The History of Humans and
Martha’s Vineyard
Essential Questions:
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Who were the first native humans in this area?
And when?
Who were the first native settlers in this area?
And when?
Who were the first Europeans in this area?
And when?
Who were the first European settlers on Martha’s
Vineyard? And when?
How did these two groups (Natives and Europeans)
interact?
How were these two groups of peoples different?
Modern Humans entered North America sometime during the end of the
last Ice Age, perhaps between only 15 - 30,000 years ago.
They were probably nomadic hunting groups, following game.
In our vicinity (the future Martha’s Vineyard), they surely came through
here as early as 12,000 years ago.
How do we know?
Artifacts!
This timeline shows the four main groups of Native Americans that lived
in our area over the last 12,000 years.
Over time, Native Americans became a successful, productive, and very
populous group of people throughout all of New England.
Although they were fierce hunters and warriors, they were also spiritual
people who worshipped the land, the water,
the sky, the sun.
They understood that if they took care of the Earth, it would take care of
them. Their lives depended on it.
They took only what they needed from the environment, wasting nothing.
From a single deer, they would use the meat, the bone, the skin, the
antlers, even the teeth.
So who were the first
“White Men” to encounter the
Native Americans in
North America?
Some historians would say it was the Vikings!
The Vikings came from Scandinavia, and were famous for their incredible
explorations on the seas.
They traveled many places, and some of them quickly earned a reputation
throughout Europe for being murderous barbarians. However, many
were simple farmers too.
The Vikings also colonized Iceland. All Icelanders today are descendents
of those original Vikings.
They even speak the original Norse language.
One especially “bad” Viking - Erik the Red - was kicked out of Norway
and sent to live on Iceland. But he was accused of murder there, too, and
even banished from Iceland! One tough dude, that Erik.
He then traveled to Greenland, where he established a permanent colony
in the year 982 AD.
But for reasons no one knows for sure, the settlements failed after several
hundred years. All that remains are the ruins from these colonies.
But perhaps the most
interesting Viking of all was
Erik’s son - Leif Eriksson an even more amazing
explorer.
Archaeologists long suspected
that Leif and his crew had
crossed over to Canada. Their
sagas (written stories) spoke of
a newly discovered land they
called
“Vinland.”
Their sagas said they spent two
years in Vinland, but
eventually left, partly because
of natives there, whom they
called “Skraelings.”
Could this have been the first
encounter between Europeans
and Native Americans?
Finally, in 1960, some archaeologists found evidence of a Viking
settlement, on the northern tip of NewFoundland at a place called
L’Anse aux Meadows. It was dated at about 1000 AD.
Finally, proof that the Vikings discovered America 500 years before
Christopher Columbus!
So is it possible that the Vikings explored even further south? To perhaps
our area? Were they the first “White People” to set foot on
Martha’s Vineyard?
It is quite possible they did
travel this far south, however
there is no certain proof.
But…there is a large,
mysterious rock on
nearby Nomans Land called…
The Viking Rune Stone.
It was discovered in 1926.
On the rock is carved “Liif Iriksson MI”.
(MI is the Roman Numeral for 1001.)
Real or phony, that is the question!
Whether or not you believe that
Leif Eriksson was the first
European tourist on Martha’s
Vineyard, the first certain visit
came in 1602.
It was by
Bartholomew Gosnold.
Bartholomew Gosnold was an English lawyer, businessman, and explorer
in search of wealth and fortune in the New World.
He sailed his ship called the Concord to our area in 1602 in search of
“sassafras, cedar, furs, skins,and other commodities.”
He named Cape Cod for the remarkable abundance of codfish there, and
he named the Elizabeth Islands after the queen.
He also named a beautiful island “Martha’s Vineyard” possibly after his
unborn daughter (or after someone else, it is unclear), and the abundance
of wild grapes growing there.
Gosnold was the first Englishman to set foot in what would become New
England, including Martha’s Vineyard. He found thousands of Native
Americans already living throughout the area.
Strangely, Gosnold and his crew did not stay on Martha’s Vineyard, and
instead built a fort on what would become Cuttyhunk, or “Elizabeth’s
Island”, as he called it. But soon they left there and sailed back to
England with their cargo.
Gosnold interacted and traded with the local Wampanoags on Noepe
(MV), and they got along well. But perhaps the most important part of
Gosnold’s visit are the descriptions of the island by his assistants,
John Brereton and Gabriel Archer.
Here are some of their descriptions of the natives of Noepe, which means
“in the midst of the sea.”, A “place most pleasant”, as they described it:
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“The coast is very full of people.”
The were all “of a tall stature, broad and grim visage, of a black swart
complexion, their eyebrows painted white, their weapons bows and
arrows.” They also possessed large amounts of copper (jewelry, cups).
“These people, as they are exceeding courteous, gently of disposition,
and well conditioned, excelling all others that we have seene; so for
shape of bodie and lovely favour, I think they excell all the people of
America.”
“They were “tall big boned men, all naked saving they cover their
privy parts with a black tewed skin, much like a Black smith’s apron,
tied about their middle and between their legs behinde.
“This island is sound, and hath no danger about it.”
It was not until almost forty
years later that the first
Europeans - White people
(from England) would settle
on Martha’s Vineyard.
It was Thomas Mayhew Sr (from Tisbury, England but living in Boston)
who secured MV, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands and declared
himself Governor.
He sent his son,
Thomas Mayhew Jr, with
about sixty-five others, to
settle Martha’s Vineyard.
He would even move there
later himself.
Thomas Mayhew Jr was a Christian minister, and he converted many
Natives to Christianity. He set up schools, churches, and even learned
their native language so he could communicate with them. The Natives
respected him greatly.
It did not take long for the White (English) population on MV to grow
considerably. The landscape changed quickly as houses, farms and
villages were built.
(This is the original Mayhew house, torn down in the 1920s.)
And the Wampanoag culture very quickly changed too, as their original
traditions and way of life was vanishing. European diseases were
especially lethal to the natives and millions of them died.
(This is a Wetu, or native hut.)
How were the European traditions different from the original
Native American traditions?
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Spiritual, many Gods,
worshipped the land.
Took only the resources they
needed.
Did not understand ownership
of the land.
Stone, bone, wood tools. Skin
and fur clothes. Made pottery.
Simple means of transportation
(canoes).
Utilized native plants and
animals as much as possible.
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Christian tradition (Bible), one
God, believed in “taming the
land”.
Believed in ownership of land.
Used $ to purchase.
Forged metal, glass, made
fabrics (wool, linen). Used
guns.
Large sailing vessels. Horses,
carts, trailers.
Brought many domestic plants
and animals for their farms.