The Pequot War — 17 Things Every American Should Know

The Pequot War (1634–1638) was the first war in the New England area between English colonists and Native American Indians. The English and their Indian allies won, nearly exterminated the Pequot, and took control of the Connecticut River Valley.

Lieutenant Lion Gardiner and his men fight the Pequot at Fort Saybrook.Photo byWikipedia

Overview of the Pequot War

The Pequot War was the first war between the English colonists in the New England Colonies and the Native American Indian tribes in the region. In 1614, the Dutch started trading with the Pequot Indians in the Connecticut River Valley.

Within a few years, the English — Pilgrims from Plymouth and Puritans from Massachusetts — moved into the area and started new settlements. When the English arrived, it disrupted the flow of trade between the Dutch, the Pequot, and other tribes in the valley.

After English traders, including John Stone, were killed, Massachusetts Bay responded by attacking the Pequot — in Connecticut territory. Soon after, the Pequot launched attacks on Connecticut settlements at Fort Saybrook and Wethersfield.

On May 1, 1637, Connecticut declared war on the Pequots and their allies. Later that month, hundreds of Pequot people were killed at the Massacre at Mystic.

Over the next few months, soldiers from Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay, along with warriors from various tribes, including the Narragansett, virtually eliminated the Pequot. After the fighting ended, a treaty was signed that gave Connecticut control of the Connecticut River Valley and sold the surviving Pequot into slavery.

17 Things to Know About the Pequot War

1. The Pequot People lived in the Connecticut River Valley, along the Thames River. They wanted to control trade with the Dutch, which primarily consisted of furs and wampum. Over time, the Pequot took control of the other tribes throughout southeastern Connecticut. As the English from Massachusetts Bay spread out into southeastern Connecticut, it broke the control the Pequots had on trade in the region and led to the Pequot War.

2. The year before the war started, in 1633, nearly 75% of the Pequot died due to a smallpox epidemic.

3. In the summer of 1634, the members of an English trading expedition, led by John Stone, were murdered by the Pequot. Two years later, on July 20, 1636, John Oldham was killed by the Manisses of Block Island. The murders concerned the people of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the government decided to take action.

4. Massachusetts Bay responded by attacking the Indians on Block Island and then attacking the Pequot village on the Thames River, in Connecticut territory. Colonel John Endecott led the military expedition.

5. Connecticut leaders, including Lieutenant Lion Gardiner, were upset that Endecott had led Massachusetts forces in attacks on the Pequot in their territory. Despite this, Gardiner provided men to help Endecott carry out the raid on the village on the Thames River.

6. The Pequot responded by laying siege to Fort Saybrook for nearly a year.

7. During that time, the Pequot tried to negotiate a treaty with the Narragansett. However, Roger Williams of Rhode Island convinced the Narragansett to remain allied to Rhode Island.

8. On April 23, 1637, Puritan settlers from Wethersfield were traveling to their fields in the Great Meadow, along the Connecticut River. They were attacked by a force of around 200 Pequot warriors. Nine men and women were killed and two girls were taken prisoner.

9. Connecticut responded by declaring war on May 1, 1637.

10. The Mohegans, Narragansetts, and Niantics joined Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay against the Pequot.

11. The English and their allies attacked the Pequot village at Mystic, which was lightly defended. Most of the Pequot warriors, led by their chief, Sassacus, were at another village, near present-day Groton, Connecticut. The Mystic Massacre took place on May 26, 1637. Hundreds of Pequot men, women, and children were killed and the village was destroyed.

Captain John Mason attacks the Pequot during the Mystic Massacre.Photo byWikipedia

12. The English and their allies eventually tracked Sassacus to a swamp near present-day New Haven. From July 13–14, 1637, the English and their allies trapped the Pequots in a swamp and slowly closed in on them. A small number of Pequots were able to escape the Great Swamp Fight. The rest were killed or taken captive.

13. Sassacus and his group were spotted by Indians who were allied with the English near present-day Dover Plains, New York. The Indians attacked, but Sassacus and his group were able to fight them off and escape. By late July, Sassacus and his group were west of Danbury, Connecticut. They were camped there when they were attacked by a group of Mohegans and Mohawks. Sassacus was killed, ending the fighting for the Pequot Tribe.

14. Colonists attacked the Indians on Block Island again on August 1, 1637. A colonial force led by Israel Stoughton pursued some remaining Pequots. Stoughton believed they were on Block Island, so he sailed there, looking for them. The Manisses on the island did not know where they were. Stoughton and his men responded by killing some of the Manisses and burning some wigwams before sailing away from Block Island.

15. The war ended on September 1, 1638, when the Treaty of Hartford was agreed to, establishing peace between the Mohegans and Narragansetts. Any issues between the two tribes had to be taken to the English for resolution. The tribes also agreed they would not aid any enemies of the English — mostly the few Pequots that were still alive. As for the Pequots that were being held prisoner, around 200, were divided up and sold as slaves to the two tribes for wampum. Around 15 Pequots were also sold to merchants in the West Indies.

16. The war devastated the Pequots, to the point they no longer existed as a tribe. The treaty stipulated the Pequots could not refer to themselves by that name but had to take on the name of the tribe they were sold to. Their language was also outlawed.

17. The English took the Pequot lands and forbade them to return. The Mohegans and Narragansetts also agreed they would not move into the territory, opening southeastern Connecticut for more English settlements.

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