Some 50 Mashpee Wampanoag young men fought in the Revolutionary War, or about one-fifth of the entire Barnstable County resistance as some historians report.

“It cannot be denied that Mashpee manifested a spirit of genuine patriotism during the American Revolutionary War. The States of Massachusetts and Connecticut during the American Revolutionary War sent one soldier for every seven of population, which was a larger proportion than that of any other state. From the list of those who served from Mashpee, it can be seen that Mashpee sent one soldier for every six (5.77) of population. Almost all Wampanoags. Of that number 25% gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country and never lived to see their new nation.”

Many who volunteered for the war believed that the talk of freedom would extend to Native Americans once they were victorious. Sadly, the Tribe is still seeking the freedom to live as a tribal nation that includes a small piece of the Tribe’s ancestral homeland.

The information on the percent that served from all the states including Mass and Ct is from The History of Medfield, Massachusetts 1650-1886 by William S. Tilden, page 180