Peach War

The Peach War, sometimes called the Peach Tree War, was a one-day occupation of New Amsterdam on September 15, 1655, by several hundred Munsee, followed by raids on Staten Island and Pavonia. 43 colonists were killed and over 100, mostly women and children, were taken captive.

The cause of the Peach War has been the subject of debate. The armed protest and raids may have been triggered by the murder of a Munsee woman who was stealing peaches from the orchard of Dutch colonist Hendrick van Dyck. Some writers, however, have speculated that the Peach War was orchestrated by the Susquehannock in response to the Dutch conquest of New Sweden.