Customer Reviews

New England Frontier, 3rd edition: Puritans and Indians 1620-1675

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This is the most balanced account of the relationship between the Indians and the early settlers I have read. It is an excellent book for someone who is interested in both sides of the story, Indian and Puritan. Vaughan tries to portray the truth of both people's viewpoint and doesn't get bogged down in politically correct rambling so prevalent in modern renditions (i.e. Greg Nobles). A must read for those who desire to be balanced in their view of History.

In 1620 the English Puritans settled in the region they called New England. There they met the natives, the Indians. This book explains how the Puritans and Indians related with each other until 1675. Vaughan demonstrates that the Puritans did not exploit the Indians as often believed but dealt fairly with them. He neither denigrates nor whitewashes either the Puritans or the Indians, but is fair to both sides.

Vaughan describes the Indians, their beliefs and customs, and what they thought of the Puritans. Vaughan also portrays the beliefs and customs of the Puritans and their attitudes towards the Indians. Vaughan recounts how the Puritans and the Indians allied together to destroy the aggressive Pequot tribe in the Pequot war in 1637.
Vaughan sketches the trade between Puritans and Indians, at first trading furs for items and later for wampum. Then he describes how the Puritans tried to fit the Indians fairly into their legal system. Finally he recounts the Puritans attempts to convert the Indians to Christianity.

This is an excellent account, based on extensive primary and secondary sources, of the little known period before King Philips attack on the Puritans changed how the colonists and the Indians saw each other.

A sensitive and sensible look at English-Indian relations in New England, 1620-1675. Vaughan attempts to dispel a number of myths (myths that have only intensified over time), by demonstrating that: 1) The Puritans did not push the New England Indians off their land. Indians owned and sold their land. 2) The Puritans did not deplete the food source of the natives. Game did decrease as more and more English settled in, but Indians were agricultural and grew most of their food. 3) The Puritans did not upset the Indians' economic pattern by underpaying them for goods and services. The tools Indians received from the English as payment for furs and land, for instance, were highly prized. 4) The Puritans did not kill off the Indians in a series of military actions. Warring tribes probably caused as many Indian deaths as the English, and the immediate causes of the Pequot War and King Philip's War were complicated and emerged from both sides. 5) Indians were not mistreated out of hand by the English in legal cases; for example, the death penalty for murder applied to all, regardless of race. Indians were frequently compensated for damaged property caused by the colonists' livestock. 6) The Puritans were not indifferent to the physical, moral, and spiritual well-being of the Indians. Puritans did not even regard the natives as a different race, but rather as white men with different features caused by their environment and "debased" by the Devil. Like themselves, they viewed the Indian as a creature fallen from Grace, and worthy of salvation.

I am not expert enough to know exactly on which side of these "myths" the truth actually lies, though I suspect Vaughan is more correct than not. The political incorrectness of his views, however, seem fairly obvious and would probably receive little consideration today or be dismissed out of hand. This would be unfortunate, however, for much of what Vaughan has to say seems fair and reasonable. For all that, it's an interesting book, well written, and, in a provocative way that older historical works often are, a breath of fresh air.

New England Frontier tells the story of the Puritan and Indian relations in the first years of 1620-1675. And Contrary to modern anti-Puritan view points, this books properly explains the relationship between the English and the Indians before King Philips war. This book shows that the New England frontier wasn't as simple as modern textbooks claim it was. Most textbooks say that the Puritans were hungry for land and ready to take it from the Indians who they deemed as ungodly, however, there were many different factions (Native Americans, different English colonies and european colonies) which all played important roles in the history of New England. Details in this book SHOULD be studied in colonial history like how the Puritans became the dominant power after the English and other tribes destroyed the Pequots (a war which has unrightfully caused the Puritans to be demonized) the Puritans became the dominant power in New England and actually tried (and were successful for a while) to preserve peace in the region, not just between the English and the Indians but between major Indian tribes. In the two books I read about King Philips war, 'the name of war' and 'Americas forgotten conflict' the war is (for the most part) blamed on the English for taking advantage of the Indians, but there is nothing about the Confederation of New England successfully keeping peace in the region.

History is not one sided, and this book makes a good argument using contemporary sources to show that the Puritans treated English and Indians the same (or at least made an attempt to) before 1675. Historians need to examine the post-1675 stereotypes and not link all anti-Native European sentiments into one, because the Puritans saw the Indians in a much better light than most (if not all) Europeans.

I would very much like to see a King Philips war book written in this same manor and an assessment of post-1675 Indian policies.

This is a fantastic book. It covers the people, particular situations and adventures, if you will, that the puritans of New England went through. You will get an insight of the diplomacy they practiced, and their dealing with the natives. It destroys the prejudiced view that most historians have on the puritans. They where not religious, superstitious zealots, but people that depended on discipline, and tight nit group dynamics. It is evident that they were well educated, both in diplomacy, commerce and war tactics and strategy. Their dominance over the continent was a consequence of the dynamics, and diplomacy with the Indians. Great read, fast paced and informative.

Some reviewers have make the comment that although justifiable the author is "confident that the Puritans left generally unbiased records regarding their dealings with the various native nations and individuals." Well all you have to do is read the book, look up some of the references and you will be convinced also. Since in many occasions the puritans were more critical of their own brethren than of the Indians. He also points out that what seemed like Indian treachery was nothing more than the reflection of their dealing with previous explorers whom treated them in many ways like novelty beasts to be brought and parade in England. This book is fair and balanced. And an absolutely pleasure to read, not dry like most historical works.

As I am conducting research regarding Connecticut's River Indians I seek all references which might provide me with one or more snippets of information I have not previously found. What I found was one of the few approaches to describing these proud Indians as honorable. A refreshing presentation which I support.

Alden Vaughan's book "New England Frontier" is a fair and balanced examination of the relationship between the Puritans and the Indians. In this book, Vaughan attempts to give the reader both sides of the Indian/Puritan story. Often he gives the Puritans the benefit of the doubt and tries to explain why they did what they did. A very good book.

This is a fantastic book. It covers the people, particular situations and adventures, if you will, that the puritans of New England went through. You will get an insight of the diplomacy they practice, and the dealing with the natives. It destroys the prejudiced view that most historians have on the puritans. They where not religious, superstitious zealots, but people that depended on discipline, and tight nit group dynamics. It is evident that they were well educated, both in diplomacy, commerce and war tactics and strategy. Their dominance over the continent was a consequence of the dynamics, and diplomacy with the Indians. Great read, fast paced and informative.

Alden Vaughan tackles the initial years of colonization in New England by the Puritans, and the relationship their communities had with the Native Americans of the region. In his examination, Vaughan argues that contrary to generally accepted histories, the Puritans' relations with the Native American groups in political, economic, judicial and religious spheres was "relatively humane, considerate and just," when compared with other contemporary European colonies in the New World, particularly the English colony in Virginia. The evidence that Vaughan provides is almost entirely drawn from Puritan sources, with some corroboration taken from other European colonies whenever possible. According to Vaughan no written histories from this period exist relating the Native American perspective directly, and he is confident that the Puritans left generally unbiased records regarding their dealings with the various native nations and individuals. The text he has produced from his investigation is one which sheds a considerably softer light on the Puritan's motives and actions regarding the Native Americans in New England.

Vaughan's argument is generally convincing given the sources he examines. Vaughan defends his reliance on Puritan sources eloquently in the Preface, and it is hard to deny that there is a lack of Native American sources from the Puritan era. Still, there is no question that an unfiltered Native American voice is lacking, and that must be taken into account when assessing Vaughan's evidence. One wonders why Vaughan did not look into the writings of the Christian Native Americans living in New England, or further delve into the conversion narratives which he refers to. Vaughan has also avoided using captivity narratives written by Puritans, another possible source of information regarding Native American culture and opinion. Another inherent problem is Vaughan's narrow time span; this work focuses on a generation and a half of English/Native American interaction, and thus the lasting implications of Puritan policy are for the most part disregarded. Also lacking is gendered analysis of both Native American and Puritan relations; while Vaughan does briefly cover women's roles in Native American society in Chapter II, Puritan women are overlooked entirely in his predominately political analysis, as are "Praying Indian" women and their adjustment to Puritan gender roles. Overall, Vaughan mounts a convincing defense of the Puritan's motives and conduct, but one can come away from his work with the impression that in Vaughan's eyes, the Puritans could do no wrong.