Conflicts & Resolutions · War

Beaver Wars

c. 1609–1701 · 17th century · Also known as Iroquois Wars

The Beaver Wars were a long series of conflicts in which the Iroquois Confederacy, armed through Dutch and then English trade, fought neighbouring peoples and the French for control of the fur trade and for captives. In the mid-17th century the Iroquois destroyed or scattered the Huron, Neutral and Erie confederacies. The wars ended with the Great Peace of Montreal in 1701.

Beaver Wars
Image: Scan by NYPL · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Iroquois ConfederacyMilitary

Battles and settlements

Mentioned in 4 state histories

Seneca NationMohawk NationIroquois ConfederacyCayuga Nation

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Beaver Wars. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/beaver-wars
MLA
“Beaver Wars.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/beaver-wars. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Beaver Wars.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/beaver-wars.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Beaver Wars’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/beaver-wars (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻