Straight from the Source Close Readings for Elementary Social Studies

A Pilgrim’s Journal That Describes Wampanoag Trade and Subsistence (1622)

Grade Level: 3

MA Standards: Identify the Wampanoag and their leaders at the time the Pilgrims arrived, and describe their way of life.

Common Core Standards: Rl3.2, RI 3.8, W3.3

Image Source: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University

Abstract:

Students read the first-person account of a journey into Wampanoag territory by Pilgrim settler Edward Winslow. In the passage students observe the abundant resources that Native people utilized from the marshes, coasts and forests of southern New England , the artifacts they created, and the forms of production in which they engaged. Students also consider cultural contact and exchange between Native Americans and English colonists in the seventeenth century. They map the journey and visit an online gallery of Wampanoag artifacts, gaining visual reinforcement for the written text. Writing prompts are provided for the Common Core text types, as well as an accompanying academic vocabulary list. Straight from the Source: Pilgrim's Journal Describing Wampanoag Life

Rationale and Source Context:

The Wampanoag people of southeastern Massachusetts were part of the larger family of Algonquian peoples of the Northeast. For millennia Wampanoags inhabited the woodland and coastal areas of southern New England, sustaining themselves by drawing upon the rich natural resources of the region. In the centuries preceding European contact, stable agriculture allowed these communities to flourish. Women worked in groups to cultivate communally-held lands; men augmented and diversified the food supply through hunting and fishing. Indian corn (maize) was their staple crop, supplemented by beans, squash and other vegetables.

The economic and social life of indigenous people was complex but carefully balanced, involving networks of trade and reciprocity with kin and neighbors, seasonal adaptations and migrations, and the development of stabilizing political alliances.

The arrival of Europeans disrupted these sustainable patterns and permanently altered indigenous ways of life in southern New England. Native Americans initially welcomed as trading partners the small parties of French, Dutch and English men that began to explore the eastern coastline in the early 1600s. Early European traders sought furs and fish, profitable commodities in European markets; later, competition for ever greater quantities of trade goods altered patterns of Indian subsistence and led to scarcity. The early explorers also spread deadly European diseases that decimated the lives and social structure of native New England communities.

The English men and women who arrived beginning in the second decade of the seventeenth century posed a different type of threat. With their desire for land and their plans for permanent colonization, they threatened the foundations of indigenous societies in the eastern United States, societies already weakened by the devastation of epidemic disease. Within a few generations, this clash of intentions would lead to the violence of King Philip’s War, with drastic consequences for Wampanoag communities.

This document, an excerpt from Edward Winslow’s “A Journey to Packanokik, the Habitation of the Great King Massasoit” published in 1622, belongs to the early era of cautious cooperation between English settlers and Wampanoag people in southern Massachusetts. (It is one piece of a longer account of Plymouth’s first years published as Mourt’s Relation). Winslow was a Pilgrim Separatist and a leading figure in the fledgling colony at Plymouth. In the early summer of 1621 Winslow and another Plymouth colonist were sent on a diplomatic mission to meet with Massasoit in his own base of influence, near modern-day Middleborough, Massachusetts. Massasoit was an influential leader, or sachem, who commanded the loyalty of many, though not all, Wampanoag people. On this journey the English men were accompanied by Tisquantum or Squanto, the English-speaking Wampanoag man, earlier sold into slavery by English traders, whose assistance had saved the Plymouth colony from mass starvation in the first winter. Winslow’s account of the journey culminates with a riveting description of the delegation’s successful discussion with Massasoit.

Along the way, Winslow’s group interacts with numerous Wampanoag men and women involved in day-to-day activities, and it is these passages on which we focus here. These chance encounters, described in some detail by Winslow, tell historians much about the daily lives of Wampanoag Straight from the Source: Pilgrim's Journal Describing Wampanoag Life people. Winslow’s account also portrays settler and Native interactions during the early years of English colonization.

Students can read this passage to identify the abundance of resources that Native people utilized from the marshes, coasts and forests, the artifacts they created, and the forms of production in which they engaged (roasting shellfish, grinding corn, baking corn meal into cakes, and making baskets are all examples). They might also consider the reciprocity of these cultural exchanges. The Plymouth travelers were reliant upon native people for food, water and shelter. Wampanoags likewise recognized the value in the resources that the English brought to these encounters (glass beads for ornamentation, and English firearms, for instance).

Still, it is important not to over-read the cordiality of these interchanges. Wampanoag people in this era embraced a path of diplomacy and constructive engagement with the newcomers, but one wonders if the “joy” Winslow reads into their greeting may have been more imagined than real. English people, in turn, were capable of extending civility to their neighbors, but their guns were ready any time they felt threatened. And Winslow’s constant use of the descriptor “savages” reminds us that white people’s racialized hierarchy and profound belief in native inferiority undergirded all their actions. (The threat of English violence and the use of racist language are both apparent in the original text supplied for the teacher, but not in the grade-level adapted text.)

Finally, this reading provides an opportunity to talk with students about the limitations of historical primary sources. There are no written records that describe these early interactions between English and Wampanoag people from a Wampanoag point-of-view. Historians must rely instead on the written accounts of English people describing the social, political and economic patterns of Wampanoag life and their apparent responses to English newcomers. How might the document have been different if it were written by those on the other side of this cultural exchange?

Original Source: The Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in New England, in 1620; reprinted from the original volume. NY: John Wiley Publisher, 1848, pp. 67-74.

Google E-book:

http://books.google.com/books/about/The_journal_of_the_Pilgrims_at_Plymout

h.html?id=xpM-AAAAYAAJ

Text Complexity (Grade-Level Edited Text)*

Lexile ATOS Degrees of Flesch-Kincaid Reading Power 750L NA 51 4.3

*Two versions of the source are presented here: the original text and a grade-level edited text. The readability measures listed here refer to the grade-level edited version of the text, not the original text.

Straight from the Source: Pilgrim's Journal Describing Wampanoag Life

Suggested Guidance for Teaching Close Reading of Text with Accompanying Materials

Pre-Reading 1. Before reading the text, students will need basic familiarity with the early history of Massachusetts and the initial encounters between Wampanoag and English settlers. Any of the excellent picture books in our “additional resources” section could serve this purpose, or these books could supplement your school’s social studies textbook. 2. Establish students’ understanding of key social science vocabulary for this activity. Ask them to explain what natural resources are; brainstorm several examples as a group. Ask them what artifacts are; again, brainstorm examples. 3. Have students read the text independently and annotate for understanding.

1st Reading: 4. Focus on these questions for the first reading of the text: Key Ideas and a. Do you think the Plymouth settlers were familiar with the land Details they were traveling through? What words in the text helped you decide your answer? b. Make a list of natural resources that the author noticed Wampanoag people were using. Based on this list, what is one thing you can infer about the geography or environment where these Wampanoag people lived? c. The text mentions several artifacts that Wampanoag people made. (Artifacts are usable objects made by humans.) Identify two or three artifacts from the text. How or why was each one helpful or important to Wampanoag people? d. Based on paragraphs two and five, would you conclude that Wampanoag people were helpful to the English visitors they met this day? Point to the evidence that helped you decide your answer.

2nd Reading: 5. Focus on these questions for the second reading of the text: Craft and e. Writers today typically use adjectives or emotion words to Structure describe how people feel. But action words (verbs) can also help us know what a person feels. Find an action word in the text that hints at a feeling. What feeling do you think it shows? (For example, “they complained that the crows caused damage to their corn crop”; this action word shows that they felt frustrated.)

3rd Reading: 6. Focus on these questions for the third reading of the text: Integration of f. Why would Wampanoag people in the 1600s consider an English Knowledge and bead bracelet to be valuable? What makes an object valuable? Ideas Can you think of something that was valuable to you but not to somebody else? g. On the course of this journey, what kind of help did the English colonists need from the Wampanoags? What kind of help did the Wampanoags ask from the English? Whom do you think needed more help, and why did you reach that conclusion? Straight from the Source: Pilgrim's Journal Describing Wampanoag Life

Post-Reading 7. Use this modern map to show the relationship of Plymouth and Middleboro, the start and end points of Winslow’s journey, and their locations in eastern Massachusetts: http://goo.gl/maps/JUiwz Students can do a Google Map search to find how far Winslow and his companions walked; they can check Winslow’s estimate of the distance against their finding. See if they can calculate how long it would take them to walk this distance! 8. Have students explore this webpage from Plimoth Plantation: https://www.plimoth.org/learn/collections-archaeology/wampanoag- collections. It exhibits Wampanoag artifacts found by archaeologists in southeastern Massachusetts. Ask your students to decide if any of the artifacts match those they read about in Winslow’s account, or if they correspond to any of the activities he describes. 9. Maize or corn was an important staple food for Native New Englanders and for many other indigenous groups of the continent. Read these recipes with your students to learn some of the ways that Wampanoag people prepared ground corn: https://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/recipes#wampanoag If you can share or prepare food in your classroom, students can do a hands- on cooking activity.

Writing 10. (Informative/Explanatory) This text is written by an English colonist Prompts from Plymouth colony. It describes events the way an English person saw them. Retell the story of Winslow’s journey (or one paragraph/incident from his account) through the eyes of a Wampanoag person.

Straight from the Source: Pilgrim's Journal Describing Wampanoag Life

Key Vocabulary

Tier 2 journey (n.) travel from one place to another inhabitants (n.) people who live permanently in a place crop (n.) plants that are grown to be harvested admire (v.) to respect or think very highly of spy/spied (v.) to catch sight of fetch (v.) to go after and bring back

Tier 3 Wampanoag (n.) Native people of today’s Massachusetts and people Rhode Island, with 67 villages making up the Wampanoag Nation in the 1600s Massasoit (n.) leader (“Great Sachem”) of the Wampanoags in the early 1600s when English colonists first came maizium/maize (n.) corn shad fish (n.) type of ocean fish that swims up many American rivers to lay eggs, which are valued as rare and pleasing to eat Narragansett (n.) an Algonquian Native American tribe from Indian today’s Rhode Island

Straight from the Source: Pilgrim's Journal Describing Wampanoag Life

Additional Resources:

For Young People:

Burgan, Michael. Voices from Colonial America: Massachusetts, 1620-1776. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2005. Rossi, Ann. Cultures Collide: Native American and Europeans, 1492-1700. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2004. Sewall, Marcia. The Pilgrims of Plimoth. New York: Aladdin, 1986. Sewall, Marcia. People of the Breaking Day. New York: Aladdin, 1997. Sewall, Marcia. Thunder from the Clear Sky. New York: Aladdin, 1995. Water, Kate. Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times. New York: Scholastic, 1996.

For Teacher Background:

Bain, Angela, & et al. “Native Peoples in New England.” http://www.americancenturies.mass.edu/classroom../curriculum_6th/lesson2/bkgdessay.ht ml Plimoth Plantation Educational Materials. People of the East: 17th Century Wampanoag Life. Plimoth Plantation. Wampanoag Homesite and Frequently Asked Questions, http://www.plimoth.org/what-see-do/wampanoag-homesite Salisbury, Neal. Manitou and Providence: Indians, Europeans, and the Making of New England, 1500- 1643. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982.

Grade-Level Edited Text

A Journey to Packanokik By Edward Winslow November 27, 1775

1 We set forward the tenth of June about 9 o’clock in the morning. We planned to rest that night at Namaschet, a town ruled by Massasoit. We thought it would be very near, but we found it was some fifteen English miles away.

2 We came there about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The Wampanoag inhabitants entertained us with joy in the best manner they could. They gave us a kind of bread they called Maizium [maize], and the spawn [eggs] of shad fish. They collected the fish eggs in such abundance that they gave us spoons to eat them. These fish they boiled with musty acorns. But we ate the shads heartily.

3 After this the Wampanoags asked one of our men to shoot at a crow. They complained that the crows caused much damage to their corn crop. Our man shot his gun. He killed or scared away some eighty birds. The Wampanoags much admired his shooting.

4 But to return to our journey, the next morning we broke our fast, took our leave and departed. We were accompanied by about six Wampanoag men.

5 Passing on further, one of the Indians in our group spied an Indian man. He told the rest of us. We asked the Wampanoags if they feared these people. They told us that if they were Narragansett Indian men they would not trust them…The Wampanoags called out to the stranger. He proved to be a friend, accompanied by two women. Their baskets were empty, but these people fetched water in their bottles for us to drink. We drank with them and departed.

Grade-Level Edited Text

6 After that we met another man with two other women. They had been at a gathering place by the salt water. Their baskets were full of roasted crab fishes and other dried shellfish. They shared with us, and we ate and drank with them. Then we gave each of the women a string of beads and departed.

Source: The Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in New England, in 1620; reprinted from the original volume. NY: John Wiley Publisher, 1848, pp. 67-74. Google E-book: http://books.google.com/books/about/The_journal_of_the_Pilgrims_at_Plymouth.html?id=xpM-AAAAYAAJ Original Text

A Journey to Packanokik By Edward Winslow

1 We set forward the tenth of June, about 9 o’clock in the morning, resolving that night to rest at Namaschet, a town under Massasoit, and conceived by us to be very near, but we found it to be some fifteen English miles.

2 Thither we came about 3 o’clock after noon, the inhabitants entertaining us with joy in the best manner they could, giving us a kind of bread called by them Maizium and the spawn of shads[type of fish], which they got in abundance, in so much as they gave us spoons to eat them; with these they boiled musty acorns, but of the shads we ate heartily.

3 After this they desired one of our men to shoot at a crow, complaining what damage they sustained in their corn by them. Shooting some four score off and killing, they much admired it.

4 But to return to our journey, the next morning we broke our fast, took our leave and departed, being then accompanied with some six savages*.

5 Passing on at length, one of the company, an Indian, espied a man and told the rest of it. We asked them if they feared any; they told us that if they were Narrohigganset men they would not trust them, whereat we called for our pieces[guns] and bid them not to fear; for though they were twenty, we two alone would not care for them. But they hailing him, he proved a friend, and had only two women with him. Their baskets were empty, but they fetched water in their bottles, so that we drank with them and departed.

Original Text

6 After we met another man with other two women, which had been at Randevow[rendezvous, or a gathering] by the salt water. Their baskets were full of roasted crab fishes and other dried shell fish, of which they gave us, and we ate and drank with them; and gave each of the women a string of beads and departed.

*Editor’s Note: English men and women in this historical period frequently used the term “savage” to refer to Native American inhabitants of the new world. It is a derogatory term that shows the English considered Native Americans to be inferior and uncivilized people.