Although wampum had little or no value in England, it was coveted by the Abenaki Indians of Maine, who lived beyond ready access to the cherished seashells of Long Island Sound that could be made into wampum. In return, the Abenaki offered beaver pelts, which were more abundant in northern than in southern New England. The colonists extorted wampum from the southern New England Indians and then shipped it to Maine to procure furs for shipment to England. In great and growing English demand, the furs helped finance the New English debts.
