4 - Mystic Massacre (1637): ‘Divine Slaughter by the Hand of the English’

Summary

Introduction

The Pequot War (1636–1638) was the first major campaign undertaken by the godly in the Atlantic world. The victory was decisive, but it came at high cost to the indigenous population. This chapter focuses on how beliefs were formed and articulated, paying close attention to discourses of providence, justice and holiness. It shows how the English temporarily warmed up to controlling, killing and enslaving Algonquians. At centre stage is the Mystic Massacre (26 May 1637) – an event they viewed as an act of war and a legal prosecution.

As the 1630s wore on, the godly in New England braced for war. They feared aggressive forces in Old England and Europe – not mainly Algonquian neighbours. Colin G. Calloway described the ‘diplomatic landscape’ closer to home as ‘a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships where different Indian communities, nations, and confederacies pursued their own foreign policies’. Relations with any one group could influence relations with the others. The Narragansett, Mohegan and Pequot were important players in the region. They formed part of the Algonquian linguistic group. In the early decades of English colonisation, indigenous communities were in flux. Plagues decimated native populations and redrafted power relations.

There were also many English communities (Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook and Connecticut), as well as Dutch and French traders. The Dutch traded with the Pequot from the early 1620s and proved unpredictable and demanding. To provide satisfactory wampum, the Pequot subjugated their neighbours and demanded tribute – further destabilising the region. The slow growth of Plymouth and rapid expansion of Massachusetts Bay challenged rising Dutch hegemony. In June 1633, the Dutch solidified control of trade with the Pequot, who allowed them to establish a trading post named Good Hope in the Connecticut Valley. The English protested and Plymouth built a post further up the river.

A pivotal moment came in 1633 when the Dutch captured Tatobem, the Pequot paramount sachem. They accused him of treaty violations. ‘The Pequots promptly sent payment for Tatobem's release to the House of Good Hope. They received his corpse in return.’ Unable to differentiate between Europeans, the Pequot killed Captain John Stone, an Englishman.6 Stone was a notoriously problematic colonist whose death seemed God-wrought.