Uncas

Uncas (c.1588—c.1683) was a sachem of the Mohegan who through his alliance with the English colonists in New England against other Indian tribes made the Mohegan the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut.

Early life and family

Uncas was born near the Thames River in present-day Connecticut, the son of the Mohegan sachem Owaneco.Uncas is a variant of the Mohegan term Wonkus, meaning "Fox". He was a descendant of the principal sachems of the Mohegan, Pequot, and Narragansett. Owaneco presided over the village known as Montonesuck. Uncas was bilingual, learning Mohegan and some English, and possibly some Dutch.

In 1626, Owaneco arranged for Uncas to marry the daughter of the principal Pequot sachem Tatobem to secure an alliance with them. When Owaneco died, shortly after this marriage, Uncas had to submit to Tatobem's authority. When in 1633, Tatobem was captured and killed by the Dutch, Sassacus became his successor but Uncas felt that he deserved to be Sachem.

Owaneco's alliance with Tatobem was based upon a balance of power between the Mohegan and Pequot. After the death of Owaneco, the balance changed in favour of the Pequot. Uncas was unwilling to challenge the power of Tatobem; however, Uncas did begin contesting Pequot authority over the Mohegan. In 1634 with Narragansett support, Uncas rebelled against Sassacus and Pequot authority. Uncas was defeated and became an exile among the Narragansett. He soon returned from exile after ritually humiliating himself before Saccacus. His failed challenges resulted in Uncas having little land and few followers but Uncas saw that the English Puritan new arrivals, though few in number, had better weapons and much courage, so he started to develop a new strategy and alliance to work towards his ultimate goal of Grand Sachem.

Uncas (disambiguation)

Uncas was a 17th-century Mohegan sachem.

Uncas may also refer to: