Pequot Indians
The Pequot Indians, native to Connecticut, survived through hunting, fishing, and farming.
To guard against attack, they lived in heavily fortified villages consisting of longhouses or wigwams.
They were highly organized, governed by tribal councils and a chief.
Dutch traders formed a relationship with the Pequot in 1614. The Pequot traded beaver skins for European goods.
Other tribes in the area also wanted to trade with the Dutch, but the Pequot began attacking their neighbors to establish a trading monopoly.
In the 1620s, the English began moving into Pequot territory and trading with them. This caused a rift in the tribe, with half uniting with English traders and the other half allying with the Dutch.
A smallpox epidemic in 1633 ravaged those members allied with the Dutch, and the death of an English trader at the hands of a Pequot led to the Pequot War in 1637.
Hundreds of Pequot were killed and those who were captured were divided into different tribes or sold into slavery. In the 19th century, the remaining Pequot were confined to a reservation.