May flower ALSO BY NATHANIEL PHILBRICK The Passionate Sailor Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602–1890 Abram’s Eyes: The Native American Legacy of Nantucket Island Second Wind: A Sunfish Sailor’s Odyssey In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex Sea of Glory: America’s Voyage of Discovery, the U.S Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842 VIKING Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P2Y3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi–110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), Cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books, Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England First published in 2006 by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc Copyright © Nathaniel Philbrick, 2006 Maps copyright © Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2006 All rights reserved Maps by Jeffrey L Ward Illustration credits appear at the end of this book LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Philbrick, Nathaniel Mayflower: a story of courage, community, and war / Nathaniel Philbrick p cm Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN: 978-1-1012-1883-9 Pilgrims (New-Plymouth Colony) Massachusetts—History— New-Plymouth, 1620–1691 Bradford, William, 1590–1657 Church, Benjamin, 1639–1718 I Title F68.P44 2006 973.2'2—dc22 2005058470 Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated To Melissa Contents List of Maps Preface: The Two Voyages Part I Discovery ONE They Knew They Were Pilgrims TWO Dangerous Shoals and Roaring Breakers THREE Into the Void Beaten with Their Own Rod FOUR The Heart of Winter FIVE SIX In a SEVEN Dark and Dismal Swamp Thanksgiving Part II Accommodation EIGHT NINE The Wall A Ruffling Course Part III Community TEN One Small Candle ELEVEN The Ancient Mother TWELVE The Trial Part IV War THIRTEEN FOURTEEN Kindling the Flame The God of Armies FIFTEEN In a Strange Way SIXTEEN The Better Side of the Hedge EPILOGUE Conscience Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index Picture Credits List of Maps Tracks of the Speedwell and the Mayflower, July–November 1620 Track of the Mayflower off Cape Cod, November 9–11, 1620 Tracks of the Three Exploring Expeditions, November 15–December 12, 1620 Plymouth Harbor New England, 1625–1674 Mount Hope Region, June–July 1675 Southern New England and New York during King Philip’s War, 1675–1676 Preface: The Two Voyages WE ALL WANT TO KNOW how it was in the beginning From the Big Bang to the Garden of Eden to the circumstances of our own births, we yearn to travel back to that distant time when everything was new and full of promise Perhaps then, we tell ourselves, we can start to make sense of the convoluted mess we are in today But beginnings are rarely as clear-cut as we would like them to be Take, for example, the event that most Americans associate with the start of the United States: the voyage of the Mayflower We’ve all heard at least some version of the story: how in 1620 the Pilgrims sailed to the New World in search of religious freedom; how after drawing up the Mayflower Compact, they landed at Plymouth Rock and befriended the local Wampanoags, who taught them how to plant corn and whose leader or sachem, Massasoit, helped them celebrate the First Thanksgiving From this inspiring inception came the United States Like many Americans, I grew up taking this myth of national origins with a grain of salt In their wide-brimmed hats and buckled shoes, the Pilgrims were the stuff of holiday parades and bad Victorian poetry Nothing could be more removed from the ambiguities of modern-day America, I thought, than the Pilgrims and the Mayflower But, as I have since discovered, the story of the Pilgrims does not end with the First Thanksgiving When we look to how the Pilgrims and their children maintained more than fifty years of peace with the Wampanoags and how that peace suddenly erupted into one of the deadliest wars ever fought on American soil, the history of Plymouth Colony becomes something altogether new, rich, troubling, and complex Instead of the story we already know, it becomes the story we need to know In 1676, fifty-six years after the sailing of the Mayflower, a similarly named but far less famous ship, the Seaflower, departed from the shores of New England Like the Mayflower, she carried a human cargo But instead of 102 potential colonists, the Seaflower was bound for the Caribbean with 180 Native American slaves The governor of Plymouth Colony, Josiah Winslow—son of former Mayflower passengers Edward and Susanna Winslow—had provided the Seaflower ’s captain with the necessary documentation In a certificate bearing his official seal, Winslow explained that these Native men, women, and children had joined in an uprising against the colony and were guilty of “many notorious and execrable murders, killings, and outrages.” As a consequence, these “heathen malefactors” had been condemned to perpetual slavery The Seaflower was one of several New England vessels bound for the West Indies with Native slaves But by 1676, plantation owners in Barbados and Jamaica had little interest in slaves who had already shown a willingness to revolt No evidence exists as to what happened to the Indians aboard Wessagussett settlement and ssachusetts-Bay Colony: diplomacy before King Philip’s War establishment of General Court Indian relations, see individual tribes and sachems King Philip’s War and religious dissent, intolerance of religious practice in second generation, decline in spiritual life of slavery and United Colonies of New England ssasoit alliance with the Pilgrims copper chain given to death of described diplomatic relations established with the Pilgrims First Thanksgiving and land sales name change to Usamequin Peach trial and Plymouth delegation visits, in summer of 1621 Praying Indians and the Quabaugs and Squanto and Wassagussett massacre and at wedding of William Bradford Winslow saves life of tiffs, English chlocks described her, Cotton her, Increase oonas tapoisett, village of thias (Sakonnet Indian) tocks ushop, legend of verick, Samuel yflower: arrival at Plymouth Harbor deaths departure from Plymouth describedfate of furnishing brought on Leideners on non-Separatist ( “Strangers” ) on off Cape Cod track officers and crew of passage to America passengers aboard provisioning of repairs to return to England in April 1621 sickness on tracks of, July–November 1620 transport of goods to shore see also Pilgrims; Plymouth Colony yflower Compact yflower II dfield, town of mory holes nameset, village of departure of Nipmunks from ndon, town of chant Adventurers agreement to pay, in goods chastisement of Pilgrims for their hard-heartedness disbanding of the Fortune sent by rymount acom, see Philip amora ntonomi (Narragansett sachem) dleborough, town of es, John es garrison 237 ler’s River hawks, King Philip’s War and hegans King Philip’s War and Pequot War of 1637 and nopide (Pequot Indian) nposset Pond ntauks re, Catherine re, Jasper re, Samuel re children rison, Samuel Eliot tgages rton, Nathaniel rton, Thomas seley, Captain Samuel attitude toward the Indians Bloody Brook and Great Swamp Fight and unt Hope fort built by Plymouth forces at during King Philip’s War map of region of, June–August 1675 population after King Philip’s War vulnerability of unt Hope Bay unt Hope Peninsula sale in 1680 of urt’s Relation (Bradford and Winslow) lins, Priscilla, see Alden, Priscilla Mullins lins, William linses tasket tucket Indians ragansetts defensive fort of enmity with other tribes events leading to King Philip’s War and flee to Nipmuck country Great Swamp Fight join forces with the Nipmucks King Philip’s War and -Massachusetts alliance Massasoit taken captive by Pequot War of 1637 and ive Americans of southern New England: agriculture and during American Revolution conversion to Christianity, see conversion of the Indians; Praying Indians cross-cultural trends of English and fishing grounds gravesites guns incorporated into culture of King Philip’s War and, see King Philip’s War memory holes Nashpee Revolt plague devastating, before arrival of Pilgrims previous encounters with Europeans resurgence of seasonal travels to secure food style of fighting trade, see trade war dance of warfare following King Philip’s War Wessagussett massacre, effects of wigwams see also individual tribes and sachems sets Billington boy and corn stolen on Pilgrim exploration expedition of 1620 masket, village of maskets, King Philip’s War and w Bedford, Massachusetts wcomen, John w England, maps of: Captain John Smith’s 59 southern New England during King Philip’s War w Hampshire, during King Philip’s War wman, Noah w Netherland blishment of wport, town of w York, colony of Iroquois and see also Manhattan; New Netherland ntic Indians mrod e Men’s Misery igret (Narragansett sachem) igret II mucks: King Philip’s War and -Narragansett alliance Narragansetts flee north to Nipmuck country Praying Indians spy on the Quabaugs ransoming of English captives and sue for peace sachuck sachuck Swamp mpash (Sakonnet warrior) thfield, town of akiest (sachem) Plymouth Plantation (Bradford) manuscript of repatriation of manuscript Colony Club ham, John South Church, Boston ver, Captain James co (Uncas’s son) saconaway uxet wtucket, town of ch, Arthur se Field Fight ksuot ham, Herbert ham, Penelope, see Winslow, Penelope Pelham Penacocks per, Robert uots King Philip’s War and uot War of 1637 er (Narragansett guide) er (son of Awashonks) ip Alexander’s death and appearance of assassination attempt on life of avoidance of conflict becomes supreme sachem of the Pokanokets charisma of death of hat of head of King Philip’s War, see King Philip’s War land sales and name change Nantucket Indians and reassessment of Rowlandson and Mary Rowlandson and John Sassamon and “Seat of Philip” son of wampum coat of Josiah Winslow and “Philip of Pokanoket” ce, Captain Michael emen rim Hall rim Lake rims: bicentennial of arrival in America departure from Delfshaven rims (cont ): descendants of emigration to Leiden exploration expeditions of 1620 fanaticism of First Thanksgiving land, purchases of, see land sales in Leiden meaning of “Pilgrim,” change in preparations to sail for America religious motivation of religious practice Robinson’s death, effect of Sabbath settlement site, exploration expeditions to find trade with the Indians, see trade use of force, attitude toward see also Mayflower; Plymouth Colony rim Society rim Springs moth Plantation mouth Bay mouth Colony: agriculture in becomes part of Massachusetts in 1692 births and deaths, in first year cannons for defense of Cole’s Hill conflict between Pilgrims and Strangers debt of, paying off disaffected Strangers, migration of financial backing, see Merchant Adventurers First Thanksgiving first winter first year fort, building of a Fortune ’s arrival in General Court housing Indians relations, see individual tribes and sachems King Philip’s War, see King Philip’s War land ownership and, see land sales layout of the town Leyden Street marriage as civil ceremony in Massachusetts’ plot against Wessagussett and ensuing massacre patent for punishment in religious dissent, intolerance of second generation, decline in spiritual life of settlement site today town formation andtrade, see trade United Colonies of New England wall around, building of Watson’s Hill see also Mayflower ; Pilgrims mouth Harbor Champlain’s map of fowl available in map mouth Rock asset fort built by Plymouth forces at during King Philip’s War Pocasset Swamp assets: King Philip’s War and Weetamoo, see Weetamoo (Pocasset sachem) anokets cosmology of English technology and First Thanksgiving and King Philip’s War, see King Philip’s War land sales, see land sales Narragansetts, enmity with plague affecting Squanto’s plotting and Wassagussett massacre and at wedding of William Bradford see also Alexander of Pokanoket; Massasoit; Philip ack Rip tsmouth, town of wwows (spiritual leaders or shamans) t, Phineas y, Mary ying Indians internment at Deer Island internment on Clark’s Island King Philip’s War, importance to English victory in Moseley and of Nemasket Philip’s hostility toward release from Deer Island destination nce, Thomas arrival in Plymouth death of Philip and ntice, Captain Thomas nce, Reverend Thomas ng, Martin vidence, town of vincetown Harbor exploration expeditions Mayflower anchors at second group of English settlers arriving at wer, Solomon tans beliefs of colonization of New England and conversion of the Indians English civil war and Half-Way Covenant of Massachusetts-Bay Colony, see Massachusetts-Bay Colony meaning of “Puritan,” change of Pilgrims, see Pilgrims Separatists, see Separatists chon, John baugs (subgroup of the Nipmucks) dequina kers en (Narragansett sachem) en Anne’s War nnapin (Narragansett sachem) execution of Mary Rowlandson and msden, Joseph emption Rock oboth, township of King Philip’s War and nolds, Mr (master of the Speedwell) de Island, colony of founding of de Island, colony of (cont ) King Philip’s War and see also Aquidneck Island sdales g, William inson, Isaac inson, John (minister) death of Mayflower Compact and reaction to Wessagussett massacre ers, Joseph sevelt, Franklin Delano wland (brother of John Sassamon) wlandson, John wlandson, Joseph wlandson, Mary (daughter) wlandson, Mary (mother) freed from captivity Philip and ransoming of The Sovereignty and Goodness of God wlandson, Sarah amore John amore Sam (Nipchuck Indian) Helena’s Church, Austerfield onnet onnets fate of King Philip’s War and see also Awashonks (Sakonnet sachem) moset ders, John dwich, Cape Cod ford, Peleg uish Head samon, John murder of, and ensuing trial Philip and age, Peter age, Major Thomas aghticoke, Philip’s camp at tt, Richard vy flower, xiv Venture konk Plain konk River ley, Captain Nathaniel aratists, English Scrooby congregation of see also Pilgrims on, Simeon ery Cromwell and King Philip’s War and enslavement of Indians llpox epidemic of 1634 th, Captain John map of New England th, Richard th’s garrison, Wickford plock s of Liberty th Deerfield, battle of thworth, Alice, see Bradford, Alice Southworth thworth, Constant thworth, Nathaniel thworth, Thomas ereignty and Goodness of God, The (Rowlandson) wams Indian burial ground at visits by Plymouth delegation to edwell: leaks and repairs purchase of tracks of, July–November 1620 ague, Captain ingfield, town of annakonk Swamp anto Corbitant and death of delegation to visit Massasoit in summer of 1621, guides as Dermer’s guide Indian agriculture, instructs Pilgrims on Massasoit and name of, significance of Narragansett threat and plotting for power rescue of John Billington, Jr ndish, Miles Canacum and Corbitant, mission to confront death of described exhumation of body of exploration expeditions of 1620 and first winter at Plymouth health of Hobbamock and layout of Plymouth and on the Mayflower as military leader Thomas Morton, raid to seize trading mission with the Massachusetts wall around the settlement, building of Wessagussett massacre and Wituwamat and nton, Robert bury, town of Swan ansea, town of King Philip’s War and cott, Major John nton, town of events leading to King Philip’s war and King Philip’s War and nton River (Titicut River) ft, Joshua mpest, The nksgiving established as national holiday First evish Harbor rty Years’ War mpson, Edward ey, Ann ey, Edward ey, Elizabeth, see Howland, Elizabeth Tilley ey, John kers cut River (today Taunton River) ias (senior counselor to Philip) amahamon Corbitant, mission to confront rescue of John Billington, Jr oson wn Brook n formation food shortages and fur trade, see fur trade importance of, to second generation of settlers with the Massachusetts between Merrymount and the Indians trading posts, establishment of wampum’s importance to Wessagussett massacre, effect of at, Major Robert aty Rock ner, Captain William ners paquin (Black Sachem of Nemasket) head of hus as (Mohegan sachem) King Philip’s War and ted Colonies of New England 201 razano, Giovanni da iers, Captain Alan ginia Company chusett Mountain dsworth, Captain Samuel mpanoag Homesite mpanoags establishment of legend of Maushop mpum Philip’s coat made of msutta, see Alexander of Pokanoket nnamoisett, town of rren, Elizabeth rren, Richard shington, George ts, Captain Thomas bster, Daniel etamoo (Pocasset sachem) Church and death of King Philip’s War and Mary Rowlandson and lfleet Bay ssagussett, settlement at food shortages fort built at the Massachusetts’ plot against massacre at ston, Thomas the Fortune and patent for competitive settlement Wessagussett settlement and, see Wessagussett, settlement at ymouth, town of les: Atlantic right Nantucket Indians and pilot te, John te, Peregrine te, Resolved te, Susanna as wife of Edward Winslow, see Winslow, Susanna White te, William death of kford, town of Smith’s garrison at wam or wetu, description of lard, Major Simon lett, Anna Brown lett, Hezekiah lett, Thomas land purchases trade and liam (nephew of Philip) liams, Roger founding of Rhode Island colony King Philip’s War and on land ownership observations of Pequot War of 1637 and nslow, Edward death of diplomacy of on exploration expeditions of 1620 Good Newes from New England Indian relations and Mourt’s Relation, see Mourt’s Relation (Bradford and Winslow) Oldham and portrait of saves life of Massasoit second marriage to Susanna White visits Massasoit in summer of 1621 nslow, Elizabeth death of nslow, John nslow, Josiah Alexander’s death and becomes governor of Plymouth as chief military officer of Plymouth events leading to King Philip’s War and Hungry March King Philip’s War and land purchases Philip and nslow, Penelope Pelham nslow, Susanna White nthrop, John letter of 1638 from William Bradford uwamat (Massachusett Indian) head of od, William otonekanuske (Philip’s wife) Picture Credits American Antiquarian Society:; Author’s Collection:; Collection Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), The Hague:; Fruitlands Museums, Harvard, Massachusetts:; John Carter Brown Library, Brown University:; Little Compton Historical Society, photo by Edward Denham:; Massachusetts Historical Society: end-paper,; Massachusetts State Archives—State House:; Photograph courtesy Peabody-Essex Museum:; Pilgrim Hall Museum:; Plymouth County Commissioners:; Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA): ...May flower ALSO BY NATHANIEL PHILBRICK The Passionate Sailor Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602–1890 Abram’s Eyes: The Native American Legacy of Nantucket Island Second... Spanish salt, hops, and vinegar to Norway and may even have taken the Mayflower on a whaling voyage to Greenland He and his wife, Josian, had had five children, and although he had no way of. .. Indians aboard the Seaflower, but we know that the captain of one American slave ship was forced to venture all the way to Africa before he finally disposed of his cargo And so, over a half century