The 1637 Mystic Massacre

Before sunrise on May 26, 1637, English colonists and their Native allies surrounded a fortified Pequot village near Mystic, Connecticut. Their orders were simple—and devastating: set it on fire. Within hours, hundreds of Pequot men, women, and children were dead, many trapped inside the burning village. One colonial leader described the destruction as "a wonderful work of God," a chilling reminder of how differently the event was remembered by those who carried it out.

In this episode of History Shorts, we revisit one of the bloodiest episodes of early colonial America, examining how the Mystic Massacre became celebrated as...