"We have found the Indians very faithful in their covenant of peace with us, very loving and ready to pleasure us. We often go to them, and they come to us. And we, for our parts, walk as peaceably and safely in the wood as in the highways of England." (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 33).

Their first face-to-face encounter with an American Indian was in the spring of 1621 when two English-speaking natives, Samoset and Squanto, visited the Plymouth colony. Squanto, whom Bradford called "a special instrument sent from God for their good," instructed the Pilgrims in farming, hunting and fishing. This was life-saving, for in England they had been craftsmen and townspeople, and without these new skills, they would not have survived in the wilderness of New England.

The First Peace Treaty Signed on American Soil

Squanto also arranged a special meeting between Bradford and Massasoit, who was Chief of the Wampanoag. Massasoit arrived at the plantation with 60 of his warriors, and the Pilgrims received him with the respect they would have shown a dignitary in England.

They ushered him to a building where they seated him on a special green rug with three or four cushions. Bradford then arrived, and after exchanging cordial greetings, they had a drink together and discussed the need for friendly and mutual relations.

Bradford and Massasoit agreed on a peace treaty, promising mutual friendship and security. According to Bradford, it included the following:

That neither Massasoit nor any of his people would do harm to any of their people.

That if any Wampanoag took away anything from the Pilgrims, Massasoit would cause it to be restored, and they would do likewise.

That they would aid one another in the event of an outside attack on either.

This first American security pact opened the way for trade and free movement between the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims. Within a year, the Pilgrims had signed similar peace treaties with several other tribes. Meantime, the treaty with the Wampanoag was kept faithfully for over 50 years, until Massasoit's son, Metacom, became chief. He was better known in history by his chosen name, "King Philip."

After the treaty was signed, Massasoit returned to his place called Sowams, which was located about 40 miles from Plymouth in what would be present-day Barrington, Rhode Island. Squanto, however, remained with the Pilgrims as did Samoset, Hobomok and possibly other natives. Their assistance to the Pilgrims was invaluable, serving them as guides and interpreters and showing them how to farm, fish and hunt.

The Pilgrims Treat Native Women Fairly and Justly

Indeed, the first generation of immigrants to New England treated the indigenous people with what Dr. Samuel Eliot Morison called "a combination of justice, wisdom and mercy." Examples of this are found in the account of the unnamed Pilgrim in Mourt's Relation, which is a collection of several Pilgrim journals first published in 1622.

The unnamed Pilgrim tells of Squanto leading several of their number to the Massachusetts tribe and acting as their interpreter. The Pilgrims wanted to trade with them, especially for furs. There was a great market for beaver fur back in England, and they saw this as a way to pay off their debt to the adventurers who funded their journey. They also saw it as a way to establish friendly relations with the natives, whom they hoped to reach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Illustration: Squanto/The German Kali Works, New York - Bricker, Garland Armor/via Wikipedia)

In their journey, they came across a group of native women working with corn and wearing beaver coats. Squanto, the writer says, wanted to "rifle" the women and take their furs. "They are a bad people and have oft threatened you," he said. The Pilgrims replied, "Were they ever so bad, we would not wrong them, or give them any just occasion against us" (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 32).

They insisted that the women be offered a fair price for their furs, and Squanto complied. The women agreed to the price, removed their beaver coats and then wrapped themselves in foliage.

Obviously relieved and impressed at how they were treated, the women accompanied the Pilgrims back to their boat. Noticing how the native women were very careful to cover themselves, the writer further commented, "Indeed, they are more modest than some of our English women" (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 32).

Natives Join the First Thanksgiving

As the Pilgrims completed the final gathering of their crops that first fall in the New World, there was a sense of thankfulness in many hearts. Just a few months prior, they had been living on the edge of starvation and wondering if they would survive. Now they had plenty.

Governor Bradford, therefore, declared a certain day to be set aside as a Day of Thanksgiving in which to "rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors." Word of the event soon spread, and many of their Native American friends arrived to participate in the celebration.

Massasoit himself arrived with 90 of his people to participate in the festivities. It soon became obvious that they would need more food, so Massasoit and his men went out and killed five deer and dressed them for the feast... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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