Diogenes Madoasquarbet to MA Governor John Leverett
Item
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Title
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Diogenes Madoasquarbet to MA Governor John Leverett
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Recipient
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John Leverett (MA Governor)
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Date
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1 April 1676
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Description
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Sachem Diogenes Madoasquarbet writes to Massachusetts Governor John Leverett to explain the grievances of the Kennebec Wabanakis. The sachem describes how paranoid English colonists came “when we were quiet and took away our guns and made prisoner of our chief sagamore and that winter for want of our guns there were several who starved.” In response to English threats to continue the war “as long as there is an Indian in the country,” Diogenes asserts “[w]e are the owners of the country and it is wide and full of Indians and we can drive you out but our desire is to be quiet [maintain neutrality].” This letter illustrates the Kennebec Wabanaki diplomatic position and the English culpability for the war.
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Transcription
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[Leach, 37] This is to let you understand, how we have been abused. We love you but when we are drunk you take away our goods and throw us out the door...If the wolf kills any of your cattle you take away our guns and arrows and if you see an Indian dog you will shoot him...If we do so to you, you cut down our houses, kill our dogs, take away our things...We must pay 100 skins if we break a tobacco pipe...They will put us in prison because there was a war with Philip and the Narragansetts...You came here when we were quiet and took away our guns and made prisoners of our chief sagamore and that winter for want of our guns there were several who starved...Now we hear that you say you will not stop the war as long as there is an Indian in the country. We are the owners of the country and it is wide and full of Indians and we can drive you out but our desire is to be quiet...We do not know why you gave such an order to kill us, is this the way you act when we bring you prisoners and try to make peace and then kill us? We are afraid you will do so again…You may see how honest we have been...We have killed none of your English prisoners...If you have any of ours...you would have knocked them on the head...Do you think this is nothing?
Diogenes Madoasquarbet, Abenaki Sachem
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Century
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17th Century
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Decade material covers
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1670s
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Subject
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Diogenes Madoasquarbet (Kennebec Sachem)
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John Leverett (MA Governor)
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Kennebec Wabanakis
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English settlers
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Type
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Letter
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War
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King Philip's War
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Point of Arrival
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Boston, MA
