Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
Iroquois Wars of the 17th Century
Within a generation of Columbus, the French had penetrated the St. Lawrence River and pointed their ships toward the interior. By 1630 they had built settlements at Quebec and Montreal, where they could easily communicate and trade with the Huron, Ottawa, and Ojibwe Indians around the Great Lakes. At the same time, the English and Dutch settled New England and New York, where they could easily communicate and trade with the nations of the Iroquois Confederacy via the Hudson River. In the 1640s, the Dutch demand for furs prompted the Iroquois to invade the rich fur-supplying territories to their north... more...
Original Documents and Other Primary Sources
 | Jesuit missionaries describe the aftermath of Iroquois attacks. |
| A priest journeys to a Wisconsin village of exiled Hurons in 1661. |
 | Iroquois warriors attack their enemies while hunting |
| Iroquois warriors ambush French troops in 1687. |
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