

Wasanegin was the Massasoit (chief) of the Pokenoket Tribe and the Sachem (Great Chief) over the entire Wampanoag, a multi-tribe federation. His position was somewhat akin to a person being both a governor of a U.S. state AND president of the entire United States - at the same time; the territory of the Wampanoag consisted of most of present day Rhode Island, the lower eastern portion of present-day Massachusetts with part of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and the entire eastern half of present-day Long Island (New York).
Wasanegin and his people received Christian missionaries, which included the Powhatan tribal chieftan's daughter, Matoaka (Mrs. Rebecca Rolfe), famously known as Pocahontas, which likely influenced Wasanegin when he gave his daughter the European Christian name of Mary-Mary Margaret, who would be mother to many chiefs to this day.
Wasanegin died just a few years before the Mayflower's arrival, and it would be his son, Ousamequin, that would be the famous Wampanoag chief to aid the Pilgrims at Plymouth; unfortunately, the English mistook his title of 'Massasoit' to be his name, and he has been historically known by his title ever since, though there were several others who bore that title.
1554 |
1554
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Pokanoket Village, Bristol, RI, United States
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1559 |
1559
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1576 |
1576
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Mount Hope, Bristol, Rhode Island
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1576
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Mt. Hope, Bristol, RI, United States
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1580 |
1580
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MA, United States
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1580
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1580
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1580
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Mount Hope, Rhode Island
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1617 |
1617
Age 63
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Pokanoket, Bristol, RI, United States
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