64 pages • 2 hours read
1491
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Chapter 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 2 Summary: "Why Billington Survived"
The second chapter of 1491 is a mix of historical research and commentary; this amalgam presents a narrative and argues for its validity. The author uses the frame of an ancestor, John Billington, to ground some of the historical context. John Billington is one of the Pilgrims whose survival was aided by the "friendly Indian" Squanto. This chapter attempts to deconstruct the legend of Squanto by presenting historical and cultural context for his meeting with and aiding the Pilgrims, as well as biographical information from his life.
The first story tells of Squanto’s origins among the Pawtuxet people, his early life, his alignment with the Wampanoag tribe, and his eventual aiding of European settlers. Beginning with the full name, Tisquantum, which translates roughly to "wrath of the divine," the bulk of Squanto’s life falls outside of the popular story about him. Raised and trained to be an advisor and personal guard of the sachem, or chief, Tisquantum was kidnapped in 1614 by English sailors and sold into slavery in Spain. Soon escaping, he returned to Pawtuxet lands (near present-day Cape Cod), to find his tribe lost to disease. Having learned English from his European captors, he enlists his aid with the Wampanoag as a translator, diplomat, and liaison. The Wampanoag, however, are not a single tribe, but a regional confederation of tribes that ruled over many smaller local tribes, including Tisquantum's Pawtuxet. Tisquantum later met John Smith, and in the employ of Massasoit, the sachem of the Wampanoag, forged an alliance with the New England settlers. However, Tisquantum soon convinced the settlers to make war against the Wampanoag, which they did. Tisquantum himself died suddenly of a fever in 1622; the resulting war between the natives and settlers ended with the destruction of the Wampanoag's power in New England.
Chapter 2 Analysis
Through the story of Tisquantum, Mann describes the complicated political dynamics of the future New England region, illustrating how the distinctions and antagonisms between tribes and groups of the region pre-existed and precipitated the establishment of European colonies. Tisquantum is a much more complicated and "human" character, whose motivations and interests conflict with his one-dimensional portrayal in American history. Mann frames Tisquantum's circumstances and choices in more practical and political terms, paying close attention to the complicated alliances, enmities, and histories of the region. Although European historical figures such as John Smith and John Bradford play a significant role in this narrative, their importance is alongside other, native players. In this respect, the European settlers represent one faction among many. This is a repeating pattern within 1491, in which, instead of entering upon "virgin soil," the Europeans find themselves among the typical intrigue and machinations of political states and cultural entities. The object of this approach, Mann argues, is neither to vilify or defend the Europeans, but instead to illustrate the depth and complexity of historical perspective of these native societies, which has largely been overlooked. To this end, Mann's narrative style grounds the narrative and its action in a historical "present," taking the reader out of the typical, backward-looking historical view.
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