King Philip’s Heir { 1835–1836 }

This chapter focuses on William Apess's sermon about the history of Native Americans, with particular emphasis on his eulogy on King Philip of the Wampanoags. With the path cleared for the Mashpee Indians' incorporation as a state-recognized district if not quite yet a town, the tribe returned to normal business. However, a rift had opened between Apess and some members of the tribe. Without a regular ministry in Mashpee, Apess also at this point periodically returned to the Boston area. He published Indian Nullification of the Unconstitutional Laws of Massachusetts Relative to the Marshpee Tribe; or, The Pretended Riot Explained. The rest of this chapter examines the various reactions to Indian Nullification, particularly that of Boston antiquary and bookseller Samuel Gardner Drake, who claimed that it was the traveler William Joseph Snelling who wrote the book.