Biography of Tisquantum ( Squanto )

Resource Sheet U2-17

Tisquantum ("Squanto")

Squanto was a Patuxet Indian, living near present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. His history picks up in 1614, when Captain John Smith arrived to map the Cape Cod area. After Smith completed exploring and mapping the area, he left, leaving behind Captain Thomas Hunt to trade with the Indians.Thomas Hunt had other plans than trade. Offering to trade beaver, Hunt lured 24 Indians onboard his ship and kidnapped them.He sailed to Spain, where he sold as many of them as he could. But when some local Friars in Spain discovered that Indians had been brought from America, they took custody of the remaining Indians, and taught them Christianity.

Somehow Squanto found passage from Spain to London, England, where he began living and working with John Slaney, most likely as an interpreter and expert on North American natural resources. He was then sent to Newfoundlandwhere he worked with Captain John Mason.

While in Newfoundland, Squanto met a ship's captain named Thomas Dermer. Dermer hoped to profit from beaver trade with the Indians of Massachusetts. This would not be possible as long as conflict between colonists and Indians remained.Dermer recognized that Squanto could act as an interpreter and peacemaker between the English and the Indians.

In 1619, Captain Dermer and Squanto set off for New England to make peace and establish trade with the Indians. Upon arriving, they discovered everyone in Squanto's town had died from a plague. Squanto made contact with Massasoit, and his brother Quadequina, the heads of the Wampanoag Confederation, and went to live with them. Dermer continued on to see if he could make peace with other Indians. He was attacked and taken captive. Squanto heard about this and came to Dermer's rescue and negotiated his freedom.

In November 1620, the Mayflower Pilgrims pulled into ProvincetownHarbor. The Pilgrims lived out of the Mayflower, and ferried inland to build their storehouses and living houses. They worked all winter, and didn't move ashore until March. During that time, they saw almost no signs of any Indians, except for a few fires burning. On March 16, they got a surprise: an Indian named Samoset walked into the Colony and welcomed them in broken English. Samoset was from an Indian group in Maine, and had picked up some English from the local fisherman. He informed them about Squanto, who could speak better English than he could.

On March 22, Squanto brought Massasoit and Quadequina to the Pilgrims’ colony. The Pilgrims used the opportunity to negotiate a peace treaty and to establish trade with the Indians.

Squanto soon became an important member of the Plymouth Colony. He translated and negotiated peace between the Pilgrims and Indian leaders. Squanto was a guide, taking the Pilgrims to various locations, and helped them establish trade. He also taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and plant corn using fish caught from the town stream as fertilizer.

But Squanto's power soon began to corrupt him. He realized the Indians feared the English, especially their guns and technology. He used this fear for his own benefit. He demanded pay to put in a good word for someone, or threatened to have the English release the plague against the Indians. Squanto even tried to trick the Pilgrims into believing that several Indian groups were plotting to attack them. But he went too far and the Pilgrims and the Indians discovered his plot.

In November 1622, Squanto's nose began to bleed. He told Governor Bradford it was a sign among the Indians of death. He asked Bradford to pray for him so that he could go to the Englishman's God in Heaven when he died, and asked Bradford to give various things as gifts to his English friends back at Plymouth. Within a few days, he died.

Excerpted and Adapted from:

2006-07U2-1