Plymouth was effectively saying that its dependence on Tisquantum outweighed the sachem’s demand for authority over one of his own people.

The incident exposed a contradiction in the treaty relationship.

The English wanted Native political leaders to honor agreements.

But they reserved the right to ignore those leaders when colonial survival seemed to require it.

This asymmetry would become increasingly important as English populations grew.

In 1621, Plymouth was vulnerable enough to need compromise.

Over the following decades, migration from England transformed the balance.

The Tisquantum episode belongs to the brief period when one interpreter could still become essential enough to disrupt diplomacy between a Native confederacy and an English colony.

The Man In The Middle

Historical intermediaries are often judged harshly because they rarely satisfy either side completely.