The Memory and Legacy of the Pequot War (1636-1637) lives on nationally and locally.

After more than 375 years, the Pequot War remains one of the most controversial and significant events in Colonial and Native history of America.  It forever changed the political and social landscape of southern New England. The Pequot War lasted little more than a year and its events, specifically the “massacre” at Mistick Fort, had long-lasting ramifications as it demonstrated to Native peoples of the region the willingness of the English to wage total war.

The defeat of the Pequot created a power vacuum in southern New England, followed by forty years of intertribal warfare. English victory allowed for unhindered settlement of southern New England and was a significant reason for the granting of Connecticut Colony’s Charter of 1662.

Local Historical Memory & Commemoration

The following communities in present-day Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York were impacted by events of the Pequot War.

• Mystic, Connecticut (Groton and New London)
• Block Island, Rhode Island
• Wethersfield, Connecticut
• Windsor, Connecticut
• Old Saybrook & Deep River
• Fairfield, Connecticut
• Dover Plains, New York

Each town and region has maintained a deep oral tradition and have often erected monuments and markers in memory of the Pequot War-era events that occurred locally. In most cases, each town has their own unique legends, oral history, and place names which date back to the Pequot War.

Since 2007, the Mashantucket Museum & Research Center (MPMRC) has developed a community-based battlefield preservation plan for these rich archeological sites, to identify, document, and preserve battlefields of the Pequot War and in the process, inform, and educate the public of its history, legacy and significance in America’s history.

Place Name Examples:

• Six Mile Island / Nott Island: Essex, CT
• Pequot Swamp: Fairfield, CT
• Porter’s Rocks, Pequot Hill, Fort Hill: Groton, CT
• Sachem’s Head: Guilford, CT
• MPMRC Pequot War Exhibit: Mashantucket, CT
• Cornfield Point, Guard House Point, Gardiner’s Landing, Warehouse Point: Old Saybrook, CT
• Swaine House Site: Wethersfield, CT
• Stone Church: Dover, NY

Monuments & Markers:

• Indian Fort Monument (Fort Hill) – Groton, CT
• Pequot Swamp Fight Monument – Southport (Fairfield), CT
• Pequot Swamp Fight Fountain – Southport (Fairfield), CT
• Lieutenant Lion Gardiner Monument Park – Old Saybrook
• Saybrook Fort Monument Park – Old Saybrook
• Captive Swaine Girls House Site Marker – Wethersfield, CT
• Captain John Mason Statue – Windsor, CT
• Pequot War Veterans Plaque – Plymouth, MA
• Dover Stone Church Marker – Dover Plains, NY

Stay tuned for our upcoming Pequot War Monument Tour pamphlet – available soon on our website!