Justice and just war: A history of early New England, 1630--1655

Classical just war theory sought to restrain both the resort to force and the extent of violence in the midst of conflict. In the early seventeenth century, such thought was known to educated Europeans, including those who migrated to America. But did it affect the decisions of colonists for war or peace, or their conduct in warfare, when confronted by the challenges of coexisting with native peoples and settlers of different European origins? The dissertation considers the question by examining the writings and choices of Puritan colonists in New England between 1630 and 1655. Beginning with a discussion of classical just war thought, it scrutinizes seventeenth-century pamphlets to demonstrate that many Puritan ministers possessed thorough knowledge of just war ideas. Subsequent chapters address historical events and developments such as the Pequot War (1636-37) and the intense rivalry between the Narragansett and Mohegan peoples that followed the conflict. They also address the formation of the United Colonies of New England in 1643, the subsequent tensions between this league of Puritan colonies and the Narragansetts, and the debate among its members regarding a potential assault upon New Netherland during the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-1654). The analysis will also consider the relationship of just war thought to notions of justice and authority, and how questions regarding these concerns in early New England affected Puritan use of force. It will also examine the challenge of applying these Western notions with respect to culturally alien native peoples, and how the latter reacted to Puritan diplomacy and resorts to violence. These inquiries reveal that Puritan conduct in early New England had a mixed record by the standard of just war criteria. Fear and ignorance undermined attempts to abide by such principles prior to the Pequot War, which were clearly violated by the killings of hundreds of natives at Mystic in May 1637. After the war, Massachusetts Bay demonstrated a consistent record of trying to abide by just war tenets and avoid resort to hostilities, whereas the smaller Puritan colonies of Connecticut and New Haven were quick to call for force to address potential threats.