This 1902 photo shows Profile Rock in Assonet, Massachusetts. The local Wampanoag believe it to be the image of Massasoit.

Massasoit Sachem or Ousamequin (c.1581-1661), ^[1] was the sachem, or leader, of the Pokanoket, and "Massasoit" of the Wampanoag Confederacy. The term Massasoit actually means Great Sachem.^{[citation needed]} 1902 postcard photo showing Profile Rock; scanned from a private collection. ... Location of Assonet. ... The Wampanoag (Wôpanâak in the Wampanoag language) are a Native American people. ... Events January 16 - English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism April 4 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. July 26 - The Northern Netherlands proclaim their independence from Spain in the Oath of Abjuration. ... 1661 (MDCLXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... A sagamore is the head of a Native American tribe. ... The Pokanoket were one of the tribes that made up the Wampanoag peoples. ... The Wampanoag (Wôpanâak in the Wampanoag language) are a Native American people. ...

Biography

Early Years

Massasoit (Ousamequin) was born circa 1581^[1] in Montaup, a Pokanoket village at the site of today's Warren and Bristol, Rhode Island.^[1] He held the allegiance of seven lesser Wampanoag sachems. Massasoit visited Plymouth in 1621 and negotiated a treaty guaranteeing the English their security in exchange for their alliance against the Narragansett. Massasoit actively sought the alliance since two significant outbreaks of smallpox brought by the English had devastated the Wampanoag during the previous six years. Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... Events January 16 - English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism April 4 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. July 26 - The Northern Netherlands proclaim their independence from Spain in the Oath of Abjuration. ... Warren is a town located in Bristol County, Rhode Island. ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Seal of Plymouth Colony Map of Plymouth Colony showing town locations Capital Plymouth Language(s) English Religion Puritan, Separatist Government Monarchy Legislature General Court History  - Established 1620  - First Thanksgiving 1621  - Pequot War 1637  - King Philips War 1675–1676  - Part of the Dominion of New England 1686–1688  - Disestablished 1691... 1621 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Tribal flag // The Narragansett tribe, or more accurately Nahahiganseck Sovereign Nation, are a Native American tribe who controlled the area surrounding Narragansett Bay in present-day Rhode Island, and also portions of Connecticut, and eastern Massachusetts. ...

He was commonly known as Massasoit, but he was called by many other names, including: Ousamequin, Woosamequin, Asuhmequin, Oosamequen, Osamekin, Owsamequin, Owsamequine, and Ussamequen.^[1]

Forging Peace

Massasoit smoking a peace pipe with Governor John Carver in Plymouth 1621.

According to English sources, Massasoit prevented the failure of Plymouth Colony and the almost certain starvation that the Pilgrims faced during the earliest years of the colony's establishment. Moreover, Massasoit forged critical political and personal ties with the colonial leaders John Carver, Stephen Hopkins, Edward Winslow, William Bradford, and Myles Standish which culminated in a negotiated peace treaty on March 22, 1621. Massasoit's alliance ensured that the Wampanoag remained neutral during the Pequot War in 1636. Unfortunately, the peaceful relationship that Massasoit had worked so diligently to create and protect had unforseen dire consequences for the Wampanoag. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2317x1725, 919 KB) Description: Massasoit and governor John Carver smoking a peace pipe Source: Sutro Library, San Francisco, USA Uploader: User:Nikater Date: 2 May 2006 Other Versions: none License status: File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2317x1725, 919 KB) Description: Massasoit and governor John Carver smoking a peace pipe Source: Sutro Library, San Francisco, USA Uploader: User:Nikater Date: 2 May 2006 Other Versions: none License status: File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link... A Lakota (Sioux) peace pipe pipestem, without the pipe itself, displayed at the United States Library of Congress A peace pipe, also called a calumet or medicine pipe, is a ceremonial smoking pipe used by many Native American tribes, traditionally as a token of peace. ... Signing of the Mayflower Compact John Carver, born c. ... Seal of Plymouth Colony Map of Plymouth Colony showing town locations Capital Plymouth Language(s) English Religion Puritan, Separatist Government Monarchy Legislature General Court History  - Established 1620  - First Thanksgiving 1621  - Pequot War 1637  - King Philips War 1675–1676  - Part of the Dominion of New England 1686–1688  - Disestablished 1691... 1621 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Seal of Plymouth Colony Map of Plymouth Colony showing town locations Capital Plymouth Language(s) English Religion Puritan, Separatist Government Monarchy Legislature General Court History  - Established 1620  - First Thanksgiving 1621  - Pequot War 1637  - King Philips War 1675–1676  - Part of the Dominion of New England 1686–1688  - Disestablished 1691... Signing of the Mayflower Compact John Carver, born c. ... Stephen Hopkins (b. ... Edward Winslow, 1651, by an anonymous artist Edward Winslow (1595–1655) was an American Pilgrim leader on the Mayflower. ... Bas-relief on Bradford Street in Provincetown depicting the signing of the Mayflower Compact William Bradford (March 19, 1590 – May 9, 1657) was a leader of the separatist settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and was elected Governor of the Colony for 15 two-year terms. ... Captain Myles Standish Kt. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1621 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Pequot War was an armed conflict in 1637 between an alliance of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies, with American Indian allies (the Narragansett, and Mohegan Indians), against the Pequot Indians. ...

Massasoit's children

During this politically promising time, Massasoit had five children: "Moanam", or Wamsutta, also known as "Alexander", who was born sometime between 1621 and 1624; Pometecomet, Metacomet, or Metacom, also known as "Philip"; a third son, Sonkanuchoo; and two daughters, one named Amie and one whose name the English failed to record. Massasoit's eldest son, Wamsutta (Alexander), became sachem of the Pokanoket on the death of his father. After the death of Wamsutta, Metacom succeeded him in 1662. Wamsutta (b. ... Metacomet (died August 12, 1676), also known as King Philip or Metacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philips War. ... A sagamore is the head of a Native American tribe. ... The Pokanoket were one of the tribes that made up the Wampanoag peoples. ... Events February 1 - The Chinese pirate Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege. ...

An uneasy alliance

After his recovery, Winslow maintained^{[citation needed]} that Massasoit now saw that "the English are my friends and love me." Moreover, Winslow also noted that Massasoit felt duty-bound to observe^{[citation needed]} that "whilst I live I will never forget this kindness they have showed me."

In 1659, Massasoit sold a tract of land to Miles Standish and others of Duxbury. // Events May 25 - Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth. ... Signing of the Mayflower Compact Myles Standish (c. ... Duxbury is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. ...

Consequences of alliance

For nearly forty years, the Wampanoag and the English of Massachusetts Bay Colony maintained an increasingly uneasy peace until Massasoit's death. Throughout this time, and in order to maintain the peace, Massasoit sold lands which the English insisted on having. A map of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Capital Charlestown, Boston History  - Established 1629  - New England Confederation 1643  - Dominion of New England 1686  - Province of Massachusetts Bay 1692  - Disestablished 1692 The Massachusetts Bay Colony (sometimes called the Massachusetts Bay Company, for the institution that founded it) was an English settlement on...

It is unclear when Massasoit died. Some accounts claim that Massasoit died as early as 1660; others contend that he died as late as 1662. Very likely, Massasoit was anywhere from eighty to ninety years old at the time. When Massasoit died, his son Wamsutta (Alexander) became his successor, but when Wamsutta also died in 1662, Metacom (Philip) succeeded him. Unfortunately, of Massasoit's five children, the only child to survive King Philip's War in 1676 was his daughter, Amie, wife of Tispaquin. // Events January 1 - Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration. ... Events February 1 - The Chinese pirate Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege. ... Events February 1 - The Chinese pirate Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege. ... Attack King Philips War was an armed conflict between Indian inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Indian allies from 1675–1676. ... The Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers (Popularly known as AMIE) is a professional certification given by Institution of Engineers(India). ...

Legacy

During his reign as grand sachem, Massasoit never permitted the Pokanoket to convert to Christianity, and with great diplomatic skill, managed to stay such efforts. Perhaps unsurprisingly however, the half century of peace that Massasoit so assiduously negotiated collapsed soon after his death. Wamsutta very likely was murdered by the English after he was summoned to Plymouth Court. Breaking with his father's diplomacy, and in response to increasing depredations into Wampanoag territory by his ally, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Wamsutta began to form an alliance with Connecticut Colony. Within a year of his succession, and almost immediately after appearing in front of the court, in 1662, Wamsutta died under extremely suspicious circumstances. Metacom, Massasoit's second son, became sachem of the Pokanoket, and chief sachem of the Greater Wampanoag Confederacy. Metacom, also known as Philip, certainly believed that Wamsutta had been treacherously murdered at the hands of the English. Wamsutta's death was one of the leading factors that eventually led to King Philip's War, the bloodiest war in American history — indeed, more so than the American Civil War in terms of lives lost proportional to population. Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Plymouth County Settled 1620 Incorporated 1620 Government  - Type Representative town meeting Area  - Town  134. ... A map of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Capital Charlestown, Boston History  - Established 1629  - New England Confederation 1643  - Dominion of New England 1686  - Province of Massachusetts Bay 1692  - Disestablished 1692 The Massachusetts Bay Colony (sometimes called the Massachusetts Bay Company, for the institution that founded it) was an English settlement on... A map of the Connecticut, New Haven, and Saybrook colonies. ... Events February 1 - The Chinese pirate Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege. ... Attack King Philips War was an armed conflict between Indian inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Indian allies from 1675–1676. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

Statues of Massasoit stand near Plymouth Rock; at the Utah state capitol building; and on the campus of Brigham Young University. Massasoit Community College and Massasoit State Park, both located in Massachusetts, are named after him. Plymouth Rock, described by some as the most disappointing landmark in America because of its small size and poor visitor access. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area  Ranked 13th  - Total 84,889 sq mi (219,887 km²)  - Width 270 miles (435 km)  - Length 350 miles (565 km)  - % water 3. ... Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is the flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church). ... Massasoit Community College is a two-year community college in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. ... Massasoit State Park is a state park located in Taunton/Lakeville, Massachusetts, U.S.A. For More Information Massasoit State Park ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Native People" (page), "Massasoit (Ousamequin) Sachem" (section), MayflowerFamilies.com, webpage: MFcom-Native.

References

• "Native People" (page), "Massasoit (Ousamequin) Sachem" (section), MayflowerFamilies.com, webpage: MFcom-Native.