In may of 1637 captins john underhill and john mason struck the pequot settlement in mystic. The image depicts the attack on the pequot fortified village at mystic on june 5, 1637. 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. In 1637, captain john underhill was given command of the massachusetts bay forces by the massachusetts general court. The pequot war 1637 was between the pequot tribe and english colonists. Society of colonial wars in the state of connecticut. Cave refutes claims that settlers acted defensively to counter a pequot conspiracy to exterminate europeans. Mashantucket pequot museum and research center 1 please do not publish without permission of the author. John underhill was second in command to john mason and the woodcut is considered an accurate depiction of the attack which left over 400 pequot men, women.
Less than half are believed to have survived the pequot war of that year. The pequot war 16371638 was a conflict between the pequot tribe and the english colonists of the massachusetts bay, plymouth, and saybrook. At this time, the pequot tribe was centered along the thames river in presentday southeast connecticut and as colonists expanded westward, friction began to develop. The pequot war killed all but a handful of remaining members of the tribe.
Fighting along with the english colonists were their indian allies from the narragansett and mohegan tribes. Connecticut soldiers in the pequot war of 1637 james shepard on. The woodcut was included in john underhills account of the pequot war published in london in 1638. In 1637 near present day groton, connecticut, over 700 men, women and children of the pequot tribe had gathered for their annual green corn festival which is our thanksgiving celebration. Cutter, in other works, states that william crosse was in america by 1637, when he served in the pequot war, and had owned land by 1644. The pequot war was an armed conflict spanning the years 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. Wargame scenarios retelling the story of the pequot war in new england, july 1636 to september 1638 by michael stelzer paperback online at lulu. This armed conflict was fought between the pequot tribe and an alliance of the massachusetts bay, plymouth, and saybrook colonies with their american indian allies the narragansett and mohegan tribes. Background of pequot war the decade of the 1630s in colonial america was a time of great migration and expansion. In 1637 the puritans waged a genocidal war against the pequots, the most powerful tribe in southern new england. The 1630s were a period of great unrest along the connecticut river as various native american groups battled for political power and control of. What are the causes and effects of the pequot war answers. I, 1637, calling for fortytwo men from hartford, illirty from wintlsor ant1 eighteen from wetlerstield colonial xecortls, vol. Drawing on archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological evidences to trace.
The war concluded with the decisive defeat of the pequots. Mashantucket pequot research library pequot war primary sources bibliography primary narratives and accounts gardener, lion. He has appeared on the history channel as a featured expert. The pequot war was fought between the pequot indians and english colonists of massachusetts bay, connecticut and plymouth colonies.
An epidemic of small pox had swept through the native american tribes of the northeast and caused tension everywhere. Mcbride this paper examines the historiography and primary sources associated with the pequot war 16361637 in the context of reconstructing battlefields of the pequot war. This book offers the first fullscale analysis of the pequot war 163637, a pivotal event in new england colonial history. Two main purposes guided the writing of the pequot war for alfred a. Pequot war connecticut history a cthumanities project.
Pequot massacres begin during the pequot war, an allied puritan and mohegan force under english captain john mason attacks a pequot village in connecticut. By the spring of 1637, english colonists and traders had been killed by the pequot, and massachusetts bay governor john endecott organized a large military force to punish the indians. 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. The pequot tribe numbered 8,000 when the pilgrims arrived, but disease had brought their numbers down to 1,500 by 1637. The pequot war was one of the bloodiest indian wars ever fought. Pequot war 16361637 though the major engagements of the pequot war took place within a twoyear span, the conflict had much earlier roots. 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 war ended with the destruction of the village of mystic. Learn about the preliminary events, the conflict, and the outcome of the pequot war. English role in the pequot war strangers in our land.
The story of the pequot war is an american story, a key element in our colonial history. The first levy of ninety men for war against the pequots was made may. The pequot war in 1637 saw the virtual elimination of the pequot indians as a tribe. This book refutes claims that the settlers acted defensively to counter a pequot conspiracy. An analysis of the pequot war 16361637, a pivotal event in new england colonial history. Especially of the memorable taking of their fort at mistick in connecticut in 1637. Here are some excerpts from his description of the war. So next time you see the annual pilgrim and indian display in a shopping window or history about other massacres of native americans, think of the hurt and disrespect native americans feel. If the mohegan are included, the pequot probably numbered around 6,000 in 1620. The pequot war started in 1637 and had great consequences. 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.
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. On april 23, 200 pequot warriors responded defiantly to the colonial mobilization by attacking a connecticut settlement. 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. After years of peace, puritan settlers mounted a brutal assault on the pequot indians of connecticut. 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. The pequot war was an armed conflict fought between the pequot tribe and an alliance of the massachusetts bay, plymouth, and saybrook colonies with their american indian allies the narragansett and mohegan tribes. Kennedy hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. While the connecticut settlers were busy in clearing fields for tillage, building rude but substantial houses of logs and stones, and opening roads, trouble with the indians commenced. Overall, the book is very well presented and flows naturally. Mashantucket pequot research library pequot war primary. However, the pequot war 16361638 the first major conflict between colonists and an indigenous new england people had a devastating impact on the tribe. Hear edward lodi talk about his latest book, the pequot war. University of massachusetts press, 1996 history 219 pages. Puritans viewed the pequots as obstacles to expansion and threats to the success of their holy experiment in the wilderness.
The present thanksgiving may be a mixture of the 1621 threeday feast and the thanksgiving proclaimed after the 1637 pequot massacre. A band of roving narragansetts had killed a trader named oldham, at block island. This lecture covers all the basics of the pequot war for u. Some members of the boston church refuse to join the expedition because john wilson is the chaplain. Connecticut soldiers in the pequot war of 1637 19 by. 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.
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. Plymouth, massachusetts, and connecticut colonies decide to fight pequots together. After a major smallpox epidemic during the winter of 163334 and the separation of the mohegan, there were still about 3,000 pequot in 1637. 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. Through an innovative rereading of the puritan sources, alfred a. This war was the first serious armed conflict between native people and colonist of new england. Pequot war 1637 conflict between an alliance of massachusetts bay and plymouth colonies, with american indian allies the narragansett, and mohegan indians, against the pequot indians. When the pequot war formally ended, many tribal members had been killed and others placed in slavery or under the control of other tribes. 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. Even for a presentday society, this task is fraught with perils. 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. This war saw the elimination of the pequot in new england, and is exemplary of the puritan use of genocide towards native americans. 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.
After the war, the colonists enslaved survivors and outlawed the name pequot. At the time of the war, the pequot resided in what is now southeastern connecticut. The plan of the compiler is to present, for the first time, a complete list of the connecticut men in the pequot war, as given in various compilations of the several authors who have made a special study of the subject in connection with the history of one. King philips war also known as the first indian war, the great narragansett war or metacoms rebellion took place in southern new england from 1675 to. With proof of service, a brief record for identification, and references to various publications in which further data may be found. Especially of the memorable taking of their fort at mistick connecticut in 1637. Battles in the war began in 1636 and continued until the treaty of hartford was signed in 1638. Drawing on archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological evidences to trace the evolution of.
188 1482 8 1166 1411 1480 1019 837 292 121 888 1292 551 178 474 454 1110 1268 1147 1304 257 533 416 864 1253 443 952 1146 877 21 446 1486 1428 898 40