Maryland Indians and Money

The Maryland Indians made their money out of shells. They would shine and polish the shells until they looked like glass. They would also drill a hole in them. The money the Maryland Indians made out of clam shells were called peak. They also called it wampum-peak. Peak was usually purple or white. Another kind of shell that they used was cockle, they called cockle roanke. Roanke was not polished, it was broken into pieces but it had holes drilled through it. Roanke was the least valuable money kind of like our dollars I guess.

They traded with other indian tribes too. They would get copper and sea shells from other indian tribes as well as from the water where they live. Later on when the settlers came the indians started to trade with them. They would give the settlers food. They also traded beaver, otter, mink, and deer skins for tiny bells, colored beads, clay pipes, and iron knives, fish hooks, and axes. The indians also wanted guns and rifles, but the settlers would not trade guns with the indians for fear that they would hurt themselves or someone else. They also got salt and metal cooking pots. They liked matchcoats a lot. Matchcoats are a kind of cloak that was made of coarse wool. Many indians got the firearms from dishonest settlers, or from other colonies.

Ashley

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Patricia A. Weeg

pweeg@shore.intercom.net

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