The Monument at the Great Swamp
This is an undated color postcard image of the monument located in West Kingston, Rhode Island. The monument consists of a granite obelisk surrounded by four granite markers naming the four colonies that took part in the event. The inscription reads, “Attacked within their fort upon this island the Narragansett Indians made their last stand in King Philip’s War and were crushed by the united forces of the Massachusetts Connecticut and Plymouth Colonies in the ‘Great Swamp Fight’ Sunday 19 December 1675.”
Remembering the Massacre at the Great Swamp
Essay by Ann Daly, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, Mississippi State University
On the very cold and snowy day of December 19, 1675, a big group of English soldiers and some Native American soldiers of the Pequot and Mohegan tribes attacked the Narragansett town and fort in what is now South Kingstown. Before this, the Narragansett people wanted to stay out of the war led by Metacomet (King Philip). But the English thought the Narragansett were helping Wampanoag fighters who were with Metacomet.
The Narragansett built their town in a swamp for safety during the war. A guide showed the English soldiers the way to the town. When they got there, they found many wigwams and a lot of Narragansett people, including women and children. The English did not see it as a town of innocent people. They thought it was a fort, so they set the homes on fire. As the houses burned, many Narragansett tried to escape, but the English soldiers were waiting outside to shoot them. About 200-500 Narragansett died, and many more suffered as they ran away through the snow with little food. Some managed to escape to other villages of Narragansett and Niantic Native Americans.
The Native people saw it as a “massacre,” but the English called it a “fight.” In the years that followed, the English did not admit they broke their own rules for war. Soldiers were not supposed to burn homes or towns, or harm innocent people. The English justified their actions by thinking Native people and their homes were different and not as important.
In 1906, people in Rhode Island, including descendants of European colonists and some Narragansett, gathered to remember the event. They put up a memorial and gave the land to the Rhode Island Historical Society. They praised the bravery of British soldiers and Narragansett men. However, they did not understand that the Narragansett saw that event as a massacre, not a fair fight. In the 1930’s, a Narragansett and Wampanoag elder named Princess Red Wing started an annual ceremony at the site to remember the past and honor those who came before. Participants in the annual ceremony think about the past, the present, and the future of the Narragansett people and the sacrifices of those who came before.
Terms:
Wigwams: Seasonal dome-shaped homes made of tree saplings and covered in bark or reed matting. Also known as Wetu.
Fort: A defensive wall built to strengthen a place against attack
Reading Comprehension Questions:
1) Why did the Narragansett decide to build a town in a swamp?
2) Why did the English attack the Narragansett?
3) Why do you think that the English and Narragansetts called this event by two different names (fight, massacre)?
4) What does this tell us about how people remember history?
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