(1590?–1661). In the early 17th century Massasoit was the chief of the Wampanoag Indians, who lived on the land that is now Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Throughout his life he worked to maintain peaceful relations with the English settlers who established Plymouth Colony on his tribe's land. Massasoit was born in about 1590. Little is known about his early life. By the time the English Pilgrims came to Wampanoag territory in 1620, he was a powerful Indian leader with many followers. But his people were weakened by European diseases and threatened by the rival Narraganset tribe. In March 1621 Massasoit and several other Wampanoag, including Squanto and Samoset, visited the Pilgrims' settlement. Hoping to make a trading alliance with the newcomers, Massasoit extended his friendship. He negotiated a peace treaty with the English that he followed until his death. He also encouraged his people to show the settlers how to farm, fish, and hunt. Without his help the Pilgrims might not have been able to establish a permanent colony. To show their gratitude to Massasoit, the English invited him and about 90 other Wampanoag to a great feast in 1621. The event is now celebrated as the first Thanksgiving. The English also helped nurse Massasoit through a serious illness in the winter of 1623. The colonial governor was said to have traveled several miles through the snow to deliver nourishing broth to the chief. Despite Massasoit's efforts to keep the peace, the relationship between the Wampanoag and the English grew strained. Later colonists did not follow Massasoit's treaty and took over more and more Indian land. Soon after Massasoit's death in 1661, the tension reached a boiling point. In 1675 Massasoit's son Metacom (called King Philip by the English) decided to drive the English from Wampanoag territory by force. King Philip's War proved a disaster for his tribe. Defeated by the English, the Wampanoag population was nearly wiped out during the fighting. |