Mayflower: Question 5

Discuss the character of Squanto. How did the strengths and weaknesses of his personality end up influencing history, and why did this one man make such a difference?

Squanto was a Native American who had been captured in a raid by Europeans, and had actually lived in continental Europe for several years. Thus, he learned English, and eventually was able to sail back across to the New World. There, he discovered that his original village had been completely decimated by diseases, probably smallpox.

Squanto was an opportunistic character, so it should come as no surprise that he was a major figure in the early years of the Plymouth colony. On one hand, Squanto appears heroic to the Pilgrims. He showed them planting techniques that were vital to the Pilgrims' survival in the early years. Also, he was valued as an interpreter between Massasoit and the colony. However, as time went on, Squanto lost the trust of both the Pokanokets and the colonial leaders. Perhaps due to remorse at the way his home was destroyed, Squanto's real goal was to gain power in the area. This he accomplished by playing off of the Pokanokets' and the Pilgrims' mutual fears and uncertainties of attack. Squanto nearly succeeded in tricking the Pilgrims into believing that the Pokanokets were joining forces with the larger Narragansetts, and triggering an attack, but ultimately, a combination of luck and coincidence caused the Pilgrims to realize the false alarm. In the aftermath, Massasoit called for the execution of Squanto, who had obviously attempted to backstab the Pokanokets, but Bradford continued to hesitate, realizing how essential his interpreter was in dealings with the Indians. Eventually Squanto died of disease, nearly disrupting the entire power landscape of New England.

In summary, Squanto basically had the best of both worlds. He was naturally an Indian, but was thoroughly immersed in the English language and culture, and so could influence both the Plymouth colony and the Pokanoket society. Unfortunately for him, he was seen as an outsider for the same reasons, and so could not gain a foothold that he desperately needed in his quest to become a powerful sachem.