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Museum Education Docent Guide II

Updated April, 2017 The seal for the town of Fairfield is round, consisting of a circle within a circle. In the space between the two circles are the words "Town of Fairfield" and "Connecticut."Three leaves appear before and

after the word Connecticut in this ring. Inside the inner circle is a scene with a hill and trees in the background; in the middle ground are two individuals shaking hands (a Native American on the left and Roger Ludlow on the right). The word "SEAL" appears just above the heads of the two individuals and the year "1639" appears at their feet. Three small grapevines appear in the foreground just above a banner which says "qui transtulit sustinet" (he who transplanted sustains). Grapevines The people who first landed in New England were amazed at the quantity of wild grapevines they found in the woods. In the old world, vineyards were fenced in and vines were private property. In the New World, they were free to all. It is probable that the three vines stood for the three colonies which united and formed the Connecticut Colony; New Haven, Saybrook and

Hartford. Another explanation of the grapevines is tied in with our State Motto, "He who transplanted sustains." According to Newton's publication, "where it came from we do not know. Some think from the verse in the 80th Psalm, 'Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt and planted it.' It certainly expresses the belief of the leaders of the Connecticut Colonies that God had brought them into a new world and would sustain them in it." European Explorers, Native Americans, Contact Period & The Pequot War

Contact Period refers to the years when colonists from Europe made contact with the Native Americans. French, Spanish, Dutch and English explorers sought influence, trade, and power. Below are excerpts from the 2014 exhibition on the Pequot War. From the Mashantucket Pequot Museum website: Europeans came to America not intending to discover a new world but to increase the power and resources of an old one. Some came for political reasons, on behalf of powerful European kings and queens who sought to expand their empires. Many came for economic reasons, to reach the silks and spices of China and India or, failing that, to see what resources this continent had to offer. Still others came primarily for religious reasons, either to escape persecution at home or to convert the Natives to Christianity.

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Changing political and economic conditions in Europe propelled these forays across the Atlantic. Newly powerful monarchs had the resources to finance exploration; a growing class of merchants was eager to expand trade; and the Protestant Reformation sent European society into turmoil. Although early European voyagers to North America had diverse motives, they shared one attitude in common: they had little regard for the beliefs and ways of life of the Native people who were already here. The Pequot War The Pequot War (1637-38) was the first serious conflict in New England between European colonizers and the indigenous population. Historians have referred to the war as a seminal event in early American history, as it paved the way for English control of southern New England and the subjugation of the region’s Native people. The war arose both from English desires to control the area’s lucrative trade and decades of tension between the Pequot, one of the region’s most powerful tribes, and other Native groups. The conflict drew in English colonists and the Pequot as well as the Narragansett, Niantic, Mohegan, Mohawk, and Sasqua tribes. Over the course of the war, thousands of combatants fought dozens of battles in Rhode Island and Connecticut, with the final English victory won in a swamp here in Southport in 1637. Two years later, English veterans from the Swamp Fight returned to the area of this last battle and established the town of Fairfield. Since its inception, Fairfield’s history has been tied to the Pequot War.

WPA Mural which was previously in Tomlinson School Conflict over Trade In the 1630s, English traders and settlers entered the Connecticut River Valley, seeking a share of the region’s rich fur and wampum trade as well as new sites to establish Puritan villages. At the time, an alliance between the Dutch and the Pequot, which had been established the decade prior, controlled the region’s trade. The Dutch shipped roughly 10,000 fur pelts a year to Holland with the help of the Pequot, who had become the most dominant tribe in the region. Through warfare and coercion, and sometime diplomacy and marriage, the Pequot had gained power over other tribes, who paid an annual tribute to the Pequot in return for protection. By 1630, the Pequot tributary system extended throughout southeastern and coastal Connecticut. The arrival of the English in the Connecticut River Valley however threatened the status quo, as the Pequot found themselves in an increasingly precarious position: more and more dependent on a European economic system, the target of other Native groups’ ire, and with a population threatened by European diseases. Map on Page 3: Map of Connecticut circa 1625: Indian Trails, Villages, Sachemdoms. Compiled by Mathias Spiess, Drawn by Hayden L. Griswold. Source: The Connecticut Historical Society.

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Who were the Pequot? An Algonquian-speaking people, the Pequot had been living in southeastern Connecticut for thousands of years prior to European contact. Before the arrival of the Europeans, roughly 13,000 Pequot lived in villages of 50 to 400 people along Long Island Sound and the estuaries of the Thames, Mystic, and Pawcatuck Rivers, raising food through farming, hunting, and gathering. They were led by sachems, and their councils selected a grand sachem to rule over their large confederation. The Pequot had come to dominate other tribes in southern Connecticut and Long Island through trade, warfare, and diplomacy, which resulted in a tense relationship with their neighbors, including the Narragansett to the east and the Wangunk to the west. Contact with the Dutch and English brought about profound changes in Pequot society, as well as in that of other Native groups, even before the outbreak of war. Most notably, a series of European-borne epidemics reduced Connecticut’s Native population by as much as 90% in some cases, leaving a weakened population and a shattered social structure to face the forces of colonization. The Pequot numbered about 4,000 at the time of the Pequot War.

Who were the English? Between 1634 and 1635, English colonists from Massachusetts Bay, seeking to outflank the Dutch and to find new opportunities, established new settlements in Connecticut, including Windsor, Wethersfield, Hartford, and Saybrook. These Puritan communities were small, closely-knit, deeply religious, and depended on agriculture and trade for their livelihood. The English colonists believed they were on a divine mission to create godly communities in the wilderness and viewed the Native population as “savages,” or even embodiments of the Devil. They interpreted the epidemics that devastated Native communities as divine favor that had been sent to make their path easier. At the same time, they relied on the Native peoples they encountered for trade and local knowledge. While early English descriptions of the Pequot were favorable, this changed as they came to see the Pequot as a threat.

The Fur and Wampum Trade In the 17th century, fur and wampum were part of a global exchange: European investors sent manufactured goods, such as textiles and iron tools, to the coast of southern New England, where it was traded for wampum, a type of shell bead. The wampum was then transported upriver and exchanged for furs, which in turn were shipped back to investors in Europe and sold at a great profit. Pequot territory resided directly between the coastal wampum and hinterland furs, which gave them a monopolistic position as they produced and controlled wampum supplies from less-powerful coastal bead makers.

From “Creating Community” exhibition: If you have ever walked along the shores of Connecticut you have probably come across large, white quahog shells with a purple hue inside. Native American tribes made small beads from these shells and formed them into wampum, which was of great value. They exchanged wampum when they wanted to make an alliance, trade, or build ties with other groups and tribes. The patterns formed by wampum beads helped people to tell stories of the tribe’s past, and signaled the importance of the sachem who wore a wampum belt, or who gave it as a gift. The Outbreak of War The murders of two English traders—John Stone in 1634 by the Pequot and John Oldham in 1636 by the Manisses—are often cited as the cause of the Pequot War, but the conflict was really the culmination of decades of tension between Native tribes that was further stressed by the arrival of European settlers. The Pequot War resulted from intense competition for control of trade as well as inter-tribal conflict as Native groups wrested

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themselves from Pequot subjugation. The conflict was as much Native vs. Native as it was English vs. Native. Tribes that were resentful of the Pequots’ domination, such as the Narragansett and Mohegan allied themselves with the incoming English, while the Pequot, determined to maintain control over trade in the Connecticut Valley, pulled in local tribes like the Sasqua and Unquowa, who owed them allegiance.

Pequot Swamp Fight in Southport The timeline at the end of this document details the events during the Pequot War. The fighting culminated with the English chasing the Pequot, led by Sassacus, down the coast of Connecticut. The last major battle of the Pequot War took place at Munnacommuck Swamp in the Southport section of today’s Fairfield on July 13-14, 1637. The exact location of the fight is unknown, however researchers from the Mashantucket Pequot Research Center are investigating the location through archaeology, research and field work. Several monuments are located in Southport to commemorate the event.

Aftermath Decimated in a violent war, dispossessed of their land, and dispersed as slaves, the fate of the Pequot served as a fierce example to those who would seek to undermine the English. In the war’s aftermath, Native groups in the area gave the English large tracts of land in order to curry favor, including the Mohegan, who ceded most of eastern Connecticut. Tribes that were once tributary to the Pequot now paid tribute to the Puritans, thus filling the coffers of the English and partially underwriting the conquest of the region. The war left the English on the ascendancy, soon to become the most powerful group in southern New England. For the conquered coastal Pequot, the war brought drastic change. The largest group of Pequots, about 1,000 people, was placed under the control of the Mohegan, who treated them so harshly that by 1655 the English moved them to separate locations in eastern Connecticut, eventually creating the Mashantucket (1666) and Lantern Hill (1683) reservations at present-day Ledyard and North Stonington. It would still take another 300 years for the Pequot to regain political and economic power in their traditional homeland.

Cassacinamon The Leadership of Robin Cassacinamon Following the Pequot War, the English attempted an act of genocide by declaring in the 1638 Treaty of Hartford that, “The Pequots will no longer be called Pequots, but, instead, will take on the names of either Mohegan or Narragansett ... the Pequots will no longer live in their homelands ....” Seventeenth-century Pequot sachem Robin Cassacinamon was the first post-war leader to reassert Pequot sovereignty and he oversaw the tribe’s return to its former homeland and the creation of the continent’s first Indian “reserved lands” or reservations. Under his leadership, the Pequots regained a significant degree of political strength. Scholars now believe that this painting on the left depicts Robin Cassacinamon, the most influential Pequot leader in the decades after the Pequot War. Cassacinamon used his friendship with Connecticut Governor John Winthrop to gain independence for his people from the Mohegans and secure a reservation at Mashantucket in traditional Pequot territory. Cassacinamon’s importance is recognized by the Pequot tribe today, as they have made his mark into the tribe’s symbol.

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Fairfield Early History & Growth

In 1639, Roger Ludlow purchased land from the Pequonnock Indians stretching between the Sasqua (Mill) and Pequonnock Rivers and roughly eight miles inland. Natives also agreed to pay Ludlow an annual tribute of furs, wampum and corn. Ludlow was initially attracted to this area because the Native Americans had cleared much of the land for crops and the area was in close proximity to Long Island Sound. An area of land was divided into four squares with sections for residential, community, religious and commercial districts, including the town green. Town greens are a unique tradition of colonial town planning. These large, open spaces usually originated as the shared “common” set aside for the meetinghouse of the Congregational Church, which acted as the local governing authority. This important building, used for worship and town business alike, usually stood in or beside a crossroads. The green space around it—whether a sheep meadow, marketplace, parade ground or even a town dump—was the heart of the community.

The early settlers used peat from the swamp for fuel and seaweed from the Sound for fertilizer. The salt marshes produced natural hay, perfect for livestock. Many early settlers lived in “cellars” -- square pits six to eight feet deep -- possibly lined with rushes or other vegetation and an improvised roof overhead. This served as home until they could find time and money to build regular (crude) houses. Life was difficult, yet Fairfield became a prosperous

farming community in the 1700s. Important ports were established in Black Rock and the Mill River. Ships used the waterways to trade with Boston and New York. For the town of Fairfield’s first twenty years, almost the entire population lived roughly within four square miles of each other. The center was the original Four Squares, located today at the corner of Old Post Road and Beach Road. Soon, new residents settled as far away as seven or eight miles. When settlers arrived in Fairfield, they immediately began to increase the size of the town by purchasing more and more land from the Native Americans. By 1670, Fairfield went as far north as Redding and included Westport and the Black Rock area of Bridgeport. The town’s population continued to grow - driven by its location and the town’s importance as the county seat. As more people begin to spread out from the “four squares,” the distance to the meeting house and school house became an issue. Parishes broke off and new towns were established.

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Long Lots & the Mile Common Excerpt from the inaugural exhibition “Landscape of Change,” 2007. In the 1660s and 1670s, Fairfield began purchasing additional land from the Indians, extending well into the area that is now Redding. In 1671, Fairfield set aside a half-mile wide swath of land running approximately east-west and two miles north of the King’s Highway. A mile-wide tract, intersecting the Half-Mile Common at its center, extended to the northern boundary of Fairfield, today’s Cross Highway in Redding. Land on either side of the Mile Common was divided into long, narrow parcels, which were distributed as dividends to Fairfield proprietors. These “long lots” were about thirteen and a half miles long and ranged in width from a mere fifty feet to 875 feet. Residents who already had sizable land holdings typically received the widest “long lots.” Fairfield’s Population & Growth: -1640 Approximately 8-10 households within town borders (Western border=following Sasco Creek: Eastern border=following Pequonnock River: Northern border= A days walk inland: Southern Border=Long Island Sound) -By about 1654 there are approximately 94 households within the town borders -1661 Town buys land extending to Saugatuck River -1666 Bankside (Green’s Farms) becomes part of Fairfield -1700 more than 150 households (approximately 1050 people) live within Fairfield's borders (Western border=following Saugatuck River to Red Coat Road (Wilton) North following modern Weston-Wilton town line: Eastern border=following Park Avenue (Bridgeport) North to South Park Avenue (Easton) continue North Park Avenue (Easton) to modern Redding-Newtown town line: Northern border= modern Redding-Bethel town line: Southern Border=Long Island Sound) approximately 140 sq. miles -1756 Fairfield includes 4455 people (4195 whites, 260 blacks) It is the fourth largest town (Middletown [1st], Norwich [2nd], New Haven [3rd]) in Connecticut by population and it is the second largest (Norwich [1st]) by taxable property New Parishes Established: -1678 Residents of Pequonnock (Stratfield) area of Fairfield petition the Connecticut General Assembly for their own school house --- The Assembly grants permission in 1679 -1690 Residents of Pequonnock (Stratfield) area of Fairfield petition the Connecticut General Assembly for their own minister --- The assembly establishes the Fairfield Village Ecclesiastical Society in 1694. They further change the name to Stratfield Ecclesiastical Society in 1701. This area commonly referred to as the Stratfield Parish is the first of seven such parishes to be formed in Fairfield. Following a similar pattern to Stratfield’s establishment. -1711 West Parish (Compo, Greens Farms, the area west of Sasco Creek) established -1725 Northwest Parish (renamed Greenfield Parish in 1727) established -1729 Redding Parish established -1757 Norfield Parish (Northern Westport, Weston) established -1762 North Fairfield Parish (Easton) established Parts of the “Old Fairfield” Break Off: The following shows which towns were once a part of Fairfield and when they “broke off:” 1) Redding, 1767, 2) Weston (including present-day Easton), 1787, 3) Westport, 1835, 4) Greens Farms becomes a part of Westport, 1842, 5) Easton breaks off from Weston, 1845 and 6) Black Rock becomes a part of Bridgeport, 1870

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In the 18th century, corn, rye, wheat, potatoes, and flax were the main crops grown for export as well as local consumption. Flax seed was in demand to make linseed oil, and was shipped to Ireland where flax was grown to make fine linen cloth. Local farmers carted their produce to merchants and shippers located along the wharves at Mill River (now Southport) and Black Rock harbor. Bartering was the common method of exchange, and farmers often brought dairy and poultry products such as butter, cheese, eggs, and sacks of feathers to trade for credit. Slavery Slavery is often taught within the context of the Civil War, but its history in America goes back to the nation’s beginnings. In 1619, the first Africans stepped foot onto

North American soil at Jamestown, Virginia; they were slaves captured from a Portuguese ship and were sold in Jamestown. New England colonies adopted a fugitive slave law in 1643, and in the 1660s laws in Virginia firmly established slavery. In Connecticut, trade and rich farmland produced an abundance of agricultural goods which were sent to the West Indies to support the sugar plantations and their slave populations. Although smaller in number compared to the south, many wealthy New Englanders owned slaves. Often slaves helped in the household and contributed their free labor by doing often arduous farmwork; maintaining the fields, mowing, planting and harvesting. Connecticut’s coastline, rivers and waterways provided the routes and ports that connected the colony to England, Africa, and the West Indies in the “triangle trade” that exchanged New England products for rum, molasses, and slaves. By the early 18th century, slavery was an integral part of this commerce and trade, and slavery was a part of daily life in many Connecticut communities. Connecticut’s role in the Triangle Trade is a small, but integral part in the larger context of our nation’s birth and the beginning of the global economy. Our state has a legacy of people who stood for racial equality, such as Prudence Crandall, John Brown and the Amistad case, but that is not the whole story. Connecticut had a significant slave population, held onto slavery as long as it could, and also benefited from trade with larger slaveholding areas. Historians have presented the research and information to provide a balanced view of history that accounts for multiple perspectives on the past.

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Slavery in Fairfield By the early 18th century African-American slavery had become an established institution in Fairfield as well as in other parts of Connecticut. By the time of the American Revolution, Connecticut was the largest slaveholding colony in New England, with slaves comprising about three and a half percent of the population. In Fairfield, the percentage ran higher: about six percent, or 260 of its 4455 residents. Slavery was never the basis of the agricultural economy in Connecticut as it would become in southern states like Virginia and South Carolina. Rather, slaveholders

generally owned one or two people and put them to work as household servants or day laborers. Fairfield’s slave owners were mainly wealthy and affluent people, including several of the patriots who supported the cause of liberty—Gold Selleck Silliman, Caleb Brewster, Thaddeus Burr, and others—as well as Loyalists.

1790 Federal Census: New England

Black Population State Total

Population

Total

Free

Slave Connecticut 237,655 5,419 2,771 2,648 District of Maine 96,643 536 536 Massachusetts 378,556 5,369 5,369 New Hampshire 141,899 787 630 157 Rhode Island 69,112 4,442 3,484 958 Vermont 85,341 269 269 NEW ENGLAND 1,009,206 16,822 13,059 3,763

1790 Federal Census: Comparison

State Total Population Slave Population % of Total Population Enslaved

New York 340,241 21,193 6.2% Pennsylvania 433,611 3,707 0.9% Delaware 59,096 8,887 15.0% Maryland 319,728 103,036 32.2% Virginia 747,550 292,627 39.1% North Carolina 395,005 100,783 25.5% South Carolina 247,073 104,094 42.1% Georgia 82,548 29,264 35.5%

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