Ghosts of Thanksgiving

[f.Channell]

We are all aware of Massasoit, Sachem of the Wampanoag people who was invited to the first thanksgiving feast. He was vital in the success of the pilgrim settlement of Plymouth. Moving forward to the 1670's we encounter a very different relationship. Metacomet the son of Massasoit, otherwise known as King Phillip would lead a war between the natives and white settlers which would produce a larger loss of life per thousand than any war to follow. Yes a higher death toll than the Civil war or WWII.
The death toll was on both sides of course.

Now just a hardly mentioned footnote of history.

F.

[f.Channell]

Anawan rock is a site I often visited when driving down route 44.
There was something odd about this place, I never felt alone there, expecting to find someone else walking around.
It was here Anawan, brother in law of Metacomet surrendered to Church and after a promise of safe conduct to Plymouth, was betrayed and beheaded in Plymouth.
Strange to find a large rock in the middle of a dense swamp, od to later find out the place is believed haunted by spirits, who can blame them?

f.

[f.Channell]

While travelling west on route 2 this past summer I came upon a marker on the side of the road which drew my attention.
Route 2 is a great ride and I take it often to enter southern Vermont.
That day I found myself standing at another site which should be haunted by the Ghosts of Thanksgiving if it's not. It must have been a site of tremendous horror and loss of humanity.
This site tells the story well.
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.r ... sacre.html

F.

[f.Channell]

So far we've seen the Amerindians not doing so well.
Not so with the Battle of Bloody Brook. Here the Amerindians surprised a group of 80 soldiers and after the smoke cleared only 6-7 survived.


http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.r ... odybr.html

[f.Channell]

within a year of the start of the fighting.
Mendon
Brookfield
Lancaster
Deerfield
Northfield
Wrentham
Worcester
Groton
Rehoboth
Middleboro
Dartmouth
Completely destroyed and burned to the ground.
Other towns survived with huge losses of life.
They owed their survival to Garrison houses. Some of these houses survive
survive in New England today.

[f.Channell]

Weapons technology

The English settlers depended on farming and livestock primarily for their food. The natives left farming to their women and were primarily hunters and fishermen. So when the flintlock rifle was invented the natives warriors quickly embraced the weapon and purchased it. The settlers saw no reason to as their matchlock rifles were still good enough. The indians were by this time capable of repairing their own weapons and forges were discovered at places such as Turners falls (discusssed earlier). But gunpowder production was still not available in North America.
Clubs, tomahawks and knives were close quarter weapons, as were swords for the English. There may have been some English armor as well.

[f.Channell]

War club at the Fruitlandsmuseum in harvard Mass.

[f.Channell]

Matchlock rifle load and fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ynEquVa ... re=related

[f.Channell]

Flintlock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_VXPT7m ... re=related

[Halford]

Great photos,great history. But, there are other things to consider here and do not get confused by modern political boundaries and the like. All this happened BEFORE there was a UNITED STATES,which happens to be in NORTH AMERICA. We are not just Americans, we are, if we are, CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. We tend to blur such distinctions for various reasons. The STATES were exactly that; independent states, with their own government, currency, laws(think the so-called 'blue laws,which had a purpose that we have forgotten) and so forth as well as how counties, shires, townships,etc were set up. Our memories are short and peculiar, narrow and confined. Keep up the good work. I shall try to add more to this topic when I can find, if ever I can, time to do so.

[f.Channell]

People tend to ignore what happened between the time the Pilgrims came (ignoring Quebec, Jamestown) etc... like 150 years can be explained in a sentence or two.
Do you know how many people visit the Mayflower near me in Plymouth and ask why it has a British flag and not an American one? LOL....
Same true between the Revolution and Civil War. WWI also tends to lose out between the more popular Civil War and WWII. The men of King Phillips War are of course the grandfathers of those in the Revolution. To me the birth of the United States is just another dot on the timeline of North America. And yes I agree all the States certainly had very independent thought and governments. We won the Revolution in part because of the knowledge gained from fighting the native peoples in the many battles prior to the Revolution.
Actually reading up on the Halifax explosion right now, have to get back to King Phillips War soon.

F.

[mcufoer]

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[Gene DeMambro]

This is what I love about living in Massaachusetts (of Virginia, for that matter) - there is an over 400 year old history to draw from!

Gene

[MikeK]

One quick correction, the "Civil War" should be called the War Between the States, or more accurately The War of Northern Aggression.
Southern Mike

[f.Channell]

You talking about the "Rebellion" Mike?

And remember who attacked Fort Sumter.........