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People: Hans Joachim von Zieten
Topic: Dutch-Indian Wars of 1655-64 (Esopus War)
Location: Pau Aquitaine France

Dutch-Indian Wars of 1655-64 (Esopus War)

Years: 1655 - 1664

The Esopus Wars are two localized conflicts between Dutch settlers and the Esopus tribe of Lenape Indians during the latter half of the 17th century in what is now Ulster County, New York.

Like many other wars during the colonial period, at bottom they were the result of competition between European and Indian cultures, aggravated by mutual misunderstanding and suspicion.The first Esopus War is a short-lived conflict between Dutch farmers and the Esopus, largely started by fear and misunderstanding on the part of the settlers.

The second war is a continuation of grudge on the part of the Esopus tribe.

"History should be taught as the rise of civilization, and not as the history of this nation or that. It should be taught from the point of view of mankind as a whole, and not with undue emphasis on one's own country. Children should learn that every country has committed crimes and that most crimes were blunders. They should learn how mass hysteria can drive a whole nation into folly and into persecution of the few who are not swept away by the prevailing madness."

—Bertrand Russell, On Education (1926)