US History Massacre at Mystic

1. How would you describe relationships between the Puritan settlers and the Pequot 
before the Pequot War? They both traded various supplies and seemed to have benefit at first, however, later on each side seemed to begin to distrust and fear the other.
 Why do you think these relationships changed so quickly? The Pequots may have stopped trading in fear of the English.


2. Before the arrival of the British, what was the status of the Pequot in the 
Connecticut River Valley? Sustained culture and the most powerful Native-American tribe. 
How would you describe their relationships with other 
Native American tribes? Intimidating tribe and not allied with any other tribes.


3. Why did the Puritans travel to the New World? Religious freedom. 
What were their intentions upon 
arrival?  Acquire more land and spread religion throughout the territories such as churchesx. 


4. Compare and contrast Puritan and Pequot ideas about the following: land and 
property, division of labor and gender, and warfare? Give examples to back up 
your discussion. The Pequot did not approve of the English colonization due to the slaughtering of women and children. They also believed that their land was their own unless traded, they treated their women as equals and many were high-ranking in the tribes who grew most of the food. The English believed that any method of acquiring their land was necessary. To the English it was about extermination. The English treated their women as almost nothing and had little say in anything. 


5. In this program, one commentator suggests that the Dutch colonists favored trade, 
while the British prioritized land. How did the difference in focus shape their 
interactions with Native Americans, and their goals in the New World? The British was there to invade, exterminate, and colonize, whereas the Dutch were there to trade with the Natives. This made war with the Natives common.


6. Why were British settlers unhappy with the way Pequot organized their economy 
and relationship to the land? Their women  were higher powers and had large say in many ideas. Do you think there was any validity to their concerns? No.
Who do you think, if anyone, ultimately had the right to decide who should 
control the land? The greater power that was more successful during warfare.


7. Why do you think the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes fought with the Puritans 
against the Pequot? Were you surprised by their actions? Discuss.  Because the Pequots were the leading power. In order to acquire more power and more land, the Pequots were attacked by these three.


8. One commentator, Tall Oak, ponders how the early colonies would have been 
different if the Puritans had come in peace. How would you answer this question? 
They would have far less land and more trade would be emitted between the two.
Do you think a different outcome in relations between the Pequot and the Puritans 
was possible? No.


9. How did the Pequot manage to resurrect their community hundreds of years after 
the massacre? With an extremely successful casino. How do you think it would feel to go from devastation to prosperity? Successful and resurrected.


10. Describe the details of the 1638 Treaty of Hartford, which ended the war. Why 
was the treaty considered to be cultural genocide for the Pequot? Because the English ended their tribe's culture and made the language illegal.


11. What sources do you think historians used in order to recount the story of the 
massacre at Mystic? British and native descendants who had heard the story from forefathers.


What sources might you use if you were trying to create a  documentary about the early colonies? Direct sources such as a journal from a person who fought in the French-Indian war.


Do you think this documentary offers a balanced and informed view of the massacre? Discuss. No, the only side of view shown is that of the Pequots. No other native tribes or the British shared their views. Had their opinion been expressed, I would have more incite on various opinions of the massacre.


12. How did the massacre at Mystic change the United States? It was one of the many factors that led to the French-Indian war.