Monday Mumblings - Colonial Settlers Interaction with Native Americans

The presence of Native Americans in and around our early New England settlers had an important impact on their settlements.  Therefore, it is appropriate to spend one posting discussing some of their impact.  By 1600, Native Americans and European traders (French, Dutch, and English) had established beneficial relations through trade throughout New England.  The Native Americans provided the colonists with produce and furs and received hatchets, knives, cloth, and guns from the Europeans.  Both sides were satisfied with the price paid for the exchanges.  These preexisting relationships certainly benefited the English settlement colonies in New England as there were friendly tribes upon their arrival and since trade had been established, settlers soon began to trade goods for land.  In many settlements, Native Americans were still allowed to hunt, fish, and grow crops as well live on the land.  However, the main benefit to the English settlers was the unintended but highly consequential introduction of European diseases.  The traders brought with them diseases such as small pox and measles to which the Native Americans had no immunity.  (See NativePeoples in New England for more on the native inhabitants in this time frame.)

The Native American population was decimated by these diseases.  Nathaniel Philbrick says in Mayflower, A Story of Courage, Community, and War “from 1616 to 1619, what might have been bubonic plague … [killed] in some cases as many as 90 percent of the region’s inhabitants.  So many died so quickly that there was no one left to bury the dead.”  The diseases spread so rapidly that those natives who did not quickly die evacuated the impacted area without burying to the dead, while perhaps leaving behind stores of corn.  John Bradford wrote “skulls and bones were found in many [villages] lying still above the ground.”

NativeAmerican tribes often switched loyalties and alliances with or against the English.  In the early stages of English settlement, the Pokanokets led by Massasoit in Plymouth sustained the English through the first few years.  After Massasoit’s death, his son Metacomet (later named Philip by the English) led the same Pokanokets and other tribes in King Philip’s War (1675 – 1676) against the English.  The Pequots led by Sassacus originally fought against the English in the Pequot War (1637).  Later, the Pequots supported the English during King Philip’s War.  The Mohegans led by Uncas in Connecticut were instrumental in helping the settlers gain a foothold in Connecticut in the early colonial years.  Thomas Dewey was likely impacted by the Pequot War and Josiah Dewey was a sergeant in King Philip’s War.  A future posting will discuss Josiah Dewey’s later dealing with the Mohegan tribe.

Windsor, Thomas Dewey, and the Pequot War of 1637

The history of Windsor according to Wikipedia says that “during the first part of the 17th century, the Pequot and Mohegan Nations had been at war. The Podunk were forced to pay tribute [to the Pequot] … the Podunk invited … settlers from Plymouth, Massachusetts to settle.” In 1634 about 30 people from Plymouth settled in the Windsor area.  In 1635, 60 or more people from Dorchester, MA including Thomas Dewey arrived in Windsor.  As more settlers arrived from Dorchester, most of the Plymouth settlers returned to Plymouth.  A short two years later, the Pequot War erupted in 1637.  Although Windsor itself was not attacked, Wethersfield, 13 miles to the south, was attacked on April 23, 1637.  Several settlers were killed and taken captive.  As a result of this attack, the Connecticut General Court ordered that a 90 man army be assembled consisting of 42 men from Hartford, 30 from Windsor, and 18 from Wethersfield.  The three towns at the time contained about 250 settlers total.  70 Mohegan warriors, led by Uncas, sided with and fought alongside the English in the Pequot War.  Thomas Dewey may have been one of the 30 men from Windsor as he was not married at the time.  Windsor settlers built the palisado as a precaution to an attack.  Dewey’s home was adjacent to the palisado.

Two future Josiah Dewey postings will provide more on King Philip's War and his interaction with the Mohegans.