French & Indian Wars in Maine

by Michael Dekker

For eight decades, an epic power struggle raged across a frontier that would become Maine. Between 1675 and 1759, British, French and Native Americans clashed in six distinct wars to stake and defend their land claims. Though the showdown between France and Great Britain was international in scale, the decidedly local conflicts in Maine pitted European settlers against Native American tribes. Native and European communities from the Penobscot to the Piscataqua Rivers suffered savage attacks. Countless men, women and children were killed, taken captive or sold into servitude. The native people of Maine were torn asunder by disease, social disintegration and political factionalism as they fought to maintain their autonomy in the face of unrelenting European pressure. This dark, tragic and largely forgotten struggle laid the foundation of Maine.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2015

Reviews

[Christine McCloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that this book was somewhat misnamed. It’s more about the relations of the natives with the English and with the French, primarily in Maine. From that perspective, this book has a lot to offer. However, I felt it would have benefited with more detailed maps rather than the line-drawn map snippets that the author had. I had no idea where in Maine most of these events were occurring.

[Mark Siladi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a concise, short history of the torturous relations and wars with the Native American tribes in the region by the British colonial government based in Boston and its appointed representatives in Maine (Maine was not a state until 1820) in the late 17th till mid 18th century. It is not a pretty history, war were somewhat constant for whole period pitting native americans against both the british and french. On top of war, the introduction of European diseases further decimated the tribes of Maine and surrounding Canadian provinces. In some case 2/3 of these tribes succumbed to death by disease. Most of the story centers on Mid-coast Maine and its major rivers. A good case study with insight to the depravity of colonisation and the extreme hardships faced by both sides in northern New England.

[Carla Gade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fascinating. Mike has done thorough research and presents the material in an interesting way. I use this as a reference book for my research on the French and Indian Wars in Maine, but also enjoy reading it for pleasure. I also attended one of his talks at the Maine Historical Society. This author knows his topic well.

[Chris Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think you know Maine history? Read this!

Excellent work illuminating the realities of Maine's early colonial legacy. Strongly recommended for its insights into how war shaped the state.

[John Fossett · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Middle Ages to the Modern Age, France and Great Britain were stuck in a conflict of global proportions that had an impact the world over. Not the least of which was 80 years of conflict in Northern New England (six wars from late 1600s until our revolution) with First Nations and immigrants used as pawns and left suffering the consequences of the global powers due to their inability to resolve the conflict peaceably.
The indigenous populations were devastated by disease, hunger and the breakdown of their family structures. Along the coast of what was to become the State of Maine, both European settled and Native villages were devastated by attacks, with survivors enslaved, properties ransacked, and structures burned.
A very detailed accounting of the long period of conflict in Maine known as the French & Indian Wars. Mr. Dekker lays out his research in an organized and easy to follow manner.
Ultimately, it's a story about miscommunication, greed, intolerance, etc., where the people at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder get hosed by the people above them, a darkly spotted piece of history, and yet another example of the lack of humanity by small-minded twits busy with their own selfish agenda.