The Pequot War

by Alfred A. Cave

This book offers the first full-scale analysis of the Pequot War (1636-37), a pivotal event in New England colonial history. Through an innovative rereading of the Puritan sources, Alfred A. Cave refutes claims that settlers acted defensively to counter a Pequot conspiracy to exterminate Europeans. Drawing on archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological evidences to trace the evolution of the conflict, he sheds new light on the motivations of the Pequots and their Indian allies. He also provides a reappraisal of the interaction of ideology and self- interest as motivating factors in the Puritan attack on the Pequots.

Genres: History, American History, Native American, War, Native American History, Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1996

Reviews

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written examination of a war that often gets little individual attention (often being examined as part of a larger set of conflicts in New England). I accept Cave's argument wholeheartedly (which he lays out beautifully in the final chapter of the book), as well. My only complaint is that, as so many historical examinations do, the book gets mired down by the attempt to go incident to incident during the buildup to the major encounter (Fort Mystic). While for some that blow-by-blow commentary may be what they seek, for me it was difficult reading. This can certainly be forgiven, though, in that Cave is not intending to write a popular history book, here, but instead to inject an important new strain into the overall conversation among historians. This is a very historian's-history book. I make mention of it only to make sure that potential buyers/readers understand what they are looking at.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good academic history that looks into the war between the Puritans and the Pequot tribe in New England. This was the first war between colonists and a Native American tribe. At the heart of it religious bigotry, with the puritans equating Indian non believers as satanic heathens to be feared is central to what happened. There also were intertribal conflicts and trade rivalries that made the situation far worse.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly of interest to a somewhat narrow audience, I wonder if this ought not to have a wider audience. The Pequot War set the stage for its more famous successor, King Philips War. Cave does an excellent job setting up the conflict in terms of the cultural perceptions of each of the various groups towards the others. He clearly lays blame at the feet of the Puritan’s worldview of religious mission (rather than economic greed) though he does not flinch in his description of Pequot cruelty and torture. A fascinating tale well told.

[Christine McCloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give it 4 stars due to its thoroughness and balanced approach, though I have to say it was dry reading. At times, it was hard to follow who all the players were. However, it was interesting to see how the cultural differences and political interests resulted in this war. You can also imagine how the aftermath impacted the subsequent King Philips War.

[Carl Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A profoundly disturbing analysis of the Pequot War, which argues that a fundamental clash of ideological imperatives rendered peaceful coexistence of native inhabitants and settlers impossible apart from the complete assimilation of one group or the other.

[Christopher Daley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premier book on the Pequot War in my estimation!

[John Nye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent perspective on the imagined cause of a war that was used for over 100 years by the Europeans. Excellent review of the actual details of the war.

[Marc A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you live in Connecticut, this is a must read. It should be mandatory in our schools.

[Alexander Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two main purposes guided the writing of the Pequot War for Alfred A. Cave: to argue against the long held narrative that the Pequots were aggressive and posed a threat to English colonial security and to provide a detailed account of the war including the events leading up to it. Overall, the book is very well presented and flows naturally. The introduction adequately addresses the major scholarly opinions on the Pequot War and sets out Cave’s arguments. Largely due to the histories produced by the Puritans themselves, Cave outlines in his excellent historiography section that until recently most historians have viewed the war as justified. Cave sees Puritan ideology as the driving source behind the war. Cave’s main argument is that “Puritan preoccupation with the idea that Indians were part of a satanic conspiracy against God’s true church in the wilderness led them to interpret Pequot recalcitrance as evidence of malevolent intent (170). Essentially, the Pequots were not overly aggressive and threatening, but rather the Puritans were predisposed by their ideology to interpret the slightest misunderstanding or conflict as a demonic plot against them. Thus, it was essential for Puritan ideology that God test them with a satanic adversary which needed to be manufactured one way or another.
To conclude, Cave addresses the mythology of the frontier. He claims that “celebration of victory over Indians as the triumph of light over darkness, civilization over savagery, for many generations our central historical myth, finds its earliest full expression in the contemporary chronicles and histories of this little war” (168). The frontier is presented as a conflict between opposing extremes, such as civilization versus savagism. While such overt religious justifications for conquering the frontier largely vanished over time to be replaced with “secular doctrines of scientific progress and historical evolution” the end result is not that different. (174) Cave also warns against dehumanizing the “Other.” Indian wars were often framed as preemptive strikes against savages because savages are aggressive and threatening by nature. Once that false characterization is removed, such preemptive strikes are simply motivated by colonial aggression.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cave is great. He gives very clear accounts of what happened during the years leading up to the Pequot War. There are explainations and clarifications for negotiations between the colonies and the Pequots. Very good book for someone that is just learning about the Pequot War and how the colonies felt that they needed to commit one of the biggest massacres in American History.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable discussion of an early war between the Puritans and the Pequots of Connecticut and Massachusetts, which virtually exterminated the Pequots. This was not one of the Puritans' finest moments...nor were later attempts to justify Puritan actions.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!! Highly readable account of the Pequot War.

[Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10