The pequot war was an armed conflict that took place between 1636 and 1638 in new england between the pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists of the massachusetts bay, plymouth, and saybrook colonies and their allies from the narragansett and mohegan tribes. Mashantucket pequot research library the pequot war bibliography aylmer, kevin j. The massachusetts and connecticut settlers from england and their allies captured or killed most of the pequots. Pequot war simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The english settlers vowed to retaliate against the american indians, and on august 25, massachusetts raised a. Connecticut soldiers in the pequot war of 1637 19 james shepard follow this and additional works at. Learn about the preliminary events, the conflict, and the outcome of the pequot war. Nov 28, 2012 the outbreak of the pequot war 163637 is best understood through an examination of the cultural, political, and economic changes that occurred after the arrival of the dutch in 1611 and the english in the early 1630s. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. Native american facts for kids was written for young people learning about the pequots for school or homeschooling reports. English role in the pequot war strangers in our land. On may 1, 1637, connecticut colony declared war against the pequot. Hundreds of people were killed, and hundreds more were sold as slaves in the west indies.
As new arrivals began to crowd the coastal areas, puritan colonists began to look to their west, into territory controlled by the pequots and their allies, for additional lands. Connecticut declares war against the pequot today in. The pequot lost their homeland and the vast majority of their people during and in the months following the brief but deadly massacre in 1637 known as the pequot war. They also marveled over european books, and the ability of europeans to communicate with people far away. Before the pequot war 16361637, pequot territory was approximately 250 square miles in southeastern connecticut. The pequot war was fought between the pequot indians and english colonists of massachusetts bay, connecticut and plymouth colonies. The mashantucket pequot museum and research center is identifying and preserving battlefields.
At the time of the war, the pequot resided in what is now southeastern connecticut. Captain john mason of windsor was assigned command of the expedition to fight the pequots by the connecticut general court of 1637. This war saw the elimination of the pequot in new england, and is exemplary of the puritan use of genocide towards native americans. Fought between the pequot tribe and the english colonists with their american indian allies. Pequot war was an armed conflict in 16341638 between an alliance of massachusetts bay and plymouth colonies, with native american allies the narragansett and mohegan tribes, against the pequot tribe. The mashantucket pequot museum and research center is identifying and preserving battlefields and historical sites associated with the pequot war. Drawing on archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological evidences to trace. Indeed, it is entirely possible that uncass warning to the colonists, apprising them of pequot war intentions, was a fabrication meant to provoke combat. Pequot war connecticut history a cthumanities project. The pequot war for apush the pequot war the pequot war was fought between the pequot indians and english colonists of massachusetts bay, connecticut and plymouth colonies. The author presents an excellent unbiased look into the causes of the pequot war. Pequot war, war fought in 163637 by the pequot people against english settlers from the massachusetts bay, connecticut, and saybrook colonies and their native american allies including the narragansett and mohegan that eliminated the pequot as an impediment to english colonization of southern new england. Not only does he push to persuade the baymen to desist from war a.
Some native americans are taking on the thanksgiving myth by. The new england indians were not that formally organized. Pequot war 16361637 though the major engagements of the pequot war took place within a twoyear span, the conflict had much earlier roots. Battlefields of the pequot war mashantucket pequot museum. Then two years later, captain john oldham was killed by the niantic pequot allies as he came to block island.
As the colonists expanded westward, friction began to develop. In the 17th century the pequot tribe, rival of the narragansett, was centered along the thames river in presentday southeast connecticut. Macdonald steers, 2 books ethel paxson, 2 books eugene keyarts, 2 books claire leavitt macdowell, 2 books jane griffith, 2 books george grotz, 1 book joan webber, 1 book j. Even for a presentday society, this task is fraught with perils.
Chris newell speaks to the crowd at the mashantucket pequot. Background of pequot war the decade of the 1630s in colonial america was a time of great migration and expansion. University of massachusetts press, 1996 history 219 pages. What follows are some reprints, and then some transcribed excerpts from his account of the war printed several years later. Oldham and his crew were murdered in his boat off of block island.
Puritans viewed the pequots as obstacles to expansion and threats to the success of their holy experiment in the wilderness. The pequot war of 163637 paved the way for the establishment of english hegemony in southern new england. Jul 28, 2019 pequot massacres begin during the pequot war, an allied puritan and mohegan force under english captain john mason attacks a pequot village in connecticut, burning or massacring some 500 indian. At the end, about 700 pequots had been killed or taken into captivity. If you are tired of picking up a history book and getting a biased take on. Over the past quarter of a century, this war has been the subject of extensive scholarly discussion and controversy.
At the end of the war, about 700 pequots had been killed or captured. The massachusetts and connecticut settlers from england and their allies captured or killed most of the pequots this article uses the term tribe to describe various bands of indians. After the pequot paid ransom to get him back, the dutch executed the chief. Many of the pequot gradually drifted away from the confines of their small reservations, and their numbers in connecticut continued to decline until there were only 66 by the time of the 1910 census.
Pequot massacres begin during the pequot war, an allied puritan and mohegan force under english captain john mason attacks a pequot village in connecticut. Pequot war in the 17th century the pequot tribe, rival of the narragansett, was centered along the thames river in presentday southeast connecticut. Connecticut soldiers in the pequot war of 1637 19, by james shepard pdf at unl. This article uses the term tribe to describe various bands of indians. Pequot war was an armed conflict in 16341638 between an alliance of massachusetts bay and plymouth colonies, with native american allies the narragansett and mohegan tribes, against the. Traditionally and historically pequot territory before the time of the war consisted of approximately 250 square miles in southeastern connecticut.
Cramer history 450 december 6, 1993 one of the most hazardous tasks a historian tackles is determining what motivated the actions of a past society. The pequot war was an armed conflict that took place between 1636 and 1638 in new england between the pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists of the massachusetts bay, plymouth, and saybrook colonies. Pequot massacres begin during the pequot war, an allied puritan and mohegan force under english captain john mason attacks a pequot village in connecticut, burning or massacring some 500 indian. After years of confrontations over land, trade, and livestock, the connecticut colony formally declared war on the pequot and their allies on may 1, 1637. The pequot war in early new england is one of the most frequently cited but least understood. Mashantucket pequot research library pequot war primary. Zinns account of the pequot war is a microcosm of his book as a whole which is little more than an 800page libel against his country. Life after death experience nde with steve gardipee, vietnam war story one of the. A masterful analysis of events and beliefs that led up to the peqout war. The conflict, though, had started well before the colonys 1637 declaration.
The settlers were helped by native american groups including the narragansett and mohegan tribes. Written around 1670, and published in part in 1677 although misattributed by increase mather to john allyn, the complete text was issued by thomas prince in 1736. Mashantucket pequot research library pequot war primary sources. Cave refutes claims that settlers acted defensively to counter a pequot conspiracy to exterminate europeans. This book offers the first fullscale analysis of the pequot war 163637, a pivotal event in new england colonial history. Europeans, indians, and the origins of the pequot war of 1637. The pequot war in 1637 saw the virtual elimination of the pequot indians as a tribe. A minister named alexander young wrongly conflated the two in a footnote in a book he wrote in 1841. It has come to our attention that some individuals have made false claims regarding their participation on the film mystic voices. Points of tension included unfair trading, the sale of alcohol, destruction of pequot crops by colonial cattle and competition over hunting grounds.
History of the pequot war, or, a relation of the war between the powerful. The precipitating cause of the pequot war was the murder of john oldham on july 20, 1636. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Unfortunately, the participants have falsely listed themselves as having worked in a number of capacities for. Drawing on archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological evidences to trace the evolution of. Containing, a true relation of their warlike proceedings there two years last past, with a figure of the indian fort, or palizado. This article explores the aftermath of the pequot war of 163638. This marked the first declared war in connecticut between an indigenous people and english colonists. Kennedy hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. The english settlers vowed to retaliate against the american indians, and on august 25, massachusetts raised a military force under the command of john endecott. Its one of many efforts to push for a more accurate and inclusive. Today, this area includes the towns of groton, ledyard, stonington, north stonington and southern parts of preston and griswold. The war concluded with the decisive defeat of the pequots. Pequot war, war fought in 163637 by the pequot people against a coalition of english settlers from the massachusetts bay, connecticut, and saybrook colonies and their native american allies including the narragansett and mohegan that eliminated the pequot as an impediment to english colonization of southern new england.
The pequot war and the origins of slavery in new england. I read obscure history books every single day, always on the look for some new civilization to fall in love with the iroquois. It stemmed from decades of tension and antagonism between not only the english colonists and the pequot but involving dutch settlers and. History of the pequot war, or, a relation of the war between the powerful nation of pequot indians, once inhabiting the coast of new england, westerly from near narragansett bay and the english inhabitants, in the year 1638. Pequot war in perspective the roots of the pequot war can be traced to puritan land hunger, a negative view of native culture, the puritan sense of mission, preconceptions, and misperceptions.
Famous for the mystic massacre, where over 500 pequot were slaughtered in a blaze. Axelrod 18 historians suggest a variety of reasons for this change of plans, ranging from its relative proximity mason 26 to a deliberate choice to avoid a battle and instead to have. Part of the american studies commons shepard, james, connecticut soldiers in the pequot war of 1637 19 19. For that reason, historians have generally agreed that it is one of the most important events in early american history. Battles in the war began in 1636 and continued until the treaty of hartford. A brief history of the pequot war 1736 john masons posthumously published account is the most complete contemporary history of the pequot war of 1636 1637. Pequot warriors joined mohegan war parties, one of which captured the narragansett sachem canonchet during the king philips war 167576. Through an innovative rereading of the puritan sources, alfred a. We encourage students and teachers to look through our main pequot page for indepth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with pequot pictures and links we believe are. Helen bourne joy lee, 4 books williams haynes, 3 books clarence e. Hale, 2 books david poran, 2 books david morris roth, 2 books b.
Fighting along with the english colonists were their indian allies from the narragansett and mohegan tribes. After more than 375 years, the pequot war 16361637 remains one of the most controversial and significant events in colonial and native history of america. The pequot war was an armed conflict between 16341638 between the pequot tribe against an alliance of the massachusetts bay, plymouth, and saybrook colonies who were aided by their native american allies the narragansett and mohegan tribes. Between 1634 and 1638 the population of the massachusetts bay colony rose from about four thousand to more than eleven thousand all as a result of migration from england. Wargame scenarios retelling the story of the pequot war in new england, july 1636 to september 1638 by michael stelzer paperback online at lulu.