Uncas
Uncas was a prominent sachem of the Mohegan tribe, which is part of the Pequot and Mohegan peoples in southern Connecticut. Following the death of Tatobem, the great sachem of the Pequots, in 1633, Uncas was not chosen as his successor, leading him and his supporters to establish the Mohegans as a distinct and separate tribe. Under Uncas’s leadership, the Mohegans resided west of the Thames River, while the majority of the Pequots occupied lands to the east. During the Pequot War (1636-1637), he played a crucial role by aligning with English settlers, contributing to the significant defeat of the Pequot people. This alliance allowed for the incorporation of captured Pequots into the Mohegan tribe. However, the ensuing rivalry with the Narragansetts led to further conflicts, during which Uncas adeptly maintained English favor. His military strategies proved successful, notably in a 1643 battle against the Narragansetts, where Uncas captured and executed their principal sachem, Miantonomo. Uncas's loyalty to the English continued through King Philip's War (1675-1676), solidifying a lasting alliance that spanned over four decades, despite perceptions of him as wily and unscrupulous.
Subject Terms
Uncas
- Born: c. 1606
- Birthplace: Unknown
- Died: c. 1682
- Place of death: Uncas Hill (present-day Mohegan Montville Township, Connecticut)
Tribal affiliation: Mohegan
Significance: Uncas protected his people’s interests in a period of conflict and change in seventeenth century New England by allying himself with the English
Uncas was sachem of the Mohegan branch of the closely related Pequot and Mohegan peoples of southern Connecticut. When Tatobem, great sachem of the Pequots (the dominant group), died in 1633, Uncas was passed over in a struggle to succeed him. Uncas and his supporters seceded, establishing themselves as a small, entirely separate tribe. With Uncas as sachem, the Mohegans were located west of the Thames River, while the majority Pequots held the territory east of it. During the Pequot War of 1636-1637, Uncas assisted the English, leading sixty warriors in a joint English-Mohegan-Narragansett attack that destroyed the Pequots as an independent people. As a reward, the Mohegan and the Narragansett were each allowed by treaty to incorporate captured Pequots as adoptees. The Mohegans adopted many more, and rivalry between the Mohegan and Narragansett for predominance then led to years of conflict. In these clashes Uncas skillfully cultivated English favor. In a battle in 1643 near Norwich, Connecticut, Uncas and four hundred Mohegans defeated a thousand Narragansetts and took prisoner their principal sachem, Miantonomo, executing him at English urging. During King Philip’s War (1675-1676), Uncas again assisted the English against their Indian enemies. The English considered Uncas wily and unscrupulous, but he was so consistently loyal that their alliance endured for more than forty years.