampanoag did not have a written language, so he is known primarily through the writings of men like William Bradford and Edward WInslow.

European visitors to New England brought European diseases with them, and between 1615 and the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620 as much as 90% of the Massachusetts Bay area Indian population had been wiped out. By 1620 when the Pilgrims arrived the remaining Wampanoag were under a great deal of pressure from the Micmac to their north and the Narragansett to their south.^[2] Massasoit was the sachem or leader of the Wampanoag and although they feared further disease from the new settlers, they also saw the English as possible allies.

The first meeting between the Plymouth colonists and Massasoit is recorded in Bradford's History of 'Plimouth Plantation:'

“But about ye 16. of March a certaine Indian came bouldly amongst them, and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but marvelled at it.... His name was Samaset; he tould them also of another Indian whos name was Squanto, a native of this place, who had been in England & could speake better English then him selfe. Being, after some time of entertainmente & gifts, dismist, a while after he came againe, & 5. more with him ... and made way for ye coming of their great Sachem, called Massasoyt; who, about 4. or 5. days after, came with the cheefe of his freinds & other attendance, with the aforesaid Squanto. With whom, after frendly entertainment, & some gifts given him, they made a peace with him (which hath now continued this 24. years) " ^[3]

Most American school children know of Massasoit because of the help which saved the Pilgrims from starvation and death and images of the event called the "First Thanksgiving," but it is the 1621 treaty that insured Massasoit's place in American history. ^[4] The treaty pledged mutual support and respect between the English and the Wampanoag. The Wampanoag continued to maintain peace with the English colonists for the next fifty years although they received little in return and were pressured to cede more and more of their land.

The 2011 Native American dollar coin issued by the U.S. Mint memorializes this treaty. ^[5]

Edward Winslow described Massasoit as follows:

"In his person he is a very lusty man, in his best years, an able body, grave of countenance, and spare of speech. In his attire little or nothing differing from the rest of his followers, only in a great chain of white bone beads about his neck, and at it behind his neck hangs a little bag of tobacco, which he drank and gave us to drink; his face was painted with a sad red like murry, and oiled both head and face, that he looked greasily. All his followers likewise, were in their faces, in part or in whole painted, some black, some red, some yellow, and some white, some with crosses, and other antic works; some had skins on them, and some naked, all strong, tall, all men of appearance . . . [he] had in his bosom hanging in a string, a great long knife; he marveled much at our trumpet, and some of his men would sound it as well as they could try." ^[6]

Massasoit became very ill in March of 1623 and the colonists received word that he had died. Learning that he was not in fact dead, Winslow went to his home. In his "Good newes from New-England" Winslow described in great detail the actions that were being taken to save Massasoit. Winslow dosed him with a "confection" and when Massasoit recovered Winslow took credit for curing him. ^[7]

Massasoit is believed to have had five children, birth order uncertain: ^{[8]p. 210}

• Mooanam or Wamsutta, later added the English name of Alexander (Wamsutta signed an extension of the 1621 treaty with his father in 1639, so must have been born no later than 1621)
• Pometecomet, Metacomet (1636-1676), or Metacom, later added the English name of Phillip;^{[9] [10]}

• a third son, Sonkanuchoo; ^{[8]p. 210}

• daughter, Amie ^{[8]p. 210}

• daughter whose name is unrecorded. ^[11]

The 1621 peace treaty between the English settlers and the Wampanoag, renewed in 1639, lasted beyond the death of Massasoit.

"The death of Massasoit is thought to have occurred in or about the year 1661, or some forty years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Patuxet, now Plymouth. Mr. Drake, in his excellent history of the Indians, says that Massasoit was alive as late as September, 1661, and we think he must have died in the last part of that year, or very early in 1662, as in the latter year he was succeeded by Wamsutta, his son, as chief of the Wamponoags."^{[8][p. 39]}

Soon after the death of Massasoit, Wamsutta and Metacomet went to Plymouth and requested the colonists to give them English names. ^[12] The court named them Alexander and Philip. Wamsutta (King Alexander), the eldest, became sachem of the Pokanoket on the death of his father. Wamsutta died within a year, and his brother Metacomet (King Philip) succeeded him in 1662.

Massasoit was believed to be buried at Burr's Hill in Warren, Rhode Island, but over the years the burial area was vandalized and damaged by construction activity. Human remains and artifacts were removed to several museums. Under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe was able to reclaim funerary objects and remains believed to be those of Massasoit. They were reinterred at Burr's Hill on May 13, 2017.^[13]

Research Notes

The following are quotes from Drake’s 1841 “History of the Indians”:

"MASSASOIT, chief of the Wampanoags, resided at a place called Pokanoket or Pawkunuawkin, by the Indians, which is now included in the town of Bristol, Rhode Island. He was a chief renowned more in peace than war, and was, as long as he lived, a friend to the English, notwithstanding they committed repeated usurpations upon his lands and liberties.^{[14][p. 17]}

"11 December 1620, O.S., the pilgrims had arrived at Plimouth, and possessed themselves of a portion of Massasoit's country. With the nature of their proceedings, he was at first unacquainted, and sent occasionally some of his men to observe their strange motions. Very few of these Indians, however, were seen by the pilgrims. At length he sent one of his men, who had been some time with the English fishing vessels about the country of the Kennebeck, and had learned a little of their language, to observe more strictly what was progressing among the strangers at his place of Patuxet, which these intruders now called Plimouth. This was in March 1621."^{[14][p. 21]}

Sources

1. ↑ Nathaniel Morton, New England's Memorial: or, A brief relation of the most memorable and remarkable passages of the providence of God, manifested to the planters of New-England in America: with special reference to the first colony thereof, called New-Plimouth, Cambridge: Printed by S. G. and M. J. for John Usher, 1669; Digitized at archive.org name
2. ↑ Salisbury, Neal. Manitou and providence : Indians, Europeans, and the making of New England, 1500-1643. Oxford University Press, New York. 1982, p. 105
3. ↑ Bradford, William. History of 'Plimouth Plantation' digtized at: Bradford
4. ↑ Library of Congress article at treaty
5. ↑ U.S. Mint coin
6. ↑ Winslow, Edward & Bradford, William. Mourt's relation or journal of the plantation at Plymouth. London, 1622. transcript at Mourt
7. ↑ Winslow, Edward. Good newes from New-England : or, A true relation of things very remarkable at the plantation of Plimoth in New-England ... Together with a relation of such religious and civill lawes and customes, as are in practise amongst the Indians ... London, 1624. Digitized at archive.org Winslow
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Peirce, Ebenezer W. Indian History, Biography and Genealogy: Pertaining to the Good Sachem Massasoit of the Wampanoag Tribe, and His Descendants. North Abington, MA: Zerviah Gould Mitchell, 1878. Electronic copies of this source are available at Hathi Trust.
9. ↑ Morton, Nathaniel, New England's Memorial. Cambridge, 1669. Digitized at archive.org
10. ↑ Wamsutta and Metacomet are confirmed in numerous records including treaties and deeds. See The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) deeds (membership required)
11. ↑ Salisbury, Neal. Manitou and providence pp. 232-233
12. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) Digitized at names
13. ↑ Jason Daley, Massasoit, Chief Who Signed Treaty With the Pilgrims, To Be Reburied, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 April 2017
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Drake, Samuel G. The Book of the Indians; or, Biography and History of the Indians of North America, from Its First Discovery to the Year 1841. Boston: Antiquarian Bookstore, 8th Ed., 1841. Electronic copies of this source are available at The Internet Archive.

See also:

• Mann, Charles C. Native Intelligence, The Indians who first feasted with the English colonists were far more sophisticated than you were taught in school. But that wasn't enough to save them, Dec 2005. Smithosonian.com. Accessed 20 Jun 2017.

• "Wikipedia: 'Massasoit'"

• "Wikipedia: 'List of early settlers of Rhode Island'"

• "Wampanoag Tribes"

• "Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head: 'History and Culture'"

• "Wikipedia: 'Wampanoag People'"

• "Native American Nations: 'Massasoit's Children's Children'"

• "Micheline's Blog: 'King Philip’s War', by Micheline Walker; Sept. 20, 2015"

• "YouTube: 'King Philip's War'", by Anatole Brown

• Find A Grave: Memorial #226588285 'Chief 8Sâmeeqan “Massasoit” Yellow Feather'

• Wikidata: Item Q739194, en:Wikipedia

• PBS - "We Shall Remain: After the Mayflower" (Video)

• Silverman, David J. "This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving" [New York: Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., 2019], 515 pages.