Wamsutta, also known as Alexander Pokanoket, as he was called by New England colonists, was the eldest son of Massasoit Ousa Mequin of the Pokanoket Tribe and Wampanoag nation, and brother of Metacomet. His sale of Wampanoag lands to colonists other than those of the Plymouth Colony brought the Wampanoag considerable power, but aroused the suspicions of the Plymouth colonists. He was imprisoned for three days at Plymouth; he died shortly after release, causing tribal suspicion of the colonists. His death possibly contributed to King Philip's War of 1675. Wamsutta's name is memorialized in and around New Bedford, Massachusetts in various ways. He was honored in the naming of a United States Navysteamer in commission during the American Civil War between 1863 and 1865.
Life
Wamsutta was born of royal blood in circa 1634 as the eldest son of Massasoit Ousa Mequin, leader of the Pokanoket. Wamsutta married Weetamoo. Immediately following Ousa Mequin’s death, his oldest son, Wamsutta, inherited the Pokanoket sachemship, as was Pokanoket custom. Wamsutta, whom the English named Alexander, agreed to adhere to the peace established by his father. But rumors soon began to circulate that he was conspiring with the Narragansetts to attack the English. In 1662 the English accused Wamsutta of independently negotiating land sales. They marched him to Plymouth at gunpoint. He died of a "sudden illness" before returning home, leading the Pokanoket and many other natives to believe he had been poisoned by the English. At Wamsutta’s death, the Pokanoket sachemship and title of Massasoit passed to Ousa Mequin’s second son, Metacomet. Metacomet, known as King Philip to the colonists and officials at Plymouth, signed an agreement with the English in 1662. Like Wamsutta and his father before him, Philip vowed not to needlessly or unjustly provoke or raise war with any other natives. In return, the colonists agreed to advise and aid Philip. However, it was an uneasy alliance. Hostilities between natives and colonists continued to grow. It must be emphasized—the Royal House of Pokanoket was a hereditary kingship. "Princes", "Nobles", "Blood Royal", and "Royalties" all were terms quite familiar to seventeenth century Europeans, who portrayed the governing system of the Pokanoket as similar to that of hereditary monarchies in their own countries. After Massasoit's death, Wamsutta assumed leadership of the Pokanoket, becoming leader of all the Native American tribes between the Charles River in Massachusetts and Narraganset Bay in Rhode Island, including the tribes in eastern Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts. As a result of a collapse of the fur trade, he substantially increased the power of the Pokanoket by selling land to colonists. In 1662 he was summoned to and seized by the Plymouth Court. After being questioned, Wamsutta became ill and soon died. The cause of death was disputed, and Wamsutta's brother Metacomet suspected that he had been poisoned. Wamsutta's death was one of the factors that would eventually lead to the 1675 King Philip's War. Some historians believe Wamsutta was poisoned or tortured by Governor Josiah Winslow, who saw him as a threat. But considering Winslow's father, Edward Winslow and Governor William Bradford, and their previous peaceful relations with Wamsutta's father, Massasoit, such speculation is open to question. This issue is examined in the 2017 historical novel "My Father's Kingdom" by James W. George.
Legacy
Wamsutta has been the namesake of businesses and places:
USS Wamsutta was the name of a United States Navy steamer in commission from 1863 to 1865.
In 1866, the Wamsutta Club was founded in New Bedford. It was a club for the affluent residents, who had generally made their money from the flagging whaling industry, as well as the up-and-coming textiles, for which the club was named.
