A Tale of Two Societies: The Pilgrims and the Wampanoags at Plymouth

Matt Goerss

Boston Experiential Learning Trip, 2009

Prior to leaving for Boston, I was excited to see all of the historical sites related to the American Revolution and the birth of the United States, as well as the remnants of colonial society that still existed. I knew that no matter where I travelled in Boston and the surrounding areas, I would be standing on hundreds of years of this nation’s history. Until my visit to Plimoth Plantation, however, I had given little consideration to the history of the people who lived in Massachusetts prior to the British colonists—the American Indians. The Wampanoag site at Plimoth completely changed my perspective on my trip to Boston and the way that I processed the historical sites that I visited. My experience at Plimoth reminded me that I was standing on the history of two nations, not just one, and that Native American ties to the land and its history were just as important to consider as the ties of this nation’s founders.

Two documents illustrate the dual nature of the history surrounding the Boston area. The treaty that the British colonists made with the Wampanoag Indians in 1621, as detailed in William Bradford’s 1650 journal about Plymouth, serves as an example of the intent of the colonists in dealing with the Indians, while also showing how the British saw themselves as superior to the natives (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pgc.asp?page=mod/1650bradford.html). On the other hand, a speech given in 1675 by the Wampanoag leader Metacom illustrates the less-than-honorable intentions of the British and the negative impact that colonization had on native life (http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/educators/wampanoag/html/w-metacm.htm). Together, these documents serve as a reminder of the importance of Indian contributions to early American society, as well as the struggles that they faced against the British and the American government after independence.

Document 1: 1621 Treaty with the Wampanoag Indians

This document is included in a 1650 journal entry by Massachusetts governor William Bradford. Bradford came to Massachusetts on the Mayflower in 1620 and was one of the original Puritan settlers of the colony. The treaty itself was made in 1621, the year after the Pilgrims arrived, and it lists six terms agreed to by the colonists and the Wampanoags to maintain peace in the colony. Most of the terms attempt to prevent conflicts between the groups, and they lay out the consequences that would result if the treaty was not followed. The treaty, and Bradford’s account of its signing, portrays a peaceful relationship between the colonists and the Indians, which helped the British to learn about the land and farming techniques. The image evoked by this treaty is that of the mythical first Thanksgiving, during which the Pilgrims and the Indians sat down together in peace to celebrate the fruits of their harvest. Bradford does not discuss the tragedies that befell the Native Americans in Massachusetts as a result of colonization and British takeover of native lands.

Document 2: 1675 Speech by the Wampanoag Leader, Metacom

Metacom gave this speech in 1675 after he led the Wampanoag Indians in an attack against the British in Massachusetts. Metacom was the son of the Massasoit, the Wampanoag leader at the time of the British arrival in Massachusetts. This speech lists the grievances that the Wampanoags had against the British, who were attempting to take the remaining Indian lands in the colony. In contrast to Document 1, this speech illustrates the true intentions of the British in the colonies, as well as the impact that British actions had on Indian life. Metacom’s speech is aimed at the British colonists who have wronged the Wampanoags and have destroyed their way of life by cheating them out of their land and disrespecting their customs.

The experiences from my trip to the Wampanoag site at Plimoth Plantation help to clarify the impact that colonization had on the natives who lived in Massachusetts. The site at Plimoth is designed to show not only how the Wampanoags lived in the seventeenth century, but also to illustrate their customs as they exist today. The impact of colonization on the Wampanoags was clearly evident as I walked through the site and talked with the Indians there. It became clear to me that Metacom’s list of grievances against the colonists barely scratches the surface of the impact that both the British and later the Americans have had on native cultures. While the colonists may have claimed that they wanted to exist peacefully with the Indians, they had little respect for the cultures of Native Americans and did not understand the ties between the Indians and the land on which they lived.

Metacom’s speech can also be seen in the context of later actions that have been taken by the American government against native groups. While the colonists took advantage of the Indians to gain control of the land, the actions of the American government have further exacerbated the separation of Native Americans from their cultures. The Wampanoags at Plimoth spoke of how the U.S. government has refused to recognize the Wampanoags as an official Indian nation unless they relinquished any claims to the land on which they once lived. In many ways, this recent “bargain” developed by the U.S. government mirrors the ways in which the Wampanoags originally lost their land to the colonists in the 1670s.

I would use these documents in the classroom in two ways. First, these documents would be useful in teaching about early colonial American history. Most American history textbooks give little mention to the Native Americans who were displaced by the colonists and, if Indians are mentioned, they are not discussed in a positive manner. Metacom’s speech presents a piece of colonial history from the Indian perspective, and it enables students to understand that a sophisticated culture existed in the United States when the British arrived. While the story of the first Thanksgiving paints a romantic picture of relations between the colonists and the Indians, as outlined in the treaty between the colonists and the Wampanoags, students must understand that the reality of colonist-Indian relations was much harsher.

Second, these documents would be worthwhile to examine when discussing current relations between Native American groups, the American government, and American society as a whole. Throughout history, many Americans have viewed Native Americans as a “vanishing race” that have failed to adapt to new ways of living brought about first by the colonists and later by Americans moving westward. The Wampanoag site at Plimoth, however, clearly showed that native life and culture has changed and adapted to more modern ways of living. The Wampanoags at Plimoth were quick to point out their battles with the U.S. government to be recognized as an official Native American group, as well as their quest to regain their past history. Both the 1621 treaty with the Wampanoags and Metacom’s list of grievances against the colonists can give students a greater understanding of the origins of present-day controversies and problems involving the relationship between Native Americans and Americans who have taken native lands.

These documents, along with my experience at Plimoth, serve as an example of the importance of Native American groups to the Boston area. While I had not given much consideration to the influence of native cultures in Boston, I now have a greater appreciation for the contributions that nations like the Wampanoags have made and a new perspective on the history that Boston has to offer.