CHRONOLOGY Deadliest American Disasters and Large-Loss-of Life Events1 A Catalog of, and Notes on, Natural and Man-Made Events Causing Ten or More Fatalities in America/the United States and its Territories Since 1492 B. Wayne Blanchard, PhD Blue Ridge Summit, PA November 21, 2017 Copyright August 2017 Lines highlighted in Yellow indicate that there is a narrative document with more information and sources to be found in the Spread-Sheet by clicking on the URL at the end of the entry. 1. 1492-1800 -- North American Native American population decline, esp. disease--~2,800,000 2. 1527 -- Nov, Hurricane, Matagorda Bay, TX -- 200 3. 1538-1539, Unknown epidemic, “Cofitachequi”2 Natives, central SC -- Hundreds 4. 1539 --~Sep 16, Napituca Massacre, Hernando de Soto executes Timucuans, No. Cen. FL-30-200 5. 1540 -- Oct 18, Spanish (de Soto) battle/massacre, with Atahachi, Mabila, AL --2,500-6,000 6. 1541 -- ~Mar 10, Hernando de Soto forces and “Chicasa” battle and “slaughter,” MS3 -- >20? 7. 1541/42 Winter, Coronado’s Expeditionaries burn-at-the-stake Tiwa Natives, NM4 --40-50 8. 1542 --~Mid-May, Massacre, de Soto’s men attack Natives in Nilco province town, AR-~100 9. 1553 -- Hurricane, Lower Coast of TX --1,700 1 We use the term “Large-Loss-of-Life Event to denote ten or more deaths. There are a number in instances where, for a variety of reasons, we enter an event with fewer than 10 fatalities. We do not, though, include these in tally. 2 Cofitachequi is the name the Spaniards of Hernando de Soto’s expedition gave to these natives. Some speculate they could have been Catawban. (Holleman, Joey. “The lost tribe of South Carolina.” The State, 7-5-2009.) 3 No estimate at all is made of the Natives killed, thus we have conjectured the number “more than 20,” as a very conservative, we think, estimate of the number of Natives killed. We know from Duncan’s account (Hernando de Sota, 1995) that the “Chicasa” attacked with a force of over three hundred about seven days earlier. Duncan, pulling from the accounts of the expedition afterwards, notes that there was a rout and a “pent-up rage” slaughter. It was usual for this particular force to kill all they could kill when in battle. There must have been a Native force again of something in the neighborhood of 300. We suspect that dozens, if not many dozens, were killed. 4 Refers to those burned at the stake, not to the Natives killed in fighting, or killed after surrender by “lancing.” 1 10. 1554 -- April, Hurricane, today’s Brownsville, TX --50-100 11. 1565 --Sep 20, Massacre, Spanish troops kill male French colonists, Fort Caroline FL5--~140 12. 1585, June-June 1586 -- Disease, Natives visited by English from Roanoke Colony, NC >360 1597 -- Natives Massacre St. Franciscan Missionaries, Guale (St. Catherine Island), GA-- 5 13. 1598 -- Dec 4, Pueblo Natives kill Juan de Zaldivar & soldiers seeking corn flour, W NM -13 14. 1599 -- Jan 21, Spanish (Oñate) Massacre Acoma Natives, punitive expedition, NM-300-800 15. 1609-10 Winter, Starvation, Disease, Attack, Jamestown Colony, VA -- ~400 16. 1616 --Yellow Fever, Wampanoag btw. Provincetown, MA and Narragansett Bay, RI-45,000 17. 1616 -- George Yeardley, Dep. Governor of Virginia Colony, Attacks Chickahominy --12-40 18. 1616-17 -- Epidemic, Native Americans, Maine -- >Hundreds 19. 1620-21 Winter, Disease, Exposure, Plymouth Colony, MA -- ~ 50 20. 1622 -- Mar 22, Jamestown massacre, Powhatan natives attack Jamestown Colony, VA-- 347 21. 1623 -- May 12, Cpt. Tucker VA party poison/kill Powhatans, Patawomeck, VA --150-200 22. 1632 -- Nov, Massacre at Fort Zwaanendael (Lewes), first Dutch Colony, DE -- 32 23. 1633-1634 -- Smallpox Epidemic, New England Natives, Plymouth Colonists, MA -->1000 24. 1634-1635, Smallpox Epidemic, Five Nations, especially Mohawks, Upper NY –>20006 25. 1635 -- Aug 14-15, Storm, Pinnace Watch and Wait Wrecks on Thacher Island, MA -- 21 26. 1635 -- Aug 25, Great Colonial Hurricane, New England -- 35 27. 1637 -- Massacre of Lenni-Lenape at Pavonia (near present day Jersey City, NJ) -- 80 1637 -- Apr 23, Massacre, Wongunk and Pequots attack Wethersfield, CT -- 9 28. 1637 -- May 26, Mystic Massacre, English Colonists Attack Pequot Village, CT --600-700 29. 1640 -- Violence, Spanish hang Natives for not renouncing their faith, present day NM-- 40 30. 1643 -- Feb 25, New Amsterdam Dutch massacre Natives, Pavonia [NJ]7 --80-120 31. 1643 -- Aug, Massacre, Anne Hutchinson’s settlement by Siwanoy on Pelham Bay, NY-- 16 32. 1643 -- Fall, Dutch/English force assisted by Stamford, CT settlers attack Natives, CT--18-20 33. 1644 -- Early (Jan?), Massacre, Dutch and English attack Mespath (Long Island, NY) -- 120 34. 1644 -- Feb, Massacre, Dutch Colonists attack Siwanoys, Petuquapaen, ~Cos Cob, CT8 --500-700 35. 1644 -- Apr 18, Native Massacre of English Colonists along James River, VA --300-400 36. 1647 -- Influenza, CT (~40-50) and MA (~40-50) -- ~90 37. 1655 -- March 20, Battle of Severn, Catholics attack Puritans, Horn Pt., Annapolis, MD-- 19 38. 1655 -- Sep 15-18,9 Natives attack Dutch in New Netherland (NY and NJ) --16-100 39. 1657 -- Navajo attack Jemez Pueblo, Jémez Province, NM -- 19 40. 1659 -- Measles Epidemic, Native Americans, FL --10,000 41. 1659 -- Sep 25-mid Oct, murder retaliation, Natives attack Wiltwyck (Kingston, NY) -- ~10 5 Today’s Jacksonville. 6 We are assuming that if thousands died, then at least 2,000 must have died. 7 Giersbach writes that the attack site was today’s Corlaer’s Hook, Jersey City. Wikipedia has it that Pavonia was “on the west bank of the North River (Hudson River)…in what would become today’s Hudson County, New Jersey.” (Wikipedia. “Pavonia, New Netherland,” 11-11-2012 modification.) 8 In dispute – some place the massacre in Westchester County, NY (Dinan. “Historians Sift Clues…” Greenwich Time, 3-5-2006.) 9 These are the dates for the initial Native attacks and colonial deaths. There were additional deaths on both sides in retaliatory Dutch attacks. 2 42. 1663 -- Smallpox, Fort Orange, NY and Northern “NY” Native American Tribes --1,000 43. 1663 -- Jun 7, Massacre, Natives attack Dutch at Wiltwyck (Kingston, NY) and vic. --22-24 44. 1666 -- Smallpox, Boston, MA -- 40 45. 1677 -- Leaders of Bacon’s Rebellion are Hanged in VA --22-23 46. 1677-1678 -- Smallpox Epidemic, Massachusetts Bay Colony --1,000 47. 1668 – Famine/Starvation, Humanas and other Pueblos, current-day NM -- ~450 48. 1668 -- Yellow Fever Outbreak, New York, NY -- >10 49. 1669 -- June, Apache attack Acoma Pueblo, NM -- 12 50. 1675 -- ~June 23-25, King Philips War begins, Wampanoags attack Swansea, MA -- 9-12 51. 1675 -- July or Sep, VA Militiamen looking for Doeg Natives Kill Susquehannocks, VA-- 14 52. 1675 -- Sep 02, Settlers killed in Native attack on Northfield, MA -- 8-10 53. 1675 -- Sep 18-19,10 Bloody Brook Massacre, Natives attack wagon train, S. Deerfield, MA--59-76 54. 1675 -- Sep late, Natives attack settlers, relief force ambushed, Scarborough vic., ME --23-24 55. 1675 -- Dec 16, Massacre, Natives attack J. Bull Garrison, Pettaquamscutt (Kingston), RI- 15 56. 1675 -- Dec 19, English Colonists Massacre Narragansetts, Great Swamp, RI --365-1,100 57. 1676 -- Feb 10, Massacre, Nipmuc Natives attack Lancaster, MA --34-35 58. 1676 -- Feb 21, Massacre, Nipmuc and Narragansett Natives attack Medfield, MA --17-18 59. 1676 -- Mar 12, Massacre, Natives Attack Clark House, Eel River, ~Plymouth, MA - 11-12 60. 1676 -- Apr 18, Massacre, Natives attack settlers at Sudbury, MA -- 7-12 61. 1676 -- May 19, Eng. Colonists massacre Peskeomskut Natives, Turners Falls, MA –200-300 62. 1676 -- Jun 12, Mohawks massacre Native camp whose men were attacking Hadley, MA--50 63. 1676 -- Jul 02, Massacre, Eng. Colonists attack Narragansett camp ~Providence, RI--100-126 64. 1676 -- July 3 or 4, Massacre, Eng. Colonists attack Narragansetts, Warwick Neck, RI--40-67 65. 1676 -- Aug 11, Massacre and captivity, Natives attack English settlers, Portland, ME-- >10 66. 1676 -- Aug 13-14, Massacre, Natives attack settlers, Kennebec River & Arrowsic, ME-->14 67. 1676 -- Sep 25, Massacre, Natives destroy settlement at Cape Neddock, ME -- 40 68. 1677 -- Jun 29, Natives attack party of 90 English near Black Point, ME -- 60 69. 1677 -- Sep 19, Massacre, Pocumtuck Natives attack English colonists, Hatfield, MA --12-15 70. 1677-78 Smallpox Epidemic, Massachusetts Bay Colony, MA --1,000 71. 1683 -- Hurricane, FL and East Coast -- 496 72. 1689 -- June 27, Massacre, Penacooks attack English colonists, Cocheco (Dover), NH -- 23 73. 1689 -- Aug 28, Massacre, Natives attack settlers from Huckin’s garrison, NH --21-22 74. 1689 -- Sep 26, Battle, Major Church force and Natives, near Falmouth (Portland), ME -- 10 75. 1689-1690 -- Smallpox, New England and NY, settlers and natives -- >820-1,500 76. 1690 -- Feb 08, Massacre of Colonists by French and Indians, Schenectady, NY -- 60 77. 1690 -- Mar 18, Massacre, French and Indians attack Salmon Falls, NH & Berwick, ME-- 30 78. 1690 -- May 20, Massacre, French/Indians attack settlers, Falmouth (Portland), ME-~120-200 79. 1690 -- ~Sep 15, Massacre, English attack native village, NW of Brunswick, ME -- 21 80. 1691 -- Sep 29, Massacre, Indians attack English settlers, Sandy Beach (now Rye), NH-- 13 10 Both dates are used. 3 81. 1692 -- Jan 25, Massacre, French and Indians attack English colony, York, ME --~50-75 82. 1693 -- Jun 17 start, Yellow Fever, Boston, arrival of British fleet from Martinique11 --3,100 83. 1694 -- Jul 18, Massacre, Abenaki attack settlers, Oyster River Plantation, Durham NH-- 15 84. 1694 -- July 27, Massacre, Natives attack settlers, Groton, MA --20-22 85. 1695 -- Aug 05, Massacre, Natives attack settlers, Billerica, MA -- 10 86. 1696 -- June 26, Massacre, Natives attack English settlers, Portsmouth Plains, NH -- 14 87.