Home / Shonnard, Frederic, and W.W. Spooner. History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900. New York: The New York History Company, 1900. / Passage

History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900

Shonnard, Frederic, and W.W. Spooner. History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900. New York: The New York History Company, 1900. 307 words

Under the early Dutch governme of their continues Ruttenber, the .Mohicans sold a considerable portion Mohawks the admitted and r, Rensselae Van to side west the on land to territorial sovereignty north of the Mohawk River. The Mohawks were one of the five tribes of the great Iroquois confederacy, whose other members were the Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas. Thus as early as L630 there were three principal divisions or nations of Indians represented on the Hudson: the Iroquois, Mohicans, and Lenni Lenapes (or Delawares). This is Ruttenber's classification. On the other hand, it has been considered by some writers on the Indians that the Mohicans were , acr.-ally only a subdivision of the Lenni Lenapes, whose dominions cording to Eeckewelder, extended from the mouth of the Potomac northeastwardly to the shores of Massachusetts Bay and the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont, and westwardly to the AlleBut whether the Mohicans are to be regarded ..■henies and Catskills.

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as a separate grand division or as a minor body, the geographical limits of the territory over which they were spread are well defined. _ Maikans, and by the French misThey were called' by the ofDutch Mahingans, gathered between Manhatsionaries the " nine nations tan ;,nd the environs of Quebec." The tradition which they gave of their origin has been stated as follows: nation was situated partly The country formerly owned by the Muhheakunnuk (Mohican) New York. The inhabitants dwelt in Massachusetts and partly in the States of Vermont and Hudson River now it is chiefly in little towns and villages. Their chief seat was on the , or the fireplace of the ,alled Albany, which was called Pempotowwuthut-Muhhecanneuw whether relating to business, any on come to Muhheakunnuk nation, where their allies used of the word Muhheakunthe covenant of their friendship or other matters.