Treaty of Casco (1678) facts for kids

The Treaty of Casco (1678) was an important agreement that helped end a war between the Indigenous Dawnland nations and English settlers. We don't have the original treaty papers today. Historians learn about it from a summary written by Jeremy Belknap in 1784.

The First Treaty (1678)

Most English settlers in Maine lived in small towns along the coast or rivers. The Wabanaki people, who lived north and east of the Kennebec River, had strong ties with the French. They traded furs and formed alliances.

Why Conflicts Started

By the 1670s, Indigenous communities became upset with the settlers. There were arguments over trade. Settlers were also taking more land. Their farm animals, like cows, often walked into and ruined the Wabanaki cornfields. These issues led to future conflicts.

Signing the Treaty

On April 12, 1678, the government of New York signed the first Treaty of Casco. At that time, New York controlled Maine. The Penobscot people, led by Chief Madockawando, represented the Wabanaki.

What the Treaty Said

Under this treaty, English settlers agreed to pay rent to the Penobscots. They also got back some farmland that had been taken. The English promised to respect the Penobscot people's land rights.

The treaty aimed to bring back friendly relations between the Indigenous people and the settlers. These good relations had been common before King Philip's War started in 1675. The agreement also stated that all captives from the war should be returned without any payment.

The treaty recognized that the English owned some property. However, it said that English families living on Indigenous lands should give one peck of corn each year to a Native American family. One important English landowner, Maj. Phillips of Saco, had to give a bushel of corn to each Native American family. This payment for land use showed that the Abenaki people still had power over Maine. The treaty also aimed to better control the fur trade. It even included building Fort Charles at Pemaquid.

Why the First Treaty Failed

Sadly, the English settlers did not follow the treaty's rules. Traders continued their old ways, including unfair trade practices. Settlers also put fishing nets across the Saco River. This stopped fish from swimming upstream to the Wabanaki villages. English farm animals kept trampling through Indigenous cornfields. Because of these problems, new talks and treaty attempts, like the 1703 Treaty of Casco, did not work. Conflicts continued.

The Second Treaty (1703)

The second Treaty of Casco (1703) was another attempt to stop fighting. Governor Joseph Dudley of Massachusetts Bay Colony tried to prevent more attacks along the northern border. A war was already happening in Europe between England and France. This war was called Queen Anne's War. The eastern Dawnland nations, including the Wabanaki, were historically allies of New France. They had a close relationship with the French Jesuits.

The Meeting at New Casco

Governor Dudley arranged a meeting with several chiefs and their tribes. He wanted to discuss and fix any problems that had come up since the last treaty. They met in New Casco, Maine (which is now Falmouth, Maine), on June 20, 1703. The Wabanaki leaders promised peace. They said they were not planning with the French to get rid of the English. They gave the governor a belt of wampum. The ceremony ended with an exchange of gun salutes.

French Reaction and New Conflicts

This treaty worried the French. It made them feel unsafe in Acadia. So, Jacques-François de Monbeton de Brouillan, who was the Governor of Acadia, asked the Governor of New France, Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil, to start conflicts. He wanted him to encourage fighting between the Native Nations and New England. Vaudreuil was also worried about losing control of the Kennebec-Chaudiere river system, which led to Quebec City.

Vaudreuil gathered a group of Canadians and Haudenosaunee warriors. In August 1703, this group, along with some Abenakis, attacked the New England border from Casco to Wells. They killed or captured about 160 people. More attacks happened in the autumn. These raids completely surprised New England. Governor Dudley responded by declaring war on the Abenakis. He offered £40 for each scalp.