Lecture Notes: King Philip's War

Introduction

• Setting: Woods of Wayland, Massachusetts, a historically rich suburban area.
• Old Berlin Road: Former stagecoach route with historical significance.
• Tavern of the Damned: Alleged discovery of skeletons linked to the highwayman, Captain Lightfoot.

Early Colonial History

• Rich forgotten history in the town reflected in cemeteries, markers, and street signs.
• Importance of names like "King Philip" in local geography.

King Philip (Metacomet of Poconoke)

• Native American leader, originally named Metacomet, called King Philip by the English.
• Led a coalition of tribes against English colonists after the first Thanksgiving.
• King Philip's War was the bloodiest war per capita in American history.
• War impacted colonial and Native American relations, leading to Anglo-American dominance.

Overview of New England Colonies (1675)

• Four English colonies: Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, Rhode Island.
• Population: 20,000 white colonists, mostly Puritans.
• Native population: 10,000, major tribes included Nipmuc, Mohegan, Narragansett, Wampanoag.

Prelude to War

• Tensions over land and authority.
• Josiah Winslow (Governor of Plymouth) warned of Metacomet's plans by John Sassamon, a praying Indian.
• Sassamon's murder led to execution of three Wampanoag, escalating tensions.

Outbreak of King Philip's War

• June 1675: Wampanoag attack on Swansea; English militia response.
• Metacomet's escape during a lunar eclipse, continuing the war.

Course of the War

• Indian raids led by Mi'kmaq and others; extreme violence and English militia's struggles.
• Battle of Bloody Brook: Significant Nipmuc victory.
• Winter of 1675: Low English morale and economic downturn.

Escalation and Major Battles

• Preemptive attack on Narragansett by colonial forces: Great Swamp Fight led to Narragansett entering the war.
• Metacomet's attempt to ally with Mohawk failed.
• English changing tactics with native scouts and allied warriors.

Conclusion of the War

• Spring 1676: English villages attacked, but native resistance fading.
• King Philip's death on August 12, 1676, marked the effective end of the war.
• English victory due to native lack of cohesion and strategic failures.

Legacy and Impact

• Set a precedent for future treatment of Native Americans: slaughter, enslavement, reservations.
• Praying Indians were banished and many died; parallels to future internment policies.
• Native survivors fled west; colonial dominance established from the sea to the Hudson River.

Conclusion

• King Philip's War as a significant but often overlooked chapter in American history.
• Represents the darker aspects of America's founding and treatment of Native Americans.