Editing Martha's Vineyard (section)

====Attempted annexation by Rhode Island (1684)====
In 1682, Matthew Mayhew succeeded his grandfather as Governor and Chief Magistrate, and occasionally preached to the Native Americans. He was also appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Dukes county in 1697, and remained on the bench until 1700. He was judge of probate from 1696 to 1710.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Davis|first1=William|title=Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Volume 2|publisher=Boston History Company}}</ref> In 1683, [[Dukes County, New York]] was incorporated, including Martha's Vineyard. In 1691, at the collapse of rule by Sir [[Edmund Andros]] and the reorganization of Massachusetts as a royal colony, Dukes County was transferred to the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]], and split into the county of [[Dukes County, Massachusetts]] and [[Nantucket County, Massachusetts]].{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}Following the revocation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter in 1684, [[William Coddington Jr.]], who was governor of [[Rhode Island]] at the time, attempted to seize Martha's Vineyard through a group of militia as "reparations for former damages of past leaders made by the settlers,"<ref name="auto">{{cite book |last1=Peterson |first1=Edward |title=History of Rhode Island |date=2015 |publisher=FB&C Limited |isbn=9781331376668 |url=https://www.ebay.com/itm/134883422154?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A10WlrM_KwQgiL7dC9b2cQgg43&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-166974-028196-7&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=134883422154&targetid=2206408420304&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9002049&poi=21172&campaignid=20452027649&mkgroupid=147588966890&rlsatarget=pla-2206408420304&abcId=9319472&merchantid=566619504&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnrOtBhDIARIsAFsSe50d6iZFp6hiDFxb4LAu1PiMoXmuEAZ8fZumZucm4Kg1b2yoTRKtLh8aAmzEEALw_wcB |access-date=January 21, 2024}}</ref> most likely referring to the [[Puritan]] actions on [[Rhode Island]] leaders [[Roger Williams]] and [[Anne Hutchinson]], as well as annex threats made by Massachusetts. It is possible that [[William Coddington Jr.|Coddington]] only wanted to annex Martha's Vineyard due to its proximity to Rhode Island and the fact that it would have taken more labor for colonists in Massachusetts to reach Martha's Vineyard before Rhode Island could obtain full control of the island. The plan flopped: on the week that was taken to go to the island, Rhode Island militiamen were deployed in a group of three boats and "upon seeing men on Martha's Vineyard, the men immediately fled the vicinity of the island and returned home after The Governor dispatched them from their duties and made the plan defunct".<ref name="auto"/> There is still wide debate as to who told leaders from Massachusetts about the plan. One story has prevailed, that a traveler going to and from Rhode Island and Massachusetts for business purposes heard the claim and reported it back to officials in Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Laxton |first1=Glenn |title=Hidden History of Rhode Island |date=November 27, 2009 |publisher=Arcadia |isbn=9781625843036 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5cl2CQAAQBAJ |access-date=January 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Dresser |first1=Thomas |title=Hidden History of Martha's Vineyard |date=April 17, 2017 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing (SC) |isbn=978-1540215826 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Middleton and Lombard |first1=Richard and Anne |title=Colonial America: A History to 1763 |date=May 2, 2011 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1405190046 |edition=4}}</ref> Massachusetts, specifically Martha's Vineyard, was not intimidated by this attempt and thought Rhode Island to be weaker because of their immediate retreat.

As for the history following the attempted annexation, Native American literacy in the schools founded by Thomas Mayhew Jr. and taught by [[Peter Foulger|Peter Folger]] (the grandfather of [[Benjamin Franklin]]) was such that the first Native American graduates of Harvard were from Martha's Vineyard, including the son of Hiacoomes, [[Joel Hiacoomes]]. "The ship Joel Hiacoomes was sailing on, as he was returning to Boston from a trip home shortly before the graduation ceremonies, was found wrecked on the shores of Nantucket Island. [[Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck|Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk]], the son of a sachem of Homes Hole, did graduate from Harvard in the class of 1665."<ref>Moneghan, E.J., 2005, p.&nbsp;59.</ref> Cheeshahteaumauk's Latin address to the corporation (New England Corporation), which begins "Honoratissimi benefactores" (most honored benefactors), has been preserved.<ref>Gookin, as quoted in Monaghan, 2005, p.&nbsp;60.</ref> In addition to speaking Wampanoag and [[English language|English]], they studied Hebrew, classical Greek, and Latin. All of the early Native American graduates died shortly after completing their course of study. Many native preachers on the island, however, also preached in the [[Christianity|Christian]] churches from time to time.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}[[File:House next door to the Old Whaling Church.jpg|thumb|Historic house next to the Whaling Church]]

Mayhew's successor as leader of the community was the Hon. Leavitt Thaxter,<ref>{{cite book|title=Contemporaneous writings from Thaxter describe his increasing affinity for the Native Americans and their customs|quote=They are kind and considerate to one another and especially to the poor, Leavitt noted|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bi5f99F9glAC&q=%22leavitt+thaxter%22&pg=PA247|access-date=January 18, 2015|isbn=9780521842808|date=April 4, 2005|last1=Silverman|first1=David J.|last2=Silverman|first2=David L.|publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref> who married Martha Mayhew, a descendant of Thomas Mayhew, and was an Edgartown educator described by Indian Commissioner [[John Milton Earle]] as "a long and steadfast friend to the Indians."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lbd8VHi8HjgC&q=%22leavitt+thaxter%22&pg=PA196|title=After King Philip's War|access-date=January 18, 2015|isbn=9780874518191|year=1997|last1=Calloway|first1=Colin Gordon}}</ref> After living in [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], Thaxter, a lawyer,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5vMBAAAAYAAJ&q=%22leavitt+thaxter%22&pg=PA92|title=The Massachusetts Register and United States Calendar for the Year of Our ..|access-date=January 18, 2015|year=1847}}</ref> returned home to Edgartown, where he took over the school founded by his father, Rev. Joseph Thaxter,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/annalsamericanu00spragoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/annalsamericanu00spragoog/page/n119 85]|quote=joseph thaxter leavitt thaxter.|title=Annals of the American Unitarian Pulpit|publisher=R. Carter & brothers|access-date=January 18, 2015|year=1865|last1=Sprague|first1=William Buell}}</ref><ref>One of the first chaplains in the [[Continental Army]], Rev. Thaxter was wounded at the [[Battle of Bunker Hill]]. On June 17, 1835, Thaxter returned to the battleground and officiated as chaplain at ceremonies laying the cornerstone for the [[Bunker Hill Monument]]</ref> and served in the State [[Massachusetts House of Representatives|House]] and the [[Massachusetts Senate|Senate]], was a member of the [[Massachusetts Governor's Council]], and later served as [[United States Customs Service|U. S. Customs Collector]] for Martha's Vineyard.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qwN_i3tIDIYC&q=%22leavitt+thaxter%22&pg=PA67|title=Memorials of Elder John White, One of the First Settlers of Hartford, Conn ..|access-date=January 18, 2015|year=1860|last1=Kellogg|first1=Allyn Stanley}}</ref> Having rechristened his father's Edgartown school Thaxter Academy, on February 15, 1845, Thaxter was granted the sum of $50 per year for "the support of William Johnson, an Indian of the Chappequiddic tribe." By this time, Leavitt Thaxter<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cdm.reed.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/colhist&CISOPTR=150&CISOBOX=1&REC=10|title=Reed Digital Collections : Item Viewer|publisher=Cdm.reed.edu|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> had taken on the role, described in an act passed by the [[General Court of Massachusetts]], as "guardian of the Indians and people of color resident at Chappequiddic and Indiantown in the County of Dukes County."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ehgRAAAAYAAJ&q=%22leavitt+thaxter%22&pg=RA2-PA593|title=Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Court|access-date=January 18, 2015|year=1845|author1=Massachusetts }}</ref> Thaxter Academy, founded by Leavitt Thaxter as first principal in 1825, became known for educating both white and Native American youth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.vineyard.net/hfnorton/history.htm|title=The History of Martha's Vineyard by Henry Franklin Norton, 1923|publisher=History.vineyard.net|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref>