Samoset, an Abenaki leader was the first American Indian known to make contact with the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony in New England. He walked into the Plymouth Colony on March 16, 1621, and startled them by greeting them in English, saying "Welcome, Englishmen!.
Samoset was visiting from modern-day Maine where he had learned English from fishermen. He went on to become a crucial interpreter, facilitating a peace treaty with the Wampanoag leader Massasoit, and introducing them to Squanto. He went on to help with and provided critical information about the local area, before returning home.
