Sassacus
Sassacus was a prominent Pequot leader and the "great sachem" of the Pequot tribe in southern Connecticut, succeeding his father, Tatobem, after his death in 1633. His leadership took place during a tumultuous period marked by conflicts with neighboring tribes, particularly the Narragansetts, and increasing tensions with English colonists. Sassacus's tenure was significantly challenged by internal dissent, leading to the formation of the Mohegan tribe under Uncas, a former Pequot warrior. The situation escalated into the Pequot War, triggered by the murder of English fur traders and exacerbated by failed attempts at reparations. In May 1637, an allied force of English colonists, Mohegans, and Narragansetts launched a devastating attack on a Pequot village, resulting in significant loss of life and demoralization among the Pequot people. Following these events, many Pequots fled or surrendered, despite Sassacus's appeals to resist. In a desperate bid for support, Sassacus traveled to the Mohawk territory, where he ultimately met his demise, as the Mohawks killed him and his followers. This marked a crucial turning point in the Pequot tribe's struggle for survival and autonomy.
Subject Terms
Sassacus
- Born: c. 1560
- Birthplace: Near present-day Groton, Connecticut
- Died: c. July, 1637
- Place of death: New York
Tribal affiliation: Pequot
Significance: Sassacus was the principal Pequot sachem when the tribe was virtually destroyed in war with the English during 1636-1637
A famous warrior, Sassacus was chosen “great sachem” of the Pequots of southern Connecticut when his father Tatobem was killed in 1633. His residence was a fortified village called Weinshaunks (now Groton, Connecticut) on the east bank of the Thames River. His short period as sachem was marked by continuing conflict with the Narragansetts to the east, a war with the English, and the secession of many dissatisfied Pequots. The largest seceding group established themselves as the Mohegans under the leadership of Uncas, a former Pequot angry because he had been passed over for the sachemship. The clash with the colonists grew out of the murders of several English fur traders, attributed to the Pequots. War began in 1636 when Pequot efforts at compensation failed and an English army entered Pequot country. In May, 1637, a joint English-Mohegan-Narragansett force struck a Pequot village by surprise and burned it, killing four hundred to seven hundred people. This event, and the superiority of English guns to bows and arrows, so demoralized the Pequots that they surrendered or fled by the hundreds, ignoring Sassacus’ pleas to fight on. With forty loyal warriors and fifty pounds of wampum as a gift, Sassacus journeyed west to the Mohawk country in a desperate attempt to win military support from the Mohawks, the Pequots’ traditional enemies. Instead, the Mohawks killed Sassacus and his men and sent Sassacus’s scalp to the English. The Pequots’ status as an independent tribe temporarily ended.