'King Philip' was a name given to the son of Massasoit by the English. This was not his real name. His real name was Metacom (sometimes spelled Metacomet or Pometacom). He had an older brother whom the English called "Alexander" whose Indian name was Wamsutta. Sachem Massasoit had been a 'friend' of the Plymouth Colony. He tried to maintain peace with the English to enable both cultures to co-exist with as little conflict as possible. Massasoit and the Wamapanoags in fact, saved the lives of the Pilgrims by teaching them how to fish through the first winter of their invasion on New England shores, and sharing with them their own provisions.
After Massasoit's death in 1661/2, his son Alexander was to become Sachem, but a mysterious 'illness' resulted in Alexander's death while on a visit to the English fathers in Boston. Philip was convinced his brother had been poisioned by the English whom he did not trust. He also feared for the future of his own people as the English became more dominant and wielded their hegemony over the Indian people. They passed a series of laws, imprisoned Indians for their 'failure' to obey these laws (many of the Indians could not read or write English and had no idea of what the laws were, but were prosecuted before English courts nevertheless); took away Indian lands by having Indian people sign deeds conveying property with many of these Indians having no concept of what they were doing. It was deviance and trechery, greed and thievery, bigotry and injustice-- there is no question about it.
Philip and his Wampanoag people were quite aware of the English massacre of the Pequot Indians at Mystic Connecticut in 1647. They knew their future was at stake and their survival on their own ancestral lands depended upon taking a stand of some kind. The English wanted to turn New England Indian tribes against each other - to keep them from responding as a group where they would have superior numbers and more bargining power. (i.e. the Connecticut Colony's friendship with the Mohegans and RI's friendship with the Narragansetts).
Philip chose a course which would prove to be fatal for himself and his people. He commenced the New England Indian wars as he saw the pressure of the colonists upon hunting and fishing grounds, his people's cornfields and way of life. His goal was to push the English back to the sea on boats back to whence they came, but he had little idea that this was an impossibility. From 1675/6, skirmishes and battles took place which involved the death of many people-- including Indians-- men, women & children, many of whose names we shall never know. However, we do know the names of a good share of the English soldiers who fought in this war.
Below is a sample bibliography for those who are interested in learning more about this period of New England History.
(1) Hauptman, Laurence & James Wherry, editors; The Pequots in Southern New
England; The Fall and Rise of an American Indian Nation [Vol. 198, Civilization
of the American Indian Series]; Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1990.
(2) Josephy, Alvin M., The Patriot Chiefs: A Chronicle of American Indian
Resistance, New York: The Viking Press, 1958.
(3) Malone, Patrick M., illus. by David Maccaulay, The Skulking Way of War:
Technology and Tactics Among the New England Indians; Lanham: Maryland, Univ.
Press of America, 1991.
(4) Sylvester, Herbert Milton, Indian Wars of New England: Vol. 1I [Abenaki,
French occupation, King Philip's War, St. Castin's War], New York: Arno Press,
1910, 1979.
(5) Bourne, Russell; The Red King's Rebellion: Racial Politics in New England,
1675-1678 [King Philip's War]; Cary: Oxford University Press, 1991.
(6) Bonfanti, Leo, New England Historical Series; Biographies and Legends of
the New England Indians, Volume 2 [King Philip's War] (pamphlet); Wakefield,
MA: Pride Publications, Inc., 1968.
(7) Waters, Frank, Foreword by Vine Deloria, Jr.; Brave Are My People: Indian
Heroes Not Forgotten;Santa Fe: Clear Light Publishers, 1993.
(8) Kawashima, Yasuhide, Puritan Justice and the Indian: White Man's Law in
Massachusetts, 1630-1763; Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 1986.
(9) Weinstein-Farson, Laurie, Frank W. Porter III, General Editor; Indians of
North America: The Wampanoag, New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989.
(10) Fitch, John T.; Puritan In The Wilderness: A Biography of the Reverend
James Fitch, 1622-1702; Camden: Picton Press, 1993.
(11) Church, Thomas Esq., Benjamin Church; The History of Philip's War,
Commonly Called the Great Indian War of 1675 and 1676, Also, of the French and
Indian Wars At The Eastward in 1689, 1690, 1692, 1696, and 1704, ... with
numerous notes to explain.... Bowie: Heritage Books, 1989 (a reprint of the
1829 ed).
(12) Mather, Increase, Rev., and Cotton Mather, D.D., introduction and notes of
Samuel G. Drake; The History of King Philip's War... History of the Same War...
Introduction and Notes.., Bowie: Heritage Books, 1990 (a reprint of the 1862
ed).
(13) Roman, Joseph, introduction by W. David Baird; King Philip [Metacom]
Wampanoag Rebel (North American Indians of Achievement); New York: Chelsea
House Publishers, 1992.
(14) Vaughan, Alden T., New England Frontier: Puritans and Indians, 1620-1675
(Third Edition); Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.
(15) Bodge, George M., Soldiers in King Philip's War; Being a Critical Account
of That War with A Concise History of the Indian Wars of New England From
1620-1677 ..... , Salem: Higginson Book Company, 1906.
(16) Leach, Douglas Edward, Flintlock and Tomahawk, New York: WW Norton and
Co., 1958.
(17) Lincoln, Charles H., ed., Narratives of the Indian Wars, 1675-1699, New
York: Barnes and Noble, Inc., 1913, reprint 1959.
Written by and copied with the permission of:
Linda M. Welch, Academic Assistant & Research Librarian,
Native American Studies, Dartmouth College.
E-mail: [email protected]
Copyright � 1996-2008 by Linda M. Welch. All rights reserved.
To view a copy of the book titled "Soldiers in King Philip's War," click here.
Please E-MAIL your comments to:
Dick Marston Glendale, CA (USA)
Created August 22, 1996
Updated April 12, 2004
Return to the Marston Manor's Marston Room.
Return to the Marston Manor's New England Room.
Return to the Marston Manor's parlor.
