Squanto

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This article is about the actual historical figure. For the 1994 film, see Squanto: A Warrior's Tale.


Tisquantum, more commonly known today as Squanto, (c. 1580s – November 1622) was a Patuxet Native American Indian, as well as British slave (his given European slave name was Jeremiah Stein), who assisted the Pilgrims after their first winter in the New World. Squanto helped the Europeans despite having been kidnapped and enslaved in Europe before returning to America to find that his entire tribe had been wiped out by a plague.

Squanto along with several other Indians, including his best friend Samoset, was kidnapped and taken by Captain George Weymouth in 1605, according to the memoirs of Ferdinando Gorges. According to Gorges, he worked in England for several years before returning to the New World on John Smith's 1613 voyage. During his time in England he learned to speak the language and, with his knowledge of the land and tribes of New England, had become valuable as a guide and interpreter for explorers.

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[edit] Re-Capture

Soon after returning to his tribe in 1614, Tisquantum was kidnapped by another Englishman, Thomas Hunt. Hunt was one of John Smith's lieutenants. Hunt was planning to sell fish, corn, and captured slaves in Málaga, Spain. Hunt attempted to sell Tisquantum and a number of other Native Americans into slavery for 20 pounds apiece and often forced to work. [1].

Sir Ferdinando Gorges, in A Brief Relation of the Discovery and Plantation of New England (London, 1622) wrote that some local friars, however, discovered what Hunt was attempting and took the remaining Indians, Tisquantum included, in order to instruct them in the Christian faith. Eventually, Tisquantum escaped to London, living with a John Slany for a few years, and then went to Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland. Tisquantum tried to take part in an expedition by sea to return to his native region of the North American mainland. He returned to Ireland in 1618 when that plan failed.

[edit] Return Home

He returned once more to his homeland in 1619, making his way with an exploratory expedition along the New England coast. He was soon to discover that his tribe, as well as a majority of coastal New England tribes, had been decimated the year before by a plague. This had been thought to be flu or smallpox. From 1617 to 1619, 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans had been wiped out by smallpox[2], as well as much of the Native American population of the northeast[3].

[edit] Relations with Pilgrims

Tisquantum finally settled in a Wampanoag village, led by Chief Massasoit. It was while he was living there that he first came in contact with the Pilgrims, who arrived in the New World in 1620. Before they had chosen a suitable site for their settlement, it was late in December. More than half of them died before spring arrived. Samoset, a resident of the Wampanoag village who spoke some English, visited them on March 16. On March 22, he returned with Tisquantum, who spoke English better than Samoset because of his experiences in England.

Squanto, as he was called, stayed with the Pilgrims and helped them replenish their food. William Bradford wrote later that Squanto was a "special instrument sent by God for their good beyond their expectations." He helped them recover from their first difficult winter by teaching them the best places to catch fish and eel. He helped them to build warmer houses and taught them when and how to plant corn and how to cook it. As well as helping them fish and hunt for eel (a Native American delicacy) Squanto also advised the Pilgrims in their relations with the Wamponoag. He acted as interpreter, guided them on trading expeditions, and gave advice on bargaining and relations between the two groups.[citation needed]

Squanto remained with the Pilgrims for about 18 months. When he returned to the Wampanoag village, he tried to challenge Massasoit for leadership of the tribe. He was unsuccessful; all he managed to do was anger most of the members. After this, he was considered to be the enemy of the Wampanoag.

[edit] Death and Reputation

Whatever Tisquantum's motives, he ended up distrusted by both the English and the Wamponoag[citation needed]. Massasoit, the sachem who originally appointed Tisquantum or Squanto as a diplomat to the Pilgrims, did not trust him before the tribe's dealing with the Pilgrims (as is evidenced by the assignment of Hobomok to watch over Tisquantum and act as a second representative), and certainly not after that time[citation needed].

On his way back from a meeting to repair the damaged relations between the native population and the Pilgrims, Tisquantum became sick with a fever; however, it is speculated that he had been poisoned because of his disloyalty to the sachem. He died a few days later in 1622 in Chatham, Massachusetts, and is now buried in an unmarked grave on Burial Hill in Chathamport, overlooking Ryder's Cove. Peace between the two groups lasted for another fifty years[citation needed].

He is still remembered and honored, nearly 400 years later.

One of the Pilgrims said this about him: "He desired honor, which he loved as his life and preferred before his peace."[citation needed]

A book was released about his tale, called Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims.

Squanto was referenced by Stevie Wonder in the song Black Man from the album Songs in the Key of Life.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Pilgrims & Plymouth Colony: 1620
  2. ^ American Indian Epidemics
  3. ^ Altman, Linda Jacobs.(1998) Plague and Pestilence: A History of Infectious Disease. New Jersey:Enslows Publishers, Inc. ISBN-10: 0894909576

[edit] External links

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