Abstract

This article explores the aftermath of the Pequot War of 1636–38. The Pequot War has sometimes been characterized as so staggering a blow to New England Indians that it, in effect, secured several decades of peace. But by following the soldiers and survivors of the war, and by surveying the psychological climate in postwar New England, this article argues that the period following the Pequot War was anything but calm; it was instead marked by fear, suspicion, and violence. Following ripple effects of the war beyond New England and even into New Netherland, this article also makes connections between the violence of the Pequot War and Kieft’s War, the devastating Indian war that convulsed the Dutch colonies in the 1640s. Most broadly, this study suggests the lingering costs of war and conquest—not only for the “losers,” but for the conquerors, as well.

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