1. Uncas was born near the Thames River in present-day Connecticut, the son of the Mohegan sachem Owaneco.
22 Facts About Uncas
1. 2.
Uncas is a variant of the Mohegan term Wonkus, meaning "Fox".
3.
Uncas was a descendant of the principal sachems of the Mohegans, Pequots, and Narragansetts.
4.
Uncas was bilingual, learning Mohegan and some English, and possibly some Dutch.
5.
In 1626, Owaneco arranged for Uncas to marry the daughter of the principal Pequot sachem Tatobem to secure an alliance with them.
6.
Owaneco died shortly after this marriage, and Uncas had to submit to Tatobem's authority.
7.
Tatobem was captured and killed by the Dutch in 1633; Sassacus became his successor, but Uncas felt that he deserved to be sachem.
8.
Uncas was unwilling to challenge the power of Tatobem; however, Uncas did begin contesting Pequot authority over the Mohegans.
9.
In 1634 with Narragansett support, Uncas rebelled against Sassacus and Pequot authority.
10.
Uncas was defeated and became an exile among the Narragansetts.
11.
Uncas soon returned from exile after ritually humiliating himself before Sassacus.
12.
About 1635, Uncas developed relationships with important figures in the Connecticut Colony.
13.
Uncas was a trusted ally of Captain John Mason, a partnership which lasted three and a half decades and several family generations beyond.
14.
Uncas sent word to Jonathan Brewster that Sassacus was planning to attack the colonists on the Connecticut River.
15.
In 1637, during the Pequot War, Uncas was allied with the New England colonists and against the Pequots.
16.
Uncas led his Mohegans in a joint attack with the colonists against the Pequots near Saybrook and against the Pequot Fort at Mystic River.
17.
The treaty dictated that Uncas could pursue his interests in the Pequot country only with the explicit approval of the Connecticut Colony.
18.
In 1640, Uncas added Sebequanash of the Hammonassets to his several wives.
19.
Uncas executed several of Miantonomo's fellow warriors in front of him, trying to solicit a response from Miantonomo.
20.
Uncas requested and was given authority to put Miantonomo to death, provided that the killing was done by Indian hands in Indian territory to prevent difficulties between the Narragansetts and the colonists.
21.
Author James Fenimore Cooper portrayed a fictional Uncas as having made the leap over the falls in his 1826 book The Last of the Mohicans.
22.
Uncas led his forces in joint attacks with the colonists against the Wampanoags.