Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Timeline The Pequots occupied the Pequot River (currently the Thames River) drainage basin in Southern New England prior to contact with Europeans. The Pequots hunted, fished, traded and prospered on their traditional lands: 250 square miles bordering the Long Island Sound. The word "Pequot" has been translated to mean "people of the shallow waters." They numbered about 8,000 just prior to European contact, which began in the early 1600s. 1620-1633 The Pequots develop trading relationships with European and Native neighbors in fur and wampum. Fall 1633-Summer 1634 A smallpox epidemic kills thousands of Natives in Southern New England. September 1636 The English burn a Pequot village along the Pequot River in retaliation for the murder of an Englishman and earlier conflicts, initiating hostilities that lead to the Pequot War. Spring 1637 The colonies of Connecticut and Massachusetts prepare for an offensive against the Pequot Tribe. May 26, 1637 The combined forces of the English, Narragansetts and Mohegans attack the Pequot fort at Mystic, killing nearly all but a few of the inhabitants - about 600 Pequots. Sept. 1638 The Pequot War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Hartford. Surviving Pequots are forbidden to return to their villages or to use the tribal name. The Tribe is divided between the Native allies of the English -- the Mohegans and the Narragansetts -- or placed into slavery among English colonists. 1640s Robin Cassacinamon becomes the most influential Pequot leader in the decades following the Pequot War. As a diplomat, he negotiates for the return of the Pequots to some of their traditional lands in 1666. 1651 The Mashantucket Pequots are given back some of their land in Noank by the government of Connecticut. 1666 The Pequots establish a reservation of approximately 3,000 acres at Mashantucket, at the headwaters of the Mystic River. 1675 The Pequots ally themselves with the colonists in King Philip's War, a conflict between some New England tribes and the colonists. 1692 Pequot Sachem Robin Cassacinnamon dies. 1721 After decades of constant dispute with English settlers over the Pequot lands at Noank, the Pequots formally give up their planting rights there but retain their fishing rights in exchange for clear title to Mashantucket. 1754-1763 Pequots fight in the French and Indian War. 1761 Reservation land is reduced to 989 acres by the colony of Connecticut. 1775-1783 Pequots fight in the Revolutionary War. 1785-1810 More than half the Pequots leave for Oneida territory in New York State as part of the Brotherton Movement, a Christian-Indian movement that attracted Natives from New England. 1790 The first of the Indian Trade and Intercourse Acts is enacted, prohibiting anyone, including state or local governments, from purchasing Indian land without federal approval. Early to mid-1800s Members of the Tribe submit the first in a series of petitions to the legislature and county courts against their government-appointed overseers for neglect of tribal matters and improper sale or lease of land. 1855 The Connecticut General Assembly passes an act that provides for the sale of the majority of the reservation without tribal consent. 1856 The State of Connecticut sells off most of the 989 acres of the Pequots' reservation. Two hundred thirteen acres remain. 1935 A state commission reports the population of the Tribe on the reservation to be 42. 1973 Elizabeth George dies. As one of the two Mashantucket Pequots to remain on the reservation, she urged a new generation to hold on to the land and reunite the Tribe. 1975 Mashantucket Pequots hold the first election for a tribal chairman. Richard "Skip" Hayward, grandson of Elizabeth George, is chosen. 1976 Tribal members approve a constitution. The first constitution had been drafted by a group of tribal members, including Elizabeth and Amos George, in the late 1960s. The Tribe sues property owners in Ledyard to recover the land that had been sold by the State of Connecticut in 1856. Mid-1970s Mashantucket Pequot Tribe begins a series of projects in order to attain economic self-sufficiency. They include the sale of firewood, maple syrup and garden vegetables, a swine project, and the opening of a hydroponic greenhouse. Jan. 15, 1979 A petition is filed by the Tribe for federal recognition. 1981 Fifteen new homes are completed on Mashantucket Pequot Reservation with assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 1982 U.S. Congress unanimously passes legislation recognizing the Tribe and settles the Tribe's land claims. The legislation is vetoed by President Reagan. 1983 An amended Mashantucket Pequot Indian Land Claims Settlement Act is signed into law by President Reagan. It establishes the Tribe's land claim, provides federal recognition, and paves the way for economic revival. A $900,000 trust fund is created, with $600,000 designated for land acquisition, and $300,000 for economic development. Late 1970s through 1980s Tribal members return to Mashantucket, joining those who remained on the reservation. 1986 Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation opens high-stakes bingo. 1992 Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation opens Foxwoods Resort Casino. The site of a Pequot fort from 1675 is discovered on the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation. 1993-present Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation continues to build a community infrastructure. Roads are built, along with a public safety complex and additional housing. Various businesses are acquired, including a shipworks company, restaurant, hotel and inns. October 20, 1993 Ceremonial groundbreaking occurs for the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. August 11, 1998 The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center opens to the public on the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation.