 The Native Americans in New England were organized into loose tribal confederations , sometimes called " nations " . Among these confederations were the Nipmucks , the Massachusett , the Narragansett , the Niantics , the Mohegan , and the Wampanoag . Several significant events dramatically altered the demographics of the Native American population in the region . The first was " Standish 's raid " on Wessagussett , which frightened Native American leaders to the extent that many abandoned their settlements , resulting in many deaths through starvation and disease . The second , the Pequot War , resulted in the dissolution of the Pequot tribe and a major shift in the local power structure . The third , King Philip 's War , had the most dramatic effect on local populations , resulting in the death or displacement of as much as 80 % of the total number of Native Americans of southern New England and the enslavement and removal of thousands of Native Americans to the Caribbean and other locales . 
