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Period: 1400 to 1492
ISOLATION OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Native Americans have not been exposed to diseases from Europe, Asia and Africa. -
1492
THE MAYFLOWER
Christopher Columbus lands in North America and brings with him diseases to which the Native American have no immunity. -
Period: 1492 to
DISEASE OVERCOMES NATIVE AMERICANS
By the time the Pilgrim Settlers arrived in 1620, 90% of the Native Americans have died from diseases brought by the Europeans and the Wampanoag Tribe were struggling to defend themselves from a nearby tribe the Narragansett. -
PILGRIMS ARRIVE IN PLYMOUTH
The Wampanoag Tribe first met the English Pilgrims late in the year 1621. The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to create a colony called New Plymouth which was in what is now called Massachusetts. Some Pilgrims came ashore and immediately chased several Wampanoags and their dog into the woods until it became dark and the Pilgrims had to give up the chase. -
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
Both the Native Americans and the Europeans have a long tradition of celebrating a successful harvest with a big feast. In 1621, the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims had their first Thanksgiving together, which lasted three days, to celebrate their harvest after suffering through a year of terrible sickness and lack of food. The Pilgrims were a people of strong Christian faith so giving thanks to God was an important part of their celebration. -
FIRST PROPER MEETING BETWEEN WAMPANOAGS AND PILGRIMS
On March 16, 1622, one member of the Wampanoag Tribe who could speak broken English came to the Pilgrim's camp. He explained that the camp used to be called Patuxet but 4 years earlier all the people that lived there died from a plague. The man returned to the camp a few days later with 5 additional members of his tribe and they sang and danced as the Pilgrims entertained them. -
TENSION BUILDS AS DISEASE CONTINUES TO SPREAD
Unfortunately, in 1634 the English disease smallpox spread to the Wampanoag tribe. The Pilgrims came to help take care of them but many still died. A few years later it was obvious that there were many more Pilgrims and not that many Wampanoags. This furthered tension between the two group’s alliance as the Wampanoags were way outnumbered by the Pilgrims. -
TENSION LEADS TO VIOLENCE
In 1674, things worsened when a Wampanoag man was found dead in a frozen pond. Some of the Wampanoags accused a Pilgrim of killing the man. Later a member of the Wampanoag Tribe was shot and killed while robbing a Pilgrim’s house which led to the murder of the Pilgrim who shot him and five other men. The two groups’ relationship was never the same again.
