Action along the coast of Vinland
Narragansett Tribal lands
At the time of Roger Williams arrival in 1635

This is the area of the Narragansetts. The foreshortening caused by the oblique view makes it seem a bit smaller than it was:: the shaded part on the west side of the bay is actually about 20 miles E/W by thirty N/S. It seems fairly certain that it did not extend so far north as Mount Wachusett as the narrative of the captive Mrs. Rowlandson (1676) implies strongly that her captor Qanopen, was familiar with the area but was not within his home territory.
Natick, Nipmuc, and Niantic as on the left define sub-families of the Narragansetts, speaking the same language and observing the same customs.
As mentioned in "The People" page, they were inveterate travelers and had the ability to travel more or less at will through and around other tribal territories. At the time of arrival of Roger Williams they seem to have been hostile toward the Pequots to their West. They did not take much prodding to join in alliance with Connecticut colonists in making war upon them. This seems to have been a mistake, for over the next 50 years that colony prospered in absence of the decimated Pequots and by 1660 Narragansetts in their turn came under pressure by the Connecticut colonists and were becoming forced to the defensive by periodic raids into their Western preserves.
Hamonassett, Amagansett, Siasconsett, and Nauset are all Narragansett words, which indicates somewhat their influence, if not their presence. It is my belief that it indicates the presence, for all these places are seaside locales which in that day were commonly settled only by nautical, warlike cultures like the Narragansetts and Vikings
Next: Arrival of Roger Williams Back: Verrazano
Refer to: People Page and Lingua Vinlandia Home