Talk:History of Yarmouth, Maine

Balancing and expanding the history

Lots of interesting information in here, but it seems like the history lacks context and whole-sidedness. It's told mainly from the perspective of the colonists, and killings by Natives are presented as acts of senseless violence (whereas violence against Natives is absent). Apologies I don't have the bandwidth or technical expertise to work on this further right now, I raise these concerns simply as someone who grew up in this town eager to have a more accurate history out there.

Suggested areas for improvement:

(1) Specify what Indian nation or nations were present previous to the settlers. I believe it's Aucocisco and Arosaguntacook of the Eastern Abenaki. According to this article: "The area now known as Yarmouth, Maine was originally called Westcustogo, and was inhabited by the Aucocisco and Arosaguntacook, Abenaki peoples who would later become part of the Wabenaki Confederacy."

(2) Give context to the violence and the start of King Williams war. Why did the violence first break out here? For example:

(a) From an account by August Merrill from 1898: "[Natives] regarded the plantations at North Yarmouth as a direct encroachment and violation of treaties. The excellent physical advantages mentioned above, their burial place on Lane's Island, near at hand, and the strategic importance of the place in regard to the other towns, led them to resist its occupation by the whites, with a hostility more unconquerable, far reaching and deadly, than they exhibited towards most other settlements in the state."

(b) From this 1922 history by Mary Sweetser: "The plantation of North Yarmouth they regarded as a direct encroachment and a violation of treaty"

(3) Following this... Clarify, which treaty or treaties were broken? Was it the Treaty of Casco? What were the terms of the treaty?

(4) Getting into the 18th century, what was the impact of the bounties put out on Natives, for example this 1757 bounty on Native scalps? Some more context about war declared against the Indians during this time is needed. This article seems to have some information. An extensive documentation of bounties in the wider area can be found here.

(5) Some general data (inasmuch as it was documented) about Indians killed, how and when land was taken, etc. would be useful.

SeamusConor (talk) 19:52, 3 March 2022 (UTC)