This is a monument in Warren, RI’s Burrs Hill Park honoring the great chief of the Wampanoag tribe, Massasoit. The peace arising from his treaty with the English settlers lasted 54 years, until another great chief King Philip tried to unite the disparate tribes, leading to the King Philip War. During the war, Philip was captured after being betrayed from within. He was then beheaded by the settlers. Ultimately, the end of Native American independence in Rhode Island and throughout the Northeast occurred.
This history is well chronicled in the great book Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick. Much of the book centers around Bristol, Rhode Island and surrounding areas including Swansea, Aquidneck Island RI and Cape Cod. If you love a good historical read, and are interested in the history of Bristol, the East Bay of RI and Cape Cod then you will not be disappointed.
