The Nantucket Indians

In Short

This historical account chronicles the displacement and eventual disappearance of the indigenous inhabitants of Nantucket. It moves from ancient legends and early European contact to the systematic transfer of land through deeds, the social erosion caused by colonial encroachment, and the devastating impact of an 18th-century epidemic. By focusing on the sachems and their families, the book preserves the names and records of a people who were once the island's stewards. It remains a vital, if melancholic, document of how an entire society vanished from the landscape.

The Story

The narrative begins by grounding Nantucket’s origins in both geology and mythology. Before the English arrived, the island was home to various Algonquian-speaking groups, governed by powerful sachems like Wanackmamack and Wauwinet. The book recounts the legend of the giant Maushope, who waded across the sound to slay a monstrous bird and subsequently discovered the island. This mythical past soon gives way to the records of early European navigators, from the Norse sagas to the English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, whose 1602 landing at Sankaty Head marked the beginning of the end for the island’s independence.

The heart of the book lies in the complex, often lopsided legal relationship between the English settlers and the native leaders. Through a series of deeds signed between 1659 and 1774, the island was piece by piece legally transferred to white proprietors. The text examines these documents with scrupulous detail, noting how sachems like Nickanoose and Wanackmamack signed away lands, sometimes appearing to act with a dignity that blinded them to the permanence of these transactions. As the settlers increased in number, they brought with them a new legal and social order that the indigenous inhabitants struggled to navigate.

The arrival of the English also introduced "fire-water," which the book identifies as a primary catalyst for the social decay of the native population. Alcohol use fueled domestic instability, increased litigation in colonial courts, and led to a cycle of poverty and disenfranchisement. Despite this, the book highlights the enduring presence of figures such as the preacher and teacher Benjamin Tashama, who attempted to preserve the language and traditions of his people against the relentless pressure of assimilation.

The tragic conclusion of this history is the epidemic of 1763–1764, which, in the span of six months, reduced the native population from 358 to just 136. The book tracks the subsequent generations of survivors—names like Dorcas Honorable and Abram Api Quady—until the final, full-blooded indigenous Nantucketer died in 1822. The narrative closes not with a sense of triumph, but with a somber call for the islanders to honor the memory of the race they supplanted. The author advocates for the erection of a statue to the sachem Wanackmamack, urging the modern reader to acknowledge the debt owed to those who once held the island in peace and amity.

How It Unfolds

The mythical dawn The book opens with legends of the giant Maushope and the geological origins of the island’s fogs. It establishes the native inhabitants as part of the vast Algonquian Confederacy long before European contact.

The arrival of the settlers The narrative shifts to the 1602 landing of Bartholomew Gosnold and the subsequent legal claims made by the English Crown. It outlines the transition from exploration to colonization as Thomas Mayhew and his associates began purchasing the island.

The legal erosion of land The middle section is dominated by the analysis of land deeds signed by sachems between 1659 and 1774. It details how the English utilized their legal systems to secure total possession of the territory.

The social decline The text examines the introduction of alcohol and the resulting rise in crime, litigation, and social instability among the natives. It contrasts this with the industrious nature of those who worked as craftsmen and whalers.

The final disappearance The account concludes with the 1763 epidemic and the slow passing of the last descendants. It ends with a plea to commemorate the sachems who once governed the island.

The People

Wanackmamack serves as the central figure of authority, remembered as a noble and peace-loving leader. He is the "tried and true friend" of the English, whose willingness to negotiate set the tone for the island's early years.

Wauwinet and his daughter Wonoma represent the emotional and social ties of the pre-colonial era. Their stories, often rooted in legend, show a people deeply connected to their traditions and the preservation of family honor.

Autopscot is characterized as a "great warrior" and a man of high personal integrity. His commitment to peace allowed for a stable coexistence, though he, like his peers, was powerless to stop the eventual loss of his people's land.

Benjamin Tashama is the most poignant figure in the later chapters. As a preacher and educator, he represents the intellectual resistance of his people, attempting to sustain their identity and language even as their numbers dwindled toward the 19th century.

Dorcas Honorable stands as the final, silent marker of this history. Her death in 1822 marks the definitive end of the indigenous population on Nantucket, serving as the book's emotional anchor for the tragedy of erasure.

In Its Own Voice

“Ever since this memorable event, fogs have been frequent on the Cape.”

(The author notes this as the lingering, atmospheric legacy of the giant Maushope’s tobacco-less pipe smoke.)

“The sachem Attapehat (Autopscot), as far as has been found never signed any deed.”

(The author highlights this detail to illustrate the varying levels of resistance and autonomy among the different tribal leaders.)

“We may drop a tear over the grave of the race which has perished, and regret that civilization and Christianity have ever accomplished so little for its amelioration.”

(The author concludes by quoting De Forest to emphasize the moral failure of colonial expansion.)

What It's Really About

The book is an inquiry into the cost of progress and the fragility of indigenous sovereignty. It poses a difficult question: how does a society that prides itself on legal order and peaceful coexistence reconcile its history with the total erasure of the people it displaced? The argument is not one of conquest by sword, but of a slow, inexorable dissolution through contracts, cultural erosion, and environmental catastrophe. It suggests that the "peace" enjoyed by the settlers was contingent upon the systematic liquidation of the original population's rights and autonomy. Ultimately, it is a meditation on the permanence of history and the moral obligation of current residents to acknowledge the ghosts of the past.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate local history, genealogy, and the unvarnished examination of American colonial records will find this a fascinating, if sobering, study. It reads like a meticulous archival project, stripping away the romanticized myths of early New England to focus on the cold reality of real estate deeds and mortality lists.

The prose is warm and scholarly, though the reader should be prepared for the author's early 20th-century sensibilities, which occasionally reflect the paternalistic attitudes of his era. He is clear-eyed about the "iniquitous" influence of alcohol and the profound tragedy of the native decline, yet he remains deeply invested in the administrative details of the past. If you are interested in the specific names, land boundaries, and family lineages of Nantucket, this book acts as a bridge to a world that has otherwise been washed away by time and erosion. It is a slow, thoughtful read that reminds us that beneath the modern identity of a resort island lies a deep, indigenous history that deserves to be remembered by name, rather than just as a collective memory.