King Phillips War Dbq Analysis

King Philip’s War generally started, because of the abuse that Indians had taken from the English. There was a steady decline in Indian population, territory, and cultural integrity in the mid seventeenth century. (Textbook Pg. 57) King Philips War was a war of perception. The English had their reasoning for the war and the Indians had theirs. Throughout the war there were a lot of difficult choices the Indians and the English had to make. The choices that the English made also led to differences amongst themselves. Edward Randolph was an English customs official that was sent to the colonies to investigate colonial compliance with English laws. During his time in the colonies everything he saw he reported. He believed that both the Indians
Benjamin Church was an aide to a Plymouth governor, but was also looked at as a fair man by local Indian leaders. (Pg.59) In document 2.7 it says “ Mr. Church turned to Awashonks and told her that it was in her best interest to knock those Six Mount Hopes on the head, and shelter herself under the protection of the English.” This could be considered a difficult decision to make because how does Awashonks know that she has Mr. Church’s true loyalty? She had King Philip wanting to draw her into the confederacy with him in the war against the English. Awashonks liked the advice Mr. Church gave her and she urged him to go on her behalf to the Plymouth government, which he consented to; and also advised her not to desert the English interest, because it would prove fatal to her. (Doc 2.7) Mr. Church knew that by allying with Indians that he would soon adopt Indian fighting tactics, which could potentially make the war turn in his favor. Both Indians and Englishmen had a lot of hard decisions to make that would greatly impact the war, some of the decisions that the English made later created differences among the