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Causes Of The Pequot War

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Control of trade, and economic status; these were reasons for the Pequot War. July 1636 through September 1638 was the timeframe, and it was the English who wanted the trade and the Pequot Indians who wanted to keep their status. The war was the first big war fought against New England settlers and the Pequot Indians. “The primary cause of the Pequot War was the struggle to control trade. English efforts were to break the Dutch-Pequot control of the fur and wampum trade, while the Pequot attempted to maintain their political and economic dominance in the region.” This war was the culmination of a huge disagreement that would last for two years.

“The main events surrounding the Pequot War occurred between 1637 and 1638. The parties involved were the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies, along with Native Americans from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes, against the Pequot tribe.” In 1633 the Dutch negotiated a treaty to settle on the Connecticut River with the Pequot. Within a year after that, in 1634, the Pequot and Narragansett battled on the Connecticut River periodically. Two generals were killed at that time, and later they figured out that the Natives that killed two generals were tributaries of the Pequot Indians. This fueled the anger that led to the events of the war.

Then in 1634, English settled in Wethersfield. The original name was Watertown. The Pequot then tried to seek friendship and trade alliance. In the same year, the Pequot, delivered

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