Massasoit
c. 1580
Pokanoket, near present-day Bristol, Rhode Island
1661
Rhode Island
Wampanoag tribal leader
" . . . not only the greatest King amongst them called Massasoit, but also all the Princes and people round about us, have either made suit unto us, or been glad of any occasion to make peace with us. . . . "
Plymouth Colony governor William Bradford.
Massasoit was a Native American leader who worked to maintain friendly relations with English settlers in the early seventeenth century. He is also believed to have taken part in what has become known as the first Thanksgiving. While it is true that Massasoit strove for good relations with the Europeans, his story is more complicated than schoolbooks have led generations of Americans to believe. Massasoit maintained his treaty with the settlers even after a majority of Native Americans began to resist the colonists' expansion. As a result, he was criticized by other Native Americans for giving up too much in return for personal power and prestige.
Rules Wampanoags
From his home village of Pokanoket, near present-day Bristol, Rhode Island, Massasoit ruled the Wampanoags and a number of related tribes in southeastern New England. Little is known about Massasoit except that he was physically strong and, when conversing with the settlers, was "grave of countenance and spare of speech"—in other words, he was serious-looking and chose his words carefully.
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