Tisquantum, better known by his English name Squanto, was an American Indian guide and interpreter who was essential to the survival of the Plymouth colonists in their first years in the New World. A member of the Patuxet tribe, Squanto was kidnapped in 1614 by Englishman Thomas Hunt, a lieutenant under Captain John Smith.
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In 1621, Squanto served as guide and translator for Stephen Hopkins and Edward Winslow during a diplomatic conference with the Wampanoag chief Massasoit, and he later returned to the tribe to gather information on the rebel leader Corbitant. During this second mission, he was captured and briefly imprisoned, and Miles Standish led a ten-man team to rescue the vitally important interpreter. Unfortunately, Squanto’s dealings with the two groups of people eventually led him to be distrusted by both parties, and Massasoit even assigned a second Indian to represent the settlers.
Squanto’s time in the colony was short-lived, and in 1622, while on his way back from a meeting with the Wampanoag, he fell ill with fever. Some speculate that the tribe may have poisoned him in their distrust; regardless, Squanto died a few days later, and his passing was a great loss for the Pilgrims who had come to rely greatly on the Native American.
Born. | |
Captured by Thomas Hunt and brought to Spain. | |
Rescued by Spanish friars and escaped to England. | |
Attempted to sail to New England but was unsucessful. | |
Returned to America as part of an exploratory expedition. | |
Joined the Pilgrims in Plymouth, where he helped them survive their first winter. | |
Served as translator during peace dealings between the English and the Wampanoag. | |
Fell ill with fever and died. |
New England Indians in | Indian History for Young Folks by Francis S. Drake |
New England Indians in | Indian History for Young Folks by Francis S. Drake |
The Mayflower in | Story of the Thirteen Colonies by H. A. Guerber |
Squanto in | Stories of the Pilgrims by Margaret B. Pumphrey |
Image Links | ||
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![]() Welcome, Englishmen.' in Indian History for Young Folks |
Squanto Catching Eels in A First Book in American History |
Military advisor to the Plymouth colony. Arrived on the Mayflower. | |
Governor of the Plymouth Colony of Pilgrims. Wrote the Mayflower Compact. | |
Adventurer, leader and early settler at Jamestown. Befriended Pocahontas. |