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Causes Of The Pequot War

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“Pequot War, war fought in 1636–37 by the Pequot people against a coalition of English settlers from the Massachusetts Bay.” (McBride 2016) The Pequot war, in short, was a brutal and bloody series of wars between the Pequot tribe and other tribes who sided with the Europeans. Like many wars that are fought today, this one was fought for power.
Before the war, the Pequot tribe had controlled several nearby tribes to control area’s fur and wampum trade. The Pequot used a means necessary to gain power and control. They would use anything from diplomacy to flat-out war. As McBride mentions in his article about the Pequot war, “…by 1635 the Pequot had exerted their economic, political, and military control over the whole of modern-day Connecticut and eastern Long Island…” (McBride 2016) One could almost say that the Pequot people were the modern day “business people.” They did whatever it takes to make sure they had dominance over trade. The endeavor for authority over trade and fur were the main cause for the war. Still before the war, tension remained high due to the Native American indignation towards the Pequot people. So, when the English arrived, it shifted the power from the Dutch and Pequot tribe to the English because tribes who were controlled by the Pequot and Dutch began to form alliances with the English. This rekindled the struggle for power in the area only adding to the fuel to the fire.
Yet there were still more events that led up to the “war.” According to

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