How Did the Pequot War Begin?

The Pequot War started when they killed a settler named John Stone. However, there is a lot more to how the Pequot War started than just that one killing.

The land that the Pequot tribes were living on was continually being threatened and moved in upon, and the Pequots did not have a very positive view of the settlers from Europe who were encroaching on their land and way of life.

The agitated Pequot Indians attacked another tribe that was doing business with the Europeans. There were many deaths, which the Pequot's blamed on the white men. The Pequots then decided to attack the settlers and killed a man named John Stone. This was how the Pequot War began, but there is a lot more to know about the time leading up to the war to understand the cause behind it.

Setting the Stage for the Pequot War

As various settlers from England began to set up their establishments in Connecticut and New York, they encroached on the land of the Pequots. This made the Pequot Indian tribe feel threatened.

• After setting up their establishments, the Dutch also set up a trading post on the Connecticut River.
• Other local Indian or Native American tribes in the area began trading with the white man.
• The fact that other tribes were trading with the settlers who had encroached on land that belonged to the Native Americans infuriated the Pequots.
• In retaliation, the Pequots ambushed a group of Indians from another tribe on the way to the post and killed them all.
• News of the massacre spread amongst the tribes and the Pequot attempted to blame the white man for the deaths.
• The Narrangansetts, another tribe, heard of the massacre and were nearly persuaded to join the Pequot in retaliation against the white man. However, the Dutch settlers here struck a deal with the tribe leaders and they were persuaded to not join with them to fight the white settlers.
• Despite the lack of support, the Pequot decided to attack the settlers on their own. They did this by attacking along the Connecticut River and killing a white settler by the name of John Stone.

The settlers sent word to Massachusetts to send help for them to fight back against the Pequot. They sent a seasoned soldier and combined with the help of some of the local tribes and the settlers, they attacked the Pequots when they were least expecting it.

Who Were the Pequots?

The Pequots were an Indian tribe who used to live on the land that is today modern day Connecticut and New York. This tribe controlled the wampum trade in the area.

There were a number of other tribes that lived in the area as well. These tribes included:

• Narragansetts
• Niantics
• Mohegans
• Other Smaller Tribes

In addition to the Indian tribes that occupied the area, English, Dutch, and Puritan settlers had come to occupy the land. These settlers set up their establishments on the eastern border of the Pequot territory, and they encroached on the territory of the Pequot Indians by setting up a trading post along the Connecticut River.

Prior to the arrival of the English settlers to this land, the other Indian tribes in the area were looking for ways to overthrow the Pequot from Connecticut. The arrival of the English expedited the process.