Reasons Why Squanto Was Fit to Act as Go-Between Europeans and Native Americans Essay Example

three captives, Squanto being among them were delivered by Weymouth to a governorof Fort of Plymouth by the name Ferdinando Gorges. Gorges taught Squanto English language while stayed there so that he could be able to act as an interpreter in the future voyages.

After spendingsome time in England, Squanto decided to go back to his home and in 1614, he later went back there with an expedition which was led by a captain called John Smith.

After staying there for a while, he decided to go back to America, but unfortunately he was arrested by the Smith’s lieutenant who wanted to sell him to Spain as a slave.

Luckily, he was saved by some people and he went back to England. Because of spending significant time with the English people and having being born and brought up in Patuxet, Squanto understood and spoke the languages of these two cultures and this helped him greatly to act as the interpreter. Furthermore, he also worked with the English people and this further helped in enhancing his English language skills.

By mastering his own native language as well as English, Squanto played a critical role in ensuring the Europeans and the Native Americans interacted and understood each other by acting as an interpreter. Through his role as an interpreter, he helped the English and the Native Americans people to enter into successful treaties that established peace.

The other reason that made Squanto to fit in as a go-between between the Europeans and the Native Americans is the fact that he understood these two cultures and he facilitated cultural exchanges. There is evidence which shows that Squanto worked for a ship builder, John

Slany who taught him more English.

In addition, he also interacted with different English people and this helped himto understand their culture.

He therefore managed to represent their interests well as a go-between. The settlors were primarily the artisans such as the carpenters, weavers, watchmakers, the printers and they did not have much experience in farming. They therefore accepted the Squanto’s advice and this helped them to settle in this region. While in England,Squanto managed to learn the European culture as well as the use ofmarine debris as a fertilizer for maize which was New World crop.

There is evidence which reveal that Squanto showed the Pilgrims, the European settlors how to plant and how to use the fish as a fertilizer for their crops. This clearly shows that Squanto was conversant with the culturesof both groups and they could therefore comfortably act as the go-between by helping them to interact and understand each other way of lives.

Squanto facilitated cultural exchanges in the sense that the settlors learnt farming techniques from the Native Americans while the latter benefited from efficient farming tools such as dung forks, hoes, metal shovels and the carts drawn by the domesticated animals.

Squanto was also a good go-between between the Pilgrims and the Natives due to his diplomacy skills that helped the two groups to coexist with each other. By use of diplomacy skills coupled with his mastery in English language, Squanto helped the two groups to establish successful peaceful treaties that assisted them to coexist with each other with no difficulties.

After the Pilgrims arrived in America, majority of them could not survive on hostile environment characterized by hunger, cold and diseases and this

made a good number to die after they arrived in 1520.

The Indians unfriendly nature also contributed to their distress and this made the Pilgrims to be willing to negotiate with the natives. Samoset, an Indian who spoke English introduced Squanto to Pilgrims who helped them toenter into negotiations that culminated ina successful treaty being signed by the two groups.

Squanto and Samoset helped the Pilgrims to make a treaty with the Wampanoag who were a group of Indians thereby helping in establishing peace among the two groups. In other cases, Squanto was used by the Pilgrims to strengthen their position among natives and this further helped in establishing close ties between the two groups. For instance, in 1621, Squanto together with Stephen Hopkins and Edward Winslow were on several occasions sent to go and make good relations with Massasoit, the chief of the Wampanoag Indian community who in return promised to help the Pilgrims to obtain fur and corn.

Squanto had good diplomacy skills that helped in establishing good relations between the European tribe Pilgrims and the Native Americans.

The other aspect that made Squanto a good go-between is the fact he knew many places in the New England and he therefore acted as a guide. He therefore helped the Europeans to move around this region. For instance, in 1619, a European individual by the name Dermer was sent by his boss, Gorges to the New England to go and trade with the Native Americans.

With the help of Squanto as a guide, Dermer was in a position to sail along New England coastline and all over this region where encountered the Natives and befriended them. Furthermore, Squanto also

acted as the guide for the Pilgrims and he helped them to settle, New England. Squanto’srole as a guide was made by easy by the fact that he was familiar with the New England region and he also had a good mastery of English language.

In conclusion, the people who acted as go-between between the Natives Americans and the Europeans such as Squanto played a critical role in ensuring the two groups interacted and co-existed with each other peacefully. Squanto qualified for this role because of his good mastery of both his native language as well as English and this enabled him to help the groups to understand each other by acting as an interpreter.

Furthermore, he also facilitated cultural exchanges through understanding both cultures and this also helped him to be a good intermediary. Lastly, he had diplomatic skills and this helped in ensuring lasting peace is established between the two communities through treaties.

References

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2. David, Lester. "Thanks, Squanto." Boys' Life 85, no. 11 (November 1995): 24. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost
3. Ceci, Lynn. "Squanto and the Pilgrims." Society 27, no. 4 (May 1990): 40-44. SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost
4. Brooks, Rebecca, B. Squanto: The Former Slave. History of Massachusetts. (September 2012).http://historyofmassachusetts.org/squanto-the-former-slave/
5. Mann, Charles. C. SQUANTO AND THE PILGRIMS: NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.(Dec 2005).Smithsonian, 36, 94-102,104,106-108. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236856117?accountid=35812
6. KYRIE O'CONNOR and, J. S., & The, H. C. A TRUE AMERICAN HERO THERE WOULD BE NO THANKSGIVING WITHOUT SQUANTO'S AID TO PILGRIMS THE JOURNEY TO THE NEW WORLD THE VOYAGE OF THE MAYFLOWER.(1997, Nov 25). Hartford Courant Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/255965786?accountid=35812
7. Metaxas, Eric. The
   

miracle of squanto's path to plymouth. (2015, Nov 26) Wall Street Journal Retrieved from  http://search.proquest.com/docview/1736241190?accountid=35812