Long Island’s north shore, including areas around Sunken Meadow, became the focus of competing European claims in the 17th century between the Dutch and English. These claims were often made without true understanding of Indigenous land use concepts, leading to multiple treaties such as the 1654 Pell purchase which included Pelham Bay and its environs. The colonial period saw increasing imprisonment, population displacement, and conflict, especially due to Dutch-English wars and the Pequot War, which reshaped Native and colonial power dynamics in the area. Specific mention of Sunken Meadow Island itself is sparse pre-20th century as it was largely marshland and inaccessible.
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