the Iroquois Wars (1533-1650)
PO Box 1333
Merchantville NJ 08109, USA
Evolution Publishing is happy to provide the following chronology of
long sequence of conflicts commonly known as the Beaver Wars.
published in Iroquois Wars I,
timeline gives a summary of events from the earliest accounts of wars
the Iroquois and related tribes through to the destruction of the Huron
by the Iroquois in 1649. The citations included in parentheses after
of the entries refer to the brief bibliography that follows the
- “Toudamans” attack a Stadaconan fort and kill 200 inhabitants—as
to Jacques Cartier by Donnacona, captain of the Stadaconans, in 1535.
- Cartier’s first voyage to the New World.
- Cartier visits Stadacona and Hochelaga, towns occupied by
- Cartier’s last voyage to the New World.
- Sieur de Roberval’s colonization attempt fails. Embroiled in
wars and politics, serious French exploration of the Saint Lawrence
is interrupted for nearly 60 years.
- Hochelaga and Stadacona are destroyed. The date of the
identity of the attackers, and fate of the inhabitants of these
- The Iroquois Confederacy is established.
- The Mohawks fight a draining war with the Susquehannocks and
These Algonquins could be the Mahicans and/or the Adirondacks of
legend. (JR, 45:203)
- French colony of Tadoussac founded on the St. Lawrence River.
- March. Champlain lands at Tadoussac.
- French colony of Port Royal established in Nova Scotia.
- English found the Jamestown colony in Virginia.
- July 3. Champlain founds Quebec on the St. Lawrence near
original site of Stadacona.
- July. Champlain accompanies Huron and Algonquin war party,
Iroquoia, and defeats a larger force of Iroquois. (Champlain, 2:199ff.)
- September. Sailing for the Dutch, Henry Hudson ascends the
that now bears his name and conducts trade near present-day Albany.
- June. An Iroquois war party is defeated by a combined
of Hurons, Algonquins, and Montagnais, with French assistance.
- King Henry IV of France is assassinated. Louis XIII becomes King
- Jesuits arrive at Port Royal.
- Port Royal is ransacked by Samuel Argall and his raiders from
- French are allied with the Montagnais, Souriquois, Etchemins,
Hurons, and New England tribes. (JR, 2:207)
- The Dutch found Fort Nassau near present-day Albany and initiate
with the neighboring Mahicans and Mohawks.
- October. Champlain and the Hurons besiege an enemy village
belonging to the Onondaga. The siege fails and Champlain, though
is brought back safely to Huronia. (Champlain [Slafter], 3:109ff.)
- The Dutch accompany the Mohawks on a raid against the
- Huron Nation of the Bear and the Algonquin Yroquets are at war
the disposition of an Iroquois prisoner. (Champlain [Slafter], 3:149)
- The Dutch trading post at Fort Nassau is abandoned.
- The Mohawks and the Mahicans are at war.
- Champlain rejects calls by his Huron and Algonquin allies for a
campaign against the Iroquois. (Champlain [Slafter], 3:205)
- The Dutch broker a truce between the Mohawks and Mahicans.
- The Thirty Years War begins in Europe.
1620 or 1621
- First Pilgrims arrive on Cape Cod.
- Algonquins and Iroquois make peace (JR, 8:295, fn 29)
- English settlers at Plymouth ally with the Wampanoags.
- July. Peace is forged between the Mohawks and Champlain
the Indian allies of the French. (JR, 4:262, fn 26)
- King Louis XIII of France reaches his majority and Cardinal
becomes his chief minister.
- The Dutch establish Fort Orange on the Hudson River and begin
with the Mahicans.
- The Mohawks and the Mahicans are at war.
- A joint Dutch/Mahican war party is ambushed by the Mohawks. This
encourages the Dutch to remain neutral in the ongoing Mohawk-Mahican
- The Dutch purchase Manhattan Island and begin settlement.
- The Susquehannocks are at war with the Delawares.
- The Jesuits arrive at Quebec.
- England and France at war.
- The Mohawks defeat the Mahicans and push them east of the Hudson
This allows the Mohawks free and easy access to the Dutch trading post
- English defeat the fleet of the Company of New France and take
Royal. (JR, 10:43)
- English Admiral David Kirke captures Quebec and plunders the
leaving it in ruins.
- Mohawks destroy the Montagnais village at Three Rivers.
- Boston founded by English settlers.
- The Susquehannocks force most of the Delawares east of the
River and open trade with the Dutch in earnest.
- Iroquois gain ascendancy over Algonquins thanks to Dutch firearms
5:289, fn. 52)
- Treaty of St-Germain-en-Laye cedes New France back to the French.
- Iroquois raid as far as Quebec and Three Rivers. (Sagard, p. 261)
- Champlain returns as governor of New France. French reinhabit
and renew their alliance with Algonquins and Hurons. (JR, 5:203ff.)
- June. Thirty or forty Iroquois ambush and kill three
- Spring. A Huron war party of 500 is ambushed by an
party of 1,500 and defeated. Of the Hurons, 200 are killed and another
are taken prisoner. (JR, 7:213)
- July. French colony is founded at Three Rivers.
- October. Peace is made among the Montagnais, Algonquins
Iroquois. (JR, 8:27)
- August. The tentative peace between the Iroquois and
fails. The Iroquois destroy seven canoes of the Petite Nation of the
- Peace is forged between the Hurons and the Seneca. (JR, 8:115)
- December. Champlain dies.
- Spring. Iroquois massacre 23 of the Algonquin Nation de
Ambassadors of this nation attempt to forge an alliance with the
Bissiriniens, and the other Algonquin tribes, but are rebuffed. (JR,
- June. The Iroquois ambush a sleeping Huron war party,
twelve and putting the rest to flight. (JR, 10:83)
- July. The Montagnais petition the French for assistance
the Iroquois. The French are unable to help due to a severe shortage of
- July. Intrigue causes fissures in the
alliance. Du Plessis offers gifts to heal the breach and an allied war
assembles and heads off. (JR, 9:249)
- August. The allied war party returns from a successful
killing 28 Iroquois and taking five prisoners. (JR, 9:251)
- Montmagny becomes Governor of New France. (JR, 8:217)
- Disease strikes the Huron villages, taking a dreadful toll.
- Spring. A combined Montagnais and Algonquin war party
to raid Iroquoia and is defeated. (JR, 12:153)
- Spring. The Montagnais seek a closer alliance with the
and build a protected village near the French fort at Three Rivers.
- May. The English colonies of Connecticut and Massachusetts
at war with the Pequots.
- June. Algonquins of the Iroquet nation do battle with a
force of Iroquois upon the water. They are victorious and return with
Iroquois prisoners. (JR, 12:181ff.)
- August. About 500 Iroquois raid up to the St. Lawrence,
Huron canoes and menacing the French settlements. (JR, 12:199ff.)
- August. Ill fortune in war and losses to disease cause the
to discuss killing the Jesuits or driving them from their villages.
- The Jesuits establish a mission at Sillery.
- Birth of the future King Louis XIV.
- Under the auspices of the Dutch, the Swedes set up a colony on
lower Delaware River. The Susquehannocks initiate trade with the Swedes.
- The Wenros, one-time confederates of the Neutrals, decide to
emigrate en masse to Huronia after the Neutrals withdraw their
over an unknown grievance. The Hurons accept them and escort them on
arduous journey. (JR, 17:27)
- Smallpox strikes the Hurons. (JR, 19:89)
- Huron suspicions of the French are fed by English rumors claiming
Jesuits’ goal was to destroy the world. (JR, 17:199ff.)
- December. A war party of 300 Algonquins and Hurons is victorious
a group of 100 Iroquois. They kill 17 or 18 and bring the remainder
as prisoners to be tortured. (JR, 17:71)
- March. Fr. Hierosme Lalemant requests more aid from France
the English and the Iroquois. (JR, 17:223)
- June. Huron Charles Sondatsaa converts to Christianity and
given an arquebus by Montmagny, the French governor. (JR, 20:213ff.)
- Autumn. Iroquois raiders capture two Frenchmen. They do
abuse them in hopes that they might use them to make a separate peace
the French. (JR, 21:21ff.)
- Fr. Vimont becomes superior of the residence at Quebec.
- Mission to the Arendaronons, the easternmost Hurons, is begun by
- Frs. Brebeuf and Chaumonot fail to establish a mission among the
- The Neutrals attack the Fire Nation, returning with 100
- Huron convert Joseph Chihouatenhoua is killed in an Iroquois
- April. An Iroquois war party of 500 sets out ostensibly to
peace with the French. Among their number are the two Frenchmen
the previous autumn and 36 Mohawk arquebusiers. The two sides treat at
Rivers, but the French are suspicious of the motives of the Iroquois
demand presents of arquebuses in exchange for peace. Fighting breaks
and the peace effort is scuttled. (JR, 21:43ff.)
- Autumn. A war party of 200 Iroquois raids deep into
territory and surprises several bands engaged in hunting, killing many
taking many prisoners. (JR, 22:247ff.)
- The Neutrals again attack the Fire Nation, carrying off more than
prisoners. (JR, 21:195)
- Cardinal Richelieu sends 30–40 soldiers to New France to help
- Spring. The Iroquois raid successfully against the
Iroquet nation. (JR, 22:269)
- May. Sieur de Maisonneuve begins the construction of a
village on the island of Montreal. (JR, 22:211)
- Summer. The Neutrals attack the Fire Nation and destroy a
town, killing many and taking 800 captives. (JR, 27:25)
- Summer. Iroquois destroy a Huron frontier village. (JR,
- Summer. A large Huron army is defeated by a much smaller
force. (JR, 25:175ff.)
- August 2. Twelve Huron canoes are ambushed and defeated by
Mohawks. Several Hurons are taken prisoner along with Jesuit Fr. Isaac
and Rene Goupil. (JR, 22:269)
- August 13. The French begin to build Fort Richelieu on the
River (or River of the Iroquois) in an attempt to block Iroquois raids
New France. (JR, 22:275)
- August 20. A 300 strong Iroquois war party attacks the
Fort Richelieu. Despite their resolution and ferocity, they are
by the French defenders. One Frenchman is killed and several are
- September 29. Rene Goupil is killed while in Mohawk
- A small Algonquin war party made up of Christian converts and
surprise and defeat an Iroquois war party of similar size. (JR,
- The Susquehannocks are at war with the English colonists in
- December. Cardinal Richelieu dies and is succeeded by
- Civil war breaks out between rival French governors in Acadia.
- February. The Dutch are at war with the Delaware.
- Spring. Algonquin war parties battle the Iroquois with
success. The captain Piescaret of the Algonquin Island Nation is given
as lost, but returns bearing an Iroquois head. (JR, 24:253ff.)
- May. King Louis XIII dies and is succeeded by Louis XIV,
- May. Separating into small bands of 20 to 100, the
set ambushes along the length of the St. Lawrence, waylaying Huron
and ambushing Montagnais, Algonquins, and French indiscriminately. (JR,
- June. A band of 40 well-armed Iroquois attack the
at Montreal capturing 13 canoes full of beaver skins, 23 Hurons and two
and killing several others.
- August. A band of twelve Algonquins hunting in the
of Fort Richelieu do battle with 20 Iroquois and are defeated. (JR,
- Autumn. Father Jogues escapes from Iroquois captivity with the
of the Dutch. (JR, 25:43)
- March. A joint Dutch-English expedition destroys several
villages in southern New York and on Long Island.
- March. Iroquois raiding and ambushes severely disrupt life
Huronia. Women are killed in the field daily and Huron war parties
to deal with the invaders are defeated. (JR, 27:63)
- April. Father Bressani and several Huron converts are
by the Iroquois. (JR, 25:191)
- Summer. A Huron war party of more than 100 heads to
to lay ambushes, is met by 7–800 Iroquois, and disastrously defeated.
- Summer. The Hurons and Algonquins skirmish with the
in the vicinity of Fort Richelieu with mixed results.
- Two bands of Hurons are captured by the Iroquois near Quebec.
- Three fleets of Huron canoes are attacked and captured by the
on the St. Lawrence. (JR, 28:43)
- Iroquois raiding effectively closes St. Lawrence River trade and
between Huron country and Quebec
- Twenty-two French soldiers are sent to Huronia to help deal with
Iroquois menace. (JR, 27:89)
- Autumn. Iroquois raid in the vicinity of Fort Richelieu,
injuring, and capturing several French and Hurons. (JR, 27:221ff.)
- The Susquehannocks conclude a peace with the English in Maryland.
- Summer. Peace is concluded between the Dutch and the
- Summer. The Hurons trap an Iroquois war party in a fort in
woods, but Iroquois intrigue causes dissention in the Huron ranks and
are routed. (JR, 29:247)
- September. After long negotiations, peace is forged
the Mohawks and the French, Algonquins, and Hurons. (JR, 27:79ff.)
- Spring. Fr. Jogues returns to the Mohawks as an ambassador
the French. (JR, 29:47)
- August. The Oneidas attack the Island Nation Algonquins
defeat them but are then defeated in turn by the Iroquet or Hurons
returning home. (JR, 28:225; JR, 29:229)
- October 18. Fr. Jogues is killed by the Mohawks. This
the peace, but the French do not hear of it for some time.
- October. Louis d’Ailleboust becomes commandant of
- March. Mohawks launch a surprise attack and capture 100
killing many others and breaking the peace. Among them is the Algonquin
Simon Piescaret who is assassinated. (JR, 30:235; 5:289, fn 52)
- Spring. The Onondagas appear on the Huron frontier but are
One chief is killed, several others are captured, and the rest flee.
- Spring. The Hurons spare an important Onondaga chief and
negotiations between the Hurons and Onondagas ensue. (JR, 33:119)
- Spring. The Susquehannocks offer aid to the beleaguered
- Spring. The French, Montagnais and Hurons skirmish with
raiders along the St. Lawrence. (JR, 31:171)
- June. Fort Richelieu is abandoned. (JR, 30:181)
- July 21. An Algonquin war party of the Petite Nation
from a raid in Iroquoia with six scalps. (JR, 30:187)
- Summer. An Iroquois army ravages Huronia. (JR, 33:81)
- Summer. A Seneca war party of 300 destroys a village of
Aondirronnons, a nation of the Neutral confederacy. (JR, 33:83)
- October. Peace is concluded between the Onondaga and the
and indications are given that the Cayuga and Oneida also wish to make
with the Hurons. However, the Seneca and the Mohawks continue on the
against the Hurons.
- The Eries are forced to move inland to escape their unknown enemy
the west. (JR, 33:63)
- No Hurons descend to the French settlements this year. (JR,
- Winter. Arendaenronnon Hurons from the frontier village of St.
are harassed by the Seneca and Mohawks. A Seneca war party surprises
- Arendaenronnon hunting camp carrying off 24 and killing seven. A
time later, a Mohawk war party surprises about 300 Arendaenronnons who
returned to collect the dead, capturing 40. (JR, 33:83ff.)
- Spring. The Huron Arendaenronnons of St. Ignace are forced
abandon their villages and move to more populous regions within Huronia
to their proximity to the Iroquois and numerous defeats. (JR, 33:89)
- In desperate need of hatchets and other French trade goods, 250
force their way up the St. Lawrence to the French settlements.
- July. Iroquois launch a sudden raid and destroy the Huron
town of Teanaustayé (St. Joseph), killing and capturing 700
Father Antoine Daniel is martyred. Another unnamed town is also sacked.
- July 17. A combined French and Huron force destroys an
war party near Three Rivers. (JR, 32:173ff.)
- August. Montmagny is replaced as governor of New France by
- September. The Huron trading fleet returns successfully to
carrying 20 Frenchmen. (JR, 34:101)
- Iroquois raids and ambushes again menace the settlements and
routes along the St. Lawrence. (JR, 32:143ff.)
- March 16. The Huron village of St. Ignace is attacked by
Iroquois while the defenders are asleep. Successfully destroying this
they then proceed to attack the nearby village of St. Louis. Though
strongly defended, St. Louis is also captured and burned. Those who
be taken as prisoners are massacred, including Fathers Gabriel Lalemant
Jean de Brebeuf. (JR, 34:25ff.)
- March 17. The Huron Nation of the Bear rallies 300
and defeats a contingent of the Iroquois army in Huronia, taking 30
The main body of the Iroquois army returns to the scene and defeats the
though not without the loss of some 100 of their best men. (JR,
- March 19. The Iroquois army withdraws from Huronia taking
amounts of captives and spoils with them. They also suffer some 200
of their own. (JR, 34:135)
- May. The Jesuits abandon and burn their fort at St. Marie
follow the Hurons who are scattering to escape the Iroquois. (JR,
- Reeling from multiple calamities, the Hurons abandon 15 villages
disperse far and wide, seeking aid from various neighboring tribes.
signals the end of the Huron confederacy as a cohesive military or
force. (JR, 34:197)
- June. The Iroquois capture 14 Algonquins near Three
At about the same time, the Algonquins of the Petite Nation kill seven
- June. D’Ailleboust belatedly sends about 60 Frenchmen and
to the Hurons to assist in their defense. (JR, 34:53)
- August. The Jesuits follow the scattered remnants of the
nations to a refuge at St. Joseph Island. (JR, 34:213)
- The Iroquois attack the Nipissings, destroying habitations along
banks of Lake Nipissing.
- Autumn. The Hurons and Jesuits build fortified villages on
Joseph Island. (JR, 35:25)
- A terrible famine strikes the remnants of Huronia. (JR, 34:83)
- December. The Iroquois attack the undefended Petun
Etharita (St. Jean). Jesuit Fr. Charles Garnier is killed. (JR,
- December. Jesuit Fr. Noël Chabanel is killed either
the Iroquois or an apostate Huron. (JR, 35:147ff.)
Continued through 1675 in Iroquois
- Winter. The Hurons at St. Joseph Island suffer horribly
famine and disease. (JR, 35:75)
- March. An Iroquois war party marches 200 leagues and
several hundred Hurons who are scattered about St. Joseph Island
- Spring–Summer. The Iroquois continue to stalk the refugee
attacking hunting parties, families, and anyone else caught outside the
of the forts.
- Spring. The Iroquois surprise and capture a party of
200 leagues from Iroquoia. (JR, 35:179)
- Spring. An Algonquin war party led by Christian convert
Outagwainou attempts to surprise some Iroquois villages while their men
off at war. They are betrayed by a Huron’s intrigue and routed by an
war party. (JR, 35:217)
- Late Spring. The Jesuits and 300 Huron families retreat
St. Joseph Island back through the devastated Huron Country to Quebec,
the French settlements in July. A colony is established for the refugee
near Quebec. (JR, 35:183ff.)
- Summer. The Iroquois raid in the neighborhood of Quebec
practical impunity, killing several Frenchmen.
- Summer. A band of 25 or 30 Iroquois engages a party of 60
soldiers. The Iroquois effect a fighting retreat, and inflict heavy
on the French. (JR, 35:211ff.)
de Champlain, Samuel. 1878 . The Voyages of Samuel de
Vol. II. Edmund F. Slafter (ed.), Charles Pomeroy Otis, (trans.),
The Prince Society.
de Champlain, Samuel. 1882 [1613, 1619]. The Voyages of Samuel de
Vol. III. Edmund F. Slafter (ed.), Charles Pomeroy Otis, (trans.),
The Prince Society.
Hakluyt, Richard. 1600 . "A Short and Briefe Narration of the
Made by Order of the King of France to the Islands of Canada,
Saguenay, and Divers Others Which are Now Called New France, with the
Customes and Maners of the Inhabitants Therein. The Second Voyage of
Cartier," in The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and
of the English Nation, E. Goldsmid (ed.), Edinburgh: E. & G.
JR = Thwaites, Reuben Gold, ed., 1896–1901. The Jesuit Relations
Documents: Travels and Explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New
1610–1791. The Original French, Latin and Italian Texts, with English
and Notes. 73 Vols. Cleveland: Burrows Brothers.
Sagard, Gabriel. 1939 . The Long Journey to the Country of the
George M. Wrong (ed.), H. H. Langton (trans.), Toronto: The Champlain
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