Inventions / Communications Change
Colonial Period

Massasoit

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Communication was an important challenge during the Colonial era. Arriving European settlers had no knowledge of Native American languages or customs, and likewise, Native Americans had no previous knowledge of languages besides their own. In order for the two groups to interact, existing languages had to be learned and, in some cases, new pidgin languages which combined both English words and Native American language words had to be created.

Meeting of Governor Carver and Massasoit / drawn by H.L. Stevens ; eng'd. by Augustus Robin, N.Y.

One of the first Native Americans to communicate directly with settlers was Massasoit. A Wampanoag, Massasoit negotiated a peace treaty between his people and the settlers in Massachusetts Bay . He offered protection to the Puritans in exchange for their support against rival Native American tribes in the region.

The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, ca. 1600-1925
Here a Virginia settler describes learning about the peace pipe ceremony. This is an example of how settlers and Native Americans learned each others’ customs in order to better communicate.
Translated Bible
This translation of a bible into Algonquin is an example of how European settlers tried to spread their religion throughout the New World.
map of the Ohio River Valley,
This map of the Ohio River Valley was drawn by a Native American and is an example of communication between Native Americans and settlers. For Europeans traveling inland to survive on the frontier, communicating with Native Americans who knew the area was essential.