Pestilences of the Just War: An Epidemiologic Investigation of the Pequot War

Summary

The Pequot War (1636-1637) destroyed infrastructure, resources and production, mobility, lines of communication and social networks that comprised a complex preventative health system for both native and colonial peoples. The destruction and change in physical and social environments and the disproportionate burden of conflict, for the purposes of this paper, is defined as colonial trauma. Physical and social stressors exacerbated disease that changed the course of colonial battles and heightened the effect of conflict on military and civilian populations.

A process of historical epidemiology is applied to explain the toll of colonial trauma and its gateway effect on disease and people’s preventative health strategies. Historical epidemiology facilitates an understanding into the social and natural history of disease and the pathways and patterns that are unique to war-torn communities. Due to the nature of fragmentary 17th century records, a variety of health approaches, and historical and archaeological evidences will be applied. Together, these will provide deeper insight into the Pequot War, and new ways of organizing and understanding the archaeological and historical records.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Exploring 12,000 Years of Occupation, Land Use, and Conflict: Archaeological and Historical Research Sponsored by the Mashantucket and Eastern Pequot Tribes

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