Abstract
New England’s leaders employed Western Christian concepts of holy war and just war to address regional crises between 1630 and 1655. Ex post facto attempts to justify the destruction of Mystic village during the Pequot War (1636–37) relied on holy war ideas. But other episodes, including attempts to avoid war, as well as the founding of the United Colonies of New England, demonstrated just war tenets. This essay will examine the use and misuse of these concepts, including during the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–54), when disputes over a potential attack on New Netherland almost destroyed the alliance.
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Cite this article
Matthew S. Muehlbauer, “Holy War and Just War in Early New England, 1630–1655,” The Journal of Military History 81, no. 3 (July 2017): 667–692.