Pequot War

Pequot War Definition

The Pequot War was the first sustained confrontation in the colonies, fought between the Puritan colonists of the New England colonies and the Pequot nation from 1636-1637.

The war ignited over religious, economic, and emotional ideologies and the belief that the Pequots were stifling colony expansion. Expansion was a main goal of the colony, and the colonists saw the Pequots as a direct threat to that goal. The Pequots had also made enemies of nearby Indigenous nations and as a result, the Narragansett and Mohegan nations joined the Puritan colonists to quell the power of the Pequots.

Pequot War Causes

The Pequot War had several contributing causes, but was mainly caused by the need to control trade. Such other causes included: population differences, competition for natural resources, and assumptions of colonists.

Population Differences

Population differences between Indigenous nations and English colonists varied greatly throughout English colonization. Thousands of English arrived between 1630 and 1633, severely outnumbering the Indigenous peoples and bringing European diseases.

Destruction of the Pequots in 1637. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

The Indigenous population suffered greatly from these diseases, including the great plague of 1616-1619. The Pequots specifically were hit with a smallpox epidemic in 1633, where large numbers of Indigenous people died. The vast population difference and decimation from disease set the stage for an unequally matched war.

Competition for Natural Resources

The increase in population initiated competition over natural resources between the Indigenous peoples and the colonists. Colonial expansion was a principal goal for all colonists entering America. Each colony wanted as much land for themselves as possible. However, as the colonists encroached on Indigenous land, settlers had difficulty in compromising.

February 22, 1637 by Charles Reinhard, 1890. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

Many Puritan leaders believed that the Pequots did not own the land and stated they had no right. Instead, the leaders believed that the colonists had a right to the land because of their royal charter, which gave them the right to establish and operate a settlement. Historian Alfred A. Cave commented on the opinion of the Puritans, stating:

Assumptions from English Colonists

Early English colonial sentiment and rationalization regarding the Indigenous peoples was bleak. Puritans, like other colonists, were dependent upon Indigenous peoples for survival. As they arrived at the colonies, Puritans established preconceived notions about the Indigenous population. Most Puritans believed that all Indigenous peoples were savage and were Satan worshipers based on their culture and behavior.

Governor Endicott landing on Block Island at the start of the Pequot War. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

Indigenous culture confirmed the Puritan's self-imposed moral and religious superiority, and gave them the grounds to take land and use violence in acquiring land for the colonies. Ultimately, Indigenous peoples were perceived as the physical manifestation of evil in man. In the religious narrative of the Puritans, the Indigenous made a great foe against God and his people.

Indigenous Peoples' Alliances with Puritans

Other Indigenous nations viewed early Puritan settlements as potential alliances against the Pequot. The Pequot had dominated other nations of the Massachusetts Bay Area, and in the Algonquin language they were known as "destroyers of men."²

Wampum Trade and passing of a wampum belt 1897. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

The Pequot successfully controlled other nations and the wampum and fur trade. The Pequot maintained control through marriage, warfare, and diplomacy. In response, the Narragansett and Mohegan nations allied themselves with the New England colonists to overtake the Pequot.

The Puritans had many reasons for going to war; economic, religious, and emotional gain was at hand if the Pequots did not exist. The Pequots were seen as a direct threat to the Puritans' mission in preserving Christian values.

Pequot War Summary

The following is a timeline of events before and after the Pequot War.

The assumptions of the Puritans were confirmed when the Pequots attacked and killed Captain John Stone, Captain Walter Norton, and their crew in 1634. Details of the killings are muddled, but the Pequot killed the captains and the entire crew. The Pequots argued their actions to be justified because of an earlier act from settlers. However, the English disagreed and demanded that the offenders be given to the colonists.

Both sides entered attempted peace negotiations, reaching completion in fall 1634. However, the shaky peace agreement did nothing to ease the building tensions between the two groups. Then in 1636, the Pequots struck again, killing Captain John Oldham, an English fur-trader. The already burning tensions and the English deaths disintegrated any chance of peace between the two groups.

Pequot War Map

Before the arrival of English colonists, the Pequots had a substantial population of about 8,000 people that encompassed roughly 250 square miles.

Map of Indigenous land in Colonial America. Source: Nikater, CC-BY-SA-3.0 Wikimedia Commons

Mystic Massacre

One of the most significant and brutal events of the Pequot War was the Mystic Massacre. A military force of armed English Puritans marched to a Pequot settlement known as the Mystic community and set it on fire on 26 May 1637.

An illustration of the Mystic Massacre Battle by John Underhil in 1638. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

Over 500 Pequots died in what became known as the Mystic Massacre. Encircling the community, the colonists made sure no Pequot escaped the blaze by surrounding them with a firing squad and men with swords. Pequots who were not killed or burned alive were sold and became enslaved people in the Caribbean.

The War continued for a few months after, including the last major battle of the Fairfield Swamp Fight in July 1637. The Pequot were eventually defeated, and other surrounding nations surrendered to English authority. The Pequot nation was dissolved, and its remaining members were forced to join other Indigenous nations under the 1638 Hartford Treaty.

Pequot War Significance

The Pequot War was the first sustained war between Indigenous peoples and colonists from 1636 to 1637. The eradication of the Pequot nation was beneficial for both Puritan colonists and rival Indigenous nations. Claiming victory over the Pequot would launch the Mohegan to incredible influence over other Indigenous nations. However, the Mohegan saw their power diminish, and history repeated itself when King Philip's War erupted in 1675.

The Pequot War caused the Connecticut River to open, and Puritans could continue colonization. This expansion led to other Indigenous nations losing land and influence. Ultimately, the Pequot War was just the start of what would ultimately be the end of Indigenous power in the colonies.