The Indians of the Nipmuck Country in Southern New England, 1630-1750: An Historical Geography

Rating:
Summary: Much better than other works on the topic
Review: This book is a terrific example of local history, and a highly sensitive examination of Native American issues in 17th and 18th century New England. Readers of this text will learn virtually all there is to know about the scantily-documented Nipmuck tribes of central Massachusetts, and the adjacent corners of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

I would like to point out, to prospective readers, that most New England tribes, especially in this time frame, are often viewed through the prism of the wars of the era. These wars most prominently include the Pequot war of the 1630s, and King Phillip's War of the 1670s. You might want to prepare for this book, by getting some kind of an overview of these wars. At least take an hour to read about them in an encyclopedia, or online. This book does not assume any prior knowledge on the part of the reader, but you will get more out of it if you prepare yourself in this manner. You may also want to pick up a road map of Massachusetts, or (better) New England. The maps included here are hand-drawn, and, while adequate, do not necessarily provide quite as full a sense of geographical context as one might get from a good road map.

Most of the information about social structure, food sources, and ways of life are covered in the first chapter. I would have liked to see some more about this, but the fact is that Dennis Connole has completely exhausted all the information about this topic. There are plenty of more general books about this topic, notably "Handbook of North American Indians: Northeast, Vol.15," published by the Smithsonian Institution, and edited by William C. Sturtevant.

A lot of this book focuses on issues of land ownership, and the significance of these questions to Nipmuck tribal life. In my opinion, the most fascinating chapter is Chapter Eight, about a Nipmuck named John Wampus, given an elite education, from a young age, by upper-crust Puritans in Boston. He eventually became caught up in some land-related struggles between the Nipmucks and the Massachusetts Bay Company officials. It's amazing to see the struggles he went through while trying to juggle traditional Nipmuck ideas about land, with the English ideas he picked up in school. He eventually argued some issues before the Lords of the Kings Council, in London, and died thousands of miles from his Central Massachusetts home.

Another interesting anecdote to watch for is in Chapter Thirteen. Apparently, some Nipmucks were actually sold into slavery in Africa, and survived for at least seven or eight years in Tangier. Eventually they got word to the Puritan "apostle to the indians," John Eliot, about their situation, and requested that he intercede on their behalf. We do not learn the ending of this amazing tale. I can't help but feel for these poor folks, who grew up right where I did, serving out a terrible term of servitude under a megalomanical sultan in Morocco. I'm glad that Dennis Connole lets us know of their plight, even if it is 300 years too late to help.

Other interesting parts are in later chapters, when we learn of Nipmucs who essentially became refugees after King Phillips War. Some moved to Connecticut, some to Pennsylvania, and some to Schaghticoke in New York. Interestingly, the descendants of some of these Nipmucks are still part of a native American community in Quebec, -- the St. Francis indians (or St. Francois) of Odanak, Quebec, near Montreal.

I think this book is pretty terrific. Dennis Connole fills a real gap in the literature, in descibing for us the lives of these people. If you'd like to learn more about the Nipmucks, try using your internet skills to see what comes up, if you run a search on the word "Hassanamisco," "Nipmuck," or, alternately, "Nipmuc." An all-around great book. Two thumbs up!

Rating:
Summary: Much better than other works on the topic
Review: This book is a terrific example of local history, and a highly sensitive examination of Native American issues in 17th and 18th century New England. Readers of this text will learn virtually all there is to know about the scantily-documented Nipmuck tribes of central Massachusetts, and the adjacent corners of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

I would like to point out, to prospective readers, that most New England tribes, especially in this time frame, are often viewed through the prism of the wars of the era. These wars most prominently include the Pequot war of the 1630s, and King Phillip's War of the 1670s. You might want to prepare for this book, by getting some kind of an overview of these wars. At least take an hour to read about them in an encyclopedia, or online. This book does not assume any prior knowledge on the part of the reader, but you will get more out of it if you prepare yourself in this manner. You may also want to pick up a road map of Massachusetts, or (better) New England. The maps included here are hand-drawn, and, while adequate, do not necessarily provide quite as full a sense of geographical context as one might get from a good road map.

Most of the information about social structure, food sources, and ways of life are covered in the first chapter. I would have liked to see some more about this, but the fact is that Dennis Connole has completely exhausted all the information about this topic. There are plenty of more general books about this topic, notably "Handbook of North American Indians: Northeast, Vol.15," published by the Smithsonian Institution, and edited by William C. Sturtevant.

A lot of this book focuses on issues of land ownership, and the significance of these questions to Nipmuck tribal life. In my opinion, the most fascinating chapter is Chapter Eight, about a Nipmuck named John Wampus, given an elite education, from a young age, by upper-crust Puritans in Boston. He eventually became caught up in some land-related struggles between the Nipmucks and the Massachusetts Bay Company officials. It's amazing to see the struggles he went through while trying to juggle traditional Nipmuck ideas about land, with the English ideas he picked up in school. He eventually argued some issues before the Lords of the Kings Council, in London, and died thousands of miles from his Central Massachusetts home.

Another interesting anecdote to watch for is in Chapter Thirteen. Apparently, some Nipmucks were actually sold into slavery in Africa, and survived for at least seven or eight years in Tangier. Eventually they got word to the Puritan "apostle to the indians," John Eliot, about their situation, and requested that he intercede on their behalf. We do not learn the ending of this amazing tale. I can't help but feel for these poor folks, who grew up right where I did, serving out a terrible term of servitude under a megalomanical sultan in Morocco. I'm glad that Dennis Connole lets us know of their plight, even if it is 300 years too late to help.

Other interesting parts are in later chapters, when we learn of Nipmucs who essentially became refugees after King Phillips War. Some moved to Connecticut, some to Pennsylvania, and some to Schaghticoke in New York. Interestingly, the descendants of some of these Nipmucks are still part of a native American community in Quebec, -- the St. Francis indians (or St. Francois) of Odanak, Quebec, near Montreal.

I think this book is pretty terrific. Dennis Connole fills a real gap in the literature, in descibing for us the lives of these people. If you'd like to learn more about the Nipmucks, try using your internet skills to see what comes up, if you run a search on the word "Hassanamisco," "Nipmuck," or, alternately, "Nipmuc." An all-around great book. Two thumbs up!