King Philip's War: the Unavoidable Conflict
King Philip 's War: The Unavoidable Conflict
War between the Indians and the Colonists was unavoidable from the very moment the Pilgrims first set foot on what was to eventually become Massachusetts in 1620. As more and more settlers began arriving over the years, tension between the two began to steadily rise. The settler 's insatiable hunger for land and their increasing mistreatment of the Indians began to break down an already somewhat fragile alliance between the two. The Indians were quickly losing land and their way of life as well to these new settlers and some of them believed the only way to stop this was to go on the offensive and push back them back. The result of this was a short fought war known as King Philip 's War. Though it only lasted a little over a year, it was an exceptionally brutal war that took a huge toll life wise and had a lasting impact on both the English and the Indians for many years to come.
After landing in what is now known as Plymouth, some of the first Indians that the Pilgrims encountered were the Wampanoag 's. They were led by their chief Massasoit and eventually the Indians and Pilgrims formed an alliance. As a result of this alliance, both parties promised not to attack or harm one or another, and if something did happen, then the offender would be turned over to the ones harmed. Also, they would give assistance to each other if they should find themselves under attack (Rich 1-8).
From the beginning, this alliance was somewhat uneasy, and it was obvious that politics on both sides was the main factor for forging it and played a major role leading up to and during the actual war. For the Pilgrim 's, they absolutely needed the help of the Indians. They were on their own, over three thousand miles from the nearest help, and struggling to survive in this new land. The Indians on the other hand needed the Pilgrim 's to increase their security. Because of disease that dwindled their numbers, they were always under the threat
War between the Indians and the Colonists was unavoidable from the very moment the Pilgrims first set foot on what was to eventually become Massachusetts in 1620. As more and more settlers began arriving over the years, tension between the two began to steadily rise. The settler 's insatiable hunger for land and their increasing mistreatment of the Indians began to break down an already somewhat fragile alliance between the two. The Indians were quickly losing land and their way of life as well to these new settlers and some of them believed the only way to stop this was to go on the offensive and push back them back. The result of this was a short fought war known as King Philip 's War. Though it only lasted a little over a year, it was an exceptionally brutal war that took a huge toll life wise and had a lasting impact on both the English and the Indians for many years to come.
After landing in what is now known as Plymouth, some of the first Indians that the Pilgrims encountered were the Wampanoag 's. They were led by their chief Massasoit and eventually the Indians and Pilgrims formed an alliance. As a result of this alliance, both parties promised not to attack or harm one or another, and if something did happen, then the offender would be turned over to the ones harmed. Also, they would give assistance to each other if they should find themselves under attack (Rich 1-8).
From the beginning, this alliance was somewhat uneasy, and it was obvious that politics on both sides was the main factor for forging it and played a major role leading up to and during the actual war. For the Pilgrim 's, they absolutely needed the help of the Indians. They were on their own, over three thousand miles from the nearest help, and struggling to survive in this new land. The Indians on the other hand needed the Pilgrim 's to increase their security. Because of disease that dwindled their numbers, they were always under the threat
Cited: Bourne, Russell. The Red Kings Rebellion. Racial Poilitics in New England 1675-1678. New York: Atheneum, 1990. Drake, James D. King Philip 's War. Civil War in New England 1675-1676. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1999. Lepore, Jill. The Name of War. King Philip 's War and the Origins of American Identity. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1998. Philbrick, Nathaniel. Mayflower. A Story of Courage, Community, and War. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Rich, Louise Dickinson. King Philip 's War, 1675-76. The New England Indians fight the Colonists. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1972. Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th Edition. Vol. Volume 1. New York: Norton, 2008. 1253. Schultz, Eric B. and Michael J. Tougais. King Philip 's War. The History and Legacy of America 's Forgotten Conflict. 1st Edition. Woodstock: Countryman Press, 1999.