Page 3 Sources

O. John Smith’s Pocahontas meeting

Version 1

[The emporer] kindly welcomed me with such good words, and great Platters of sundry Victuals, assuring me his friendship, and my liberty within four days….He asked me the cause of our coming….He demanded why we went further with our Boat ….He promised to give me Corn , Venison, or what I wanted to feed us... he sent me home, with 4 men: one that usually carried my Gown and Knapsack after me, two other loaded with bread, and one to accompany me.

O. Version 2

At his entrance before the king, all the people gave a great shout. The queen of Appamatuck was appointed to bring him water to wash his hands, and another brought him a bunch of feathers, instead of a towel to dry them... two great stones were brought before Powhatan: then as many as could laid hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beat out his brains, the king's dearest daughter, when no entreaty could prevail, got his head in her arms, and laid her own upon his to save him from death: whereat the Emperor was contented he should live.

Q. Constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy: Rights of the People of the Five Nations

93. Whenever a specially important matter or a great emergency is presented before the Confederate Council and the nature of the matter affects the entire body of the Five Nations, threatening their utter ruin, then the Lords of the Confederacy must submit the matter to the decision of their people and the decision of the people shall affect the decision of the Confederate Council. This decision shall be a confirmation of the voice of the people.

94. The men of every clan of the Five Nations shall have a Council Fire ever burning in readiness for a council of the clan. When it seems necessary for a council to be held to discuss the welfare of the clans, then the men may gather about the fire. This council shall have the same rights as the council of the women.

96. All the Clan council fires of a nation or of the Five Nations may unite into one general council fire, or delegates from all the council fires may be appointed to unite in a general council for discussing the interests of the people.

R. Thanksgiving

"They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached. And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many... Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling... Many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deer, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain and others."

S. King Philips War between Natives and Puritans

King Philip agreed to come to us; he came unarmed, and about 40 of his men armed. We sat very friendly together. We told him our business. They said that they had done no wrong; the English wronged them. We said that both sides thought the other side wronged them, but our desire was to avoid war. The Indians agreed that fighting was the worst way; then they asked how we might avoid war. We said, by negotiation. They said that they lost many square miles of land through negotiation. They said when the English first came, their King’s Father prevented other Indians from wronging the English, and gave them corn and showed them how to plant, and let them have a 100 times more land than the Indians… Another grievance was, the English made them drunk and then cheated them; that now, they had no hope left to keep any land.

John Easton, Official from Rhode Island, June 1675

The English took not a Foot of Land from the Indians, but Bought all... And it may be judged that now King Philip repents (regrets) himself, seeing what Product the English have made of a Wilderness, through their Labour, and the Blessing of God thereon... Thereupon about five Years since, took an Occasion to Quarrel with the Town, partly because his Brother died five or six Years before, and he thought the English had Poisoned him.

Narrative of the Indian Wars by Charles Henry Lincoln focusing on King Philip’s War in 1675-6