Kieft's War facts for kids

Kieft's War (1643–1645), also known as the Wappinger War, was a big fight between the Dutch colony of New Netherland and the Wappinger and Lenape Native American tribes. This war happened in what is now New York and New Jersey. It's named after Willem Kieft, who was the leader of New Netherland.

Kieft ordered attacks on Native American camps without asking for advice or listening to the colonists. Dutch settlers attacked Lenape camps, killing many people. This made the different Algonquian tribes in the area team up against the Dutch. Both sides then launched many attacks. This was one of the first major conflicts between European settlers and Native Americans in this region. The company in charge, the Dutch West India Company, was not happy with Kieft. They called him back to the Netherlands, but he died in a shipwreck. Peter Stuyvesant took over as the new leader. Many Dutch settlers went back to Europe because of the ongoing danger from the Algonquian tribes, and the colony's growth slowed down.

Why the War Started

The Dutch West India Company chose Willem Kieft to be the leader of New Netherland in 1638. He didn't have much experience for the job. When he arrived, the English colonies like Massachusetts Bay Colony were growing stronger. They had just won a war against the Pequot tribe, who were allies of the Dutch. This made it easier for the English to expand into areas the Dutch also wanted.

New Netherland was doing well along the Hudson River. The Dutch West India Company mainly ran the colony for trading. The leader, Kieft, had a lot of power. New Amsterdam (which is now New York City) and other towns were growing. In 1640, the Company allowed free trade in the colony. This meant Kieft was suddenly in charge of a fast-growing economy.

Early Problems and Skirmishes

Kieft's first idea to save money was to ask Native American tribes for payments. Long-time colonists told him this was a bad idea, but he didn't listen. The tribal chiefs refused to pay.

Later, some pigs were stolen from a farm. Kieft sent soldiers to attack a Raritan village on Staten Island, and several people were killed. The Raritan tribe got even by burning down the farm and killing four workers. Kieft then offered money to rival tribes if they brought him the heads of Raritans. It turned out that other colonists had stolen the pigs, not the Raritan tribe.

In 1641, a Weckquaesgeek Native American killed an old Swiss man named Claes Swits. Swits ran a popular place where both settlers and Native Americans often met.

Kieft's Council and Decisions

The colonists didn't like Kieft's plans to fight the Native Americans. So, Kieft tried to use the Swits murder to get people to support a war. He created the Council of Twelve Men to advise him. This was the first group of elected people in the colony. The council was worried about starting a war. They had lived peacefully with the Native Americans for almost 20 years. They said no to Kieft's idea to attack the Weckquaesgeek village if they didn't hand over Swits' killer.

The Native Americans were much more numerous than the colonists. They could easily attack the settlers' lives and property. They also provided furs, which were very important for the colony's economy. The council tried to stop Kieft from going to war. They also started giving him advice on other things, using their new power to speak for the colonists. They asked for a permanent group to manage local issues. Kieft reacted by getting rid of the council and telling them they couldn't meet anymore.

Kieft sent soldiers to attack the village of the Native American who killed Swits, but the soldiers got lost. Kieft then accepted peace offers from the Weckquaesgeek elders. However, just two weeks after getting rid of the council, Kieft launched an attack. On February 23, 1643, he attacked camps of Weckquaesgeek and Tappan refugees. These tribes had been driven south by Mahican and Mohawk tribes from the north, who had guns from French and English traders. The Tappans had come to the Dutch for protection, but Kieft refused to help them. The refugees had set up camps in Jersey City and lower Manhattan.

The Pavonia Massacre

On February 25, 1643, colonists from New Netherland attacked the camps at Pavonia. They killed 120 Native Americans, including women and children.

Historians aren't sure if Kieft planned such a large killing or a smaller raid. But everyone agrees that he rewarded the soldiers for what they did. These attacks made all the Algonquian peoples in the area unite against the Dutch.

Two Years of Fighting

In 1643, the Dutch started giving more weapons to the Mohawk tribe, making them stronger allies.

In the fall of 1643, a large group of 1,500 Native Americans attacked New Netherland. They killed many people, including Anne Hutchinson, a well-known woman from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Native Americans destroyed villages and farms that had taken 20 years to build. In return, Dutch forces killed 500 Weckquaesgeek Native Americans that winter.

New Amsterdam became full of people who had lost everything. The colonists became more and more against Kieft's rule. They refused to pay new taxes he ordered, and many people started leaving the colony by ship. Kieft hired Captain John Underhill, who gathered soldiers on Long Island to fight the Native Americans there and in Connecticut. His forces killed over 1,000 Native Americans, including 500 to 700 in the Pound Ridge Massacre.

The colonists wrote letters to the leaders of the Dutch West India Company and the Netherlands, asking for help. But nothing happened. Many colonists then joined together to officially ask for Kieft to be removed. They wrote: "We sit here among thousands of wild and barbarian people, in whom neither comfort nor mercy can be found; we left our dear fatherland, and if God the Lord were not our comfort we would perish in our misery." For the next two years, the united tribes kept attacking settlers throughout New Netherland. The small number of colonial soldiers couldn't stop the attacks. However, the Native American tribes were too spread out to make bigger, more effective attacks. Finally, in August 1645, the last of the 69 united tribes agreed to a peace treaty.

What Happened Next

The Native American attacks caused many settlers to go back to Europe. The Dutch West India Company lost faith in its ability to control its land in the New World. They called Kieft back to the Netherlands in 1647 to explain his actions. But he died in a shipwreck near Swansea, Wales. The company chose Peter Stuyvesant to take his place. Stuyvesant managed New Netherland until the English took it over.

Images for kids

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  New Netherland citizens smoking a peace pipe with local Native Americans

See also

In Spanish: Guerra del gobernador Kieft para niños