On March 16, 1621, Samoset cemented his place in history when he boldly walked into Plymouth Plantation and greeted the settlers in English. And that’s where most history books leave him. They never hint at the extraordinary events of his life that led him to that moment, including his initial clash with the English and a possible kidnapping attempt, inter-tribal warfare that engulfed the entire coast of Maine, encounters with the forgotten Popham Colony in Phippsburg, and an apocalyptic epidemic that nearly wiped out his people. They never ask why a sagamore (or leader) from Maine would be there in the first place, or consider how dangerous that walk into Plymouth truly was.
 
Why does any of this matter? Because Samoset lived at an extraordinary time and place in history. He and his people, the Wawenock, were at the epicenter of initial contact with English colonizers. If we want to better understand this story, looking at Samoset’s life is a good place to start.

Lincoln County Historical Association invites you to attend an online presentation on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 5:30 p.m. when Jody Bachelder will take us back in time to the early years of the Plymouth Plantation and help us to understand Samoset’s backstory.

Registration is required. Please visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org/event/samoset or http://tinyurl.com/59ybdx6r. The talk is free, although a $5 donation is suggested to support LCHA’s ongoing educational programs.

Jody Bachelder started her career as a teacher and quickly made the switch to library work. In 2013 she was named the Walter J. Taranko Maine School Librarian of the Year. When her husband was offered a job out of state, she took a chance and started writing. What she thought would be a picture book grew into a history book for adults.
 
Growing up on the Pemaquid Peninsula in Maine where Samoset and the Wawenock lived, she knew little about the Indigenous people who called the area home for thousands of years. It was time to learn more. She began her research with the question, “What was Samoset doing in Plymouth?” The journey to find the answer was both enlightening and surprising. “Here First: Samoset and the Wawenock of Pemaquid, Maine” is her first book. She still plans to write for children sometime in the future.

Lincoln County Historical Association is a non-profit organization that provides stewardship for the 1754 Chapman-Hall House in Damariscotta, the 1761 Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, and the 1811 Old Jail and Museum in Wiscasset.  For more information, please visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org or Facebook at Lincoln County Historical Association (Maine).