The Creation of Plymouth Plantation to King Phillips War - Term Paper Example

Topic:  The creation of Plymouth Plantation to King Phillips War. Concentrate on the latter event as the pivotal moment of change The Plymouth colonyis a locality in North America which witnessed the colonial rule of English people. Here a harsh conflict occurred between the English colonists and the community of Native Americans, the original inhabitants of North America, for the acquisition of their native land. King Philip was the ruler of traditional North Americans and he wanted to protect his land and territory for the sake of himself and his community. But the English men migrated to North America and started fighting for the invasion of all territories under the rule of King Philip. King Philips War lasted little more than a year.  Beginning in Plymouth Colony in June of 1675, the war spread throughout New England.1 It is the insuppressible greed of English colonists for the land of Native Americans and their violent treatment of the latter that paved way to a disastrous landmark in the history of America. As the war lasted more than one year, the residue of the war was more than one expected. The war started in Plymouth in the 17th century, and later due to its strength spread to further parts of New England. This war threatened the township of Boston, but the manpower and the colonial resources of the British were saved due to their power and strength in war tactics. However, the Native Americans also showed their power by attacking the town Swansea in Plymouth colony. But ultimately King Phillip had to surrender to the enormous power of the English colonists. It is the winning of the British colonist that led to the formation of Plymouth colony in the province of Massachusetts. But the British did not win the fight for free; they had to fight with the Native American ruler King Philip for a period of more than one year. During this period, the war expanded to areas like Connecticut River Valley and Rhode Islands Great Swamp. This shows the power and influence King Philip shared with his community, which enabled him to fight the war with such an advanced group as English colonists. The English colonists were more powerful than King Philip, but the latter was accompanied by tribal community, due to which the war spread to distant parts of North America. The war between King Phillip and English colonists led to the destruction of many communities and families. As a result, the historians of New England admired the power of King Philip in facing the English colonists, who were much stronger than him. “Historians of New England have written reams about King Philips War, but in their descriptions of burning villages, booming muskets and brutal massacres, King Philip as a man has been lost”.2 Due to King Philip’s war surge, the colonists and natives were very negatively impacted. Generally speaking, the province of New England was almost destroyed. During the conflict between colonists and King Philip, there occurred a mysterious murder – the killing of John Sassamon. John Sassamon was a mediator between the colonists and the natives, and his murder led to the breakdown in relationship between these two sides. Moreover, during 1675, the war raged by King Phillip further spread into northern and western provinces of North America, and this threatened many areas of New England. The warriors of King Phillip were brave and they attacked the Swansea territory of the West part of Plymouth colony. When the warriors of King Phillip witnessed victory in the abovementioned areas of Plymouth, they spread the battle to other towns of Plymouth. Due to this, many settlements in Connecticut River Valley were burned. King Philip’s War in Plymouth between King Philip and colonists was considered as a worst war of the17th century. Actually, the hostility between king Phillip and the colonists started because the Native American were forced to sell their land due to their high dependence on luxury goods produced by the colonists. At the outbreak of hostilities in 1675, there were about 50,000 English colonists living in the towns and villages of New England. By the end of the war, estimated 600 to 800 English had been killed.3 The King Philip’s War was termed as the deadliest war to occur in New England, and it has been a turning point in the history of America. Due to the war, the colonists established their authority in New England by brutally conquering the Native Americans. This clash between the colonists and the Native Americans was inevitable and gave way to the establishment of power of the English colonists. King Phillip’s War could be named a civil war between the two cultures which destroyed the cultural, ethical and social values of the two groups. Moreover, this war ended the interdependent relations between the two communities, which shared a unique culture in their own way. It is the sudden population explosion of the English colonists that led to the weakness of Native American tribes .This also led to the empowerment of the English colonists in the King Phillip’s War. As the colonists outnumbered the Native Americans, the power of the colonists grew, and this resulted in failure of Native American army. It was the turning point in the Native American life, as there occurred land acquisition by colonists and spreading of Christianity by the English people. Moreover, many Native Americans joined hand with the colonists in an effort to survive and lead a safe and comfortable life. This further shook the ground support of King Philip and his army. King Philip’ War was costly and long and forced the Native Americans leave their homeland. In this war, the colonists intimidated the Native Americans to accept their laws and customs in order to conquer them in a diplomatic manner. However, in the end the colonists won the war due to their powerful army and war tactics and took possession over the province of Plymouth and New England. Bibliography American History Magazine. “King Philips War: Indian Chieftains War against the New England Colonies.” Welder History Group, last modified June 12, 2006. http://www.historynet.com/king-philips-war-indian-chieftains-war-against-the-new-england-colonies.htm Blohm, Craig E. “The Legacy of King Philips War.” High Beam Research, last modified October 1, 2000. http://www.highbeam .com/doc/1G1-65910778.html Pilgrim Hall. “King Phillips War.” Pilgrim Hall Museum, accessed October 2, 2012. http://www.pilgrimhall.org/phili pwar.htm Read More