The main
Native American groups in Southern New England could be
classified by their location with respect to water.
The Salt
Water Native Americans were the Wampanoags from the Seekonk
River to Massachusetts Bay including Cape Cod, Nantucket
and Martha’s Vineyard. The Narragansetts were located
on the Western shore of Naragansett Bay over to what is the
Connecticut border today. They were also in the process of
taking control the island of Rhode Island from the
Wampanoags when the Pilgrims arrived in 1620. The
Massachusetts group were situated around Boston, but
disease had decimated their numbers by the time of King
Philip’s War. The Pequots were situated along the
Northern side of Long Island Sound.
The
Fresh Water Native Americans included the Nipmucks in
Central Massachusetts and the Pentacooks in Northern
Massachusetts.
The River Native Americans were located mainly along the
Connecticut and Thames Rivers. They included the Pequots
along the shore of Long Island and the Mohicans in Northern
Connecticut.
Many cotton mills in Fall River commemorate Native American
names from the King Philip War starting with the King
Philip, Metacomet (another name for King Philip),
Massasoit, Wamsutta, Weetamoe, Pocasset, Tecumseh, Annawan,
Sagamore, Seaconnet and Wampanoag.