When Europeans arrived, they brought alcohol in quantity. Penobscot people and other nations made pine beer, which had vitamin C in addition to being an alcoholic beverage, it had the benefit of allaying the onset of scurvy. It has been argued that the people are genetically vulnerable to alcoholism, which Europeans frequently tried to exploit in dealings and trade. Hunting for fur pelts reduced the game, however, and the European trade introduced alcohol to Penobscot communities for the first time. It was lucrative and the Penobscot were willing to trade pelts for European goods such as metal axes, guns, and copper or iron cookware.
Contact and colonizationĭuring the 15th century the Penobscot had contact with Europeans through the fur trade. The bands moved seasonally, following the patterns of game and fish. For the rest of the year, the Penobscot and other Wabanaki likely had little difficulty surviving because the land and ocean waters offered much bounty, and the number of people was sustainable. Food was potentially scarce only toward the end of the winter, in February and March. The people practiced some agriculture but not to the same extent as that of indigenous peoples in southern New England, where the climate was more temperate.
