Chronology of American Indian History

P

prized by many Indian groups, especially the Iro-
quois. Traditionally, they have strung the beads into
strings held during condolence rituals and into belts
commemorating events, particularly diplomatic
missions. Since the early 1600s, however, non-Indi-
ans have used wampum as a currency in their trade
with eastern Indians. Whites quickly discovered
that they could make wampum with metal awls
far more easily than Indians could with their stone
tools. Many unscrupulous traders have reaped huge
profits by selling Indians counterfeit wampum pro-
duced by non-Indians.

1651

John Eliot establishes the first
“praying town.”
With funds from the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel in New England (see entry for 1649),
John Eliot—the minister of the church at Roxbury,

“For many years together when

the Indians resorted to the

houses of godly people, they

saw their manner of life and

worship in families and in public

also... but liked not of it—yea,

so disliked, that if any began to

speak of God and heaven and

hell and religion unto them they

would presently be gone. So that

it was a received and known

thing to all English that if [Indi-

ans] were burdensome, speak of

religion and you were presently

rid of them.”

—Missionary John Eliot in 1657

on English colonists’ failed

efforts to convert Indians

Massachusetts—founds Natick, a settlement for In-

dian converts, who come to be known as Praying

Indians. Over the next 25 years, Eliot will estab-

lish 13 more “praying towns,” whose populations

will grow to nearly 2,500. The towns are created to

separate converts from the corrupting influence of

their non-Christian kin and to help further “civi-

lize” Indian Christians by teaching them to adopt

other white customs and beliefs.

1654

The Iroquois begin attacking the Erie.

Seeking access to the rich hunting grounds in the

Ohio River valley, the Iroquois launch a war against

the Erie, whose territory stands between the west-

ernmost Iroquois villages and the lands they covet.

With guns obtained from Dutch traders (see entry

for 1633), the Iroquois have little difficulty fighting

the largely unarmed Erie. Within three years, the

tribe will be forced to abandon its homeland. Some

of the surviving Erie will escape to Carolina, where

they become known as the Westo; others will be ab-

sorbed into the Seneca tribe.

1655

The Lenni Lenape (Delaware) attack Dutch

settlements in the Peach Wars.

Dutch farmer Hendrick Van Dyck kills a Lenni

Lenape (Delaware) woman whom he finds pick-

ing peaches on his property. The victim’s family

then murders Van Dyck, and several bands of Lenni

Lenape, eager for revenge, begin attacking Dutch

settlements throughout New Netherlands. In New

Amsterdam, the Indians kill about 50 Dutch settlers

and take another one hundred prisoner. The violence

will continue until the English wrest control over New

Netherlands from the Dutch (see entry for 1664).

The Timucua rebel against the Spanish.

Weakened by a devastating smallpox epidemic

(see entry for 1613), the Timucua of what is now