STORIES ON THE LANDSCAPE
THREADS OF OUR HISTORY
Sowams Heritage Area is a place where history and landscape are inseparable. Here, the interplay of land, water, and people has defined not only the culture of Sowams but the very fabric of our nation.
The pivotal events that happened on this landscape over centuries are the living, breathing narratives that continue to shape who we are today. As you explore these stories, you will uncover the lasting impact Sowams has had on the political, economic, and social heritage of the United States.
Explore the Five Key Themes (links below)
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Time & Place Where Two Worlds Met
Time and Place Where Two Worlds Met
In 1621 in their homeland of Sowams, the Pokanoket people, whose ancestors had lived in the region for 12,000 years, and the English settlers arriving on the Mayflower forged a 50-year a non-aggression treaty. Each saw their mutual survival in that watershed alliance, but their divergent concepts of law, land ownership, and personal freedom were worlds apart and would change the course of history.
Causes and Consequences of King Philip’s War
Causes and Consequences
of King Philip’s War
As the English colonists increasingly encroached on Indigenous lands, their alliance with the Pokanoket unraveled disastrously, erupting in the King Philip’s War, a devasting conflict that encompassed Indigenous and colonial communities throughout New England. After the war, the confiscation of Tribal lands, and the attempted cultural genocide, removal and enslavement of the Pokanoket and other Tribes, realigned the region based on race, setting a dangerous precedent for the subjugation of all Native Americans in the westward expansion across North America..
Freedom of Conscience and the Birth of Rhode Island
Freedom of Conscience
and the Birth of Rhode Island
As settlers moved westward fleeing communities that were governed by strict sectarian principles, Baptist leaders like Roger Williams and John Myles, and Quaker congregations in Somerset and Providence, championed religious toleration. Williams fostered a community where diverse beliefs coexist, laying the foundation for the concepts of freedom of conscience and separation of church and state, which are enshrined in Rhode Island’s charter.
The Era of Enslavementand Slave Trading
The Era of Enslavement
and Slave Trading
From the forced labor of Indigenous and African peoples to the economic prosperity it brought to the region, the legacy of enslavement in Sowams reflects the complex interplay of colonialism, global commerce, and human suffering. The industries that were established to support and supply the slave trading ships, including shipwrights, food suppliers, rum distilleries, and more, buoyed the economy of the entire Sowams region for over a hundred years and left a legacy of prosperity with deep roots in slave trading.
The Interplay Of Land and Water
The Interplay Of Land and Water
This place where land meets water on the northeastern watershed of Narragansett Bay has defined the history, cultural identities and economic evolution of Sowams for millennia. Providing access to both fresh and salt water, its network of tributaries has enriched the landscape and enabled transportation, trade, recreation, and industrial innovation for the communities who have called this place home. Over the past decades, the citizens of Sowams have developed a conservation ethic to preserve and protect open space and the watershed, which has become even more critical with climate change.
