John Sassamon (the shortened and Anglicized version…

John Sassamon (the shortened and Anglicized version of his actual name, Wassausmon), a Massachuseuk, had seen his family perish along with many others during the smallpox epidemic of 1633.

It is very likely that he was subsequently adopted or indentured to the family of Richard Callicot and exposed to Christianity as well as learning to speak English, also very likely that he met and was mentored by the Christian missionary, John Eliot during this timeframe.

Sassamon had functioned as an interpreter during the Pequot War that began in 1637, and had fought on the side of the colonists alongside Richard Callicot in the service of Captain John Underhill.

John Eliot established Natick and Ponkapoag in 1651 as praying towns, communities of natives who had converted to Christianity and were willing to live a in a more traditional "English" lifestyle, i.e., permanent agricultural settlements.

Eliot had recruited Sassamon to be one of two schoolmasters to teach both English and Christianity to the citizens.

Sassamon was probably one of the Natick/Ponkapoag elite, a group of natives that had won the respect of English colonists through their acceptance of Christianity and English law.

The ability to speak English combined with apparent intelligence had given Sassamon the opportunity to attend Harvard College in 1653, two years before a special "Indian" Harvard was established.

It is not known how long he stayed at Harvard, but had probably been educated for a short time alongside such young members of the Puritan elite as Increase Mather, Samuel Bradstreet, and John Eliot Jr.

After his return from Harvard, Sassamon had drifted away from Puritan society and reentered native life, serving as a translator and secretary to several of the Pokanoket chiefs, most importantly Metacom, aka King Philip, with whom he is very influential.

Christian leaders had hoped that through Sassamon King Philip could be converted to Christianity; however, ultimately no such conversion has been made.

Sassamon returns several years later to Puritan society: he does not sever ties with the natives but it is not clear why he left.

Back in Christian society, he becomes a minister in the Plymouth colony.

Sassamon had in December 1674 warned the governor of the Plymouth Colony, Josiah Winslow, about an impending native attack orchestrated by King Philip.

The Puritans, however have disregarded this warning.

Sassamon had been reported missing soon after this incident; his body is discovered in January or February of 1675 in Assawompset Pond.