Eight Coats, Seven Shirts, Fifteen Fathom Wampum: Early Colonial Settlement

Explore the interconnected relationships between the Dutch, Swedes, English and Algonkian peoples in their respective regions/colonies. Track the adaptation of Native American life to European settlement and trade goods, including the importance and use of wampum through this critical period along the Atlantic and mid-Atlantic regions (south western CT to MD). Understand the magnitude of the earliest American culture clashes through customs of war, adoption, captivity, alliance, friendships and marriages between Natives, Europeans and Africans. Contrast the discrepancies in the concepts of land ownership and usage. Discuss the overshadowed early colonial conflicts: the Peach War, Keift’s War, King Phillip’s War and King William’s War.