Obbatinewat facts for kids

Obbatinewat was an important Wampanoag leader, known as a sachem, who lived in the 1600s. He was a chief in the area that is now Massachusetts. Obbatinewat played a part in the early history of the Plymouth Colony, which was one of the first English settlements in North America.

Who Was Obbatinewat?

Obbatinewat was a powerful leader among the Wampanoag people. A sachem was like a chief or governor of a specific area or group. Even though Obbatinewat lived near the Massachusetts Bay, he was under the authority of Massasoit. Massasoit was the Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag Confederacy, a much larger and more powerful leader.

Meeting the Pilgrims

The Pilgrims, who founded Plymouth Colony around 1620, wrote about their early meetings with Native American leaders. In a book called Mourt's Relation, they described Obbatinewat. They said he was very kind to them.

At that time, Obbatinewat faced dangers from other groups. He told the Pilgrims he could not stay in one place because he was afraid of the Tarantines. The Tarantines were another Native American group. Also, the Squaw Sachem of Mistick, a powerful female leader of the Massachusetts people, was his enemy.

A Time of Change

The Pilgrims told Obbatinewat that many other sachems had agreed to be "King James his men." This meant they would accept King James I of England as their protector. If Obbatinewat also agreed to this, the Pilgrims offered to protect him from his enemies.

Obbatinewat accepted their offer. He then went with the Pilgrims to help them meet the Squaw Sachem of Mistick. This shows how Native American leaders sometimes formed alliances with the new English settlers for protection or other benefits.

Obbatinewat's Legacy

An image of Obbatinewat became very well-known in later centuries. This image was used as the logo for a bank called The National Shawmut Bank of Boston. Later, the bank was known simply as Shawmut Bank. This logo was used until 1995. Today, the logo is used by Shawmut Capital Partners.