Conflict between Indigenous tribes and European settlers is a consistent theme in America's colonial era. Such conflicts often centered around the land: who lived there, who used it, and how it was used. The Pequot War, centered in New England's Connecticut River Valley during the mid-1600's, was no exception. However, like other conflicts, and often to the surprise of modern observers, it did not solely pit Indigenous fighters against their European counterparts as tribes were willing to ally with the English for a variety of reasons. Uncas, Sachem of the Mohegan, consistently aligned his people with colonial interest in New England during this conflict, and continued to do so for the following four decades. This episode of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the life of Uncas and demonstrates the lengths that leaders went to ensure the survival of their people in colonial America.
Key People
Uncas, Mohegan Sachem
Miantonomi, Narragansett Sachem
John Mason, English soldier
Key Events
Pequot War
King Philip's War