King Philip’s War of New England
King Philip’s War, a brutal and transformative conflict, raged across New England from 1675 to 1678. Known also as the First Indian War or Metacom’s War, it pitted the English colonists and their Native American allies against a coalition of indigenous tribes fiercely resisting colonial expansion. This devastating war reshaped the landscape of New England, leaving a legacy of profound social, political, and cultural change.
The seeds of conflict were sown long before the first shots were fired. Decades of increasing colonial encroachment on Native American lands, coupled with the imposition of English laws and customs, fueled resentment and distrust among the indigenous population. While some tribes had initially sought peaceful coexistence and trade with the colonists, the relentless pressure on their territories and way of life led many to believe that armed resistance was their only recourse.
Prior to King Philip’s War of New England, no single Native American leader had managed to unite the diverse tribes of the region against the encroaching colonists. Previous sachems, such as Sessaquem, Sassacus, Pumham, Uncas, and Miantonomo, had struggled to overcome tribal rivalries and forge a unified front. However, a new figure emerged who possessed the charisma, strategic acumen, and burning desire to drive the English from their lands.
This leader was Metacom, also known as King Philip by the English. He was the second son of Massasoit, the Wampanoag sachem who had famously forged a peace treaty with the Pilgrims in 1621. Upon the death of his elder brother, Alexander, in 1662, Metacom became the sachem of the Wampanoag, inheriting a complex and increasingly strained relationship with the Plymouth Colony. His seat of power was located at Mount Hope, a strategic promontory jutting into Narragansett Bay on the border between present-day Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Metacom, witnessing the steady erosion of his people’s land and autonomy, came to believe that the English posed an existential threat to the Wampanoag and other Native American tribes. He saw the colonists’ relentless westward expansion as an inexorable march towards the complete displacement and destruction of indigenous cultures. Convinced that diplomacy and negotiation were futile, he began to secretly plan a large-scale uprising to drive the English back across the sea.
The spark that ignited King Philip’s War of New England occurred on June 24, 1675. A group of Wampanoag warriors attacked the town of Swansea, located on the eastern side of Narragansett Bay in present-day Massachusetts. The raid resulted in the deaths of nine colonists and the wounding of seven others. This act of violence sent shockwaves throughout New England, confirming the worst fears of the colonists and triggering a swift and brutal response.
News of the Swansea attack spread rapidly, prompting the Massachusetts and Plymouth colonies to dispatch troops to the area. However, the initial colonial response proved inadequate to contain the escalating violence. The Wampanoag, joined by warriors from other tribes, launched a series of devastating raids on colonial settlements throughout the region. Rehoboth, Taunton, and other towns to the north were targeted, their inhabitants slain, homes burned to the ground, and survivors taken captive.
The colonists found themselves isolated and vulnerable. Settlements were cut off from one another, making it difficult for colonial forces to provide timely assistance. Many settlers fled their homes, seeking refuge in garrisoned forts, blockhouses, and hastily constructed fortifications. The war quickly descended into a brutal cycle of attack and reprisal, fueled by deep-seated hatred and a desperate struggle for survival.
Despite efforts by officials from Connecticut and Massachusetts to dissuade them, the Nipmuck tribe, located in central Massachusetts, joined Metacom’s coalition. By August 1675, tribes along the upper Connecticut River had also taken up arms, launching a systematic campaign to destroy colonial settlements in the region. The infamous massacre and burning of Deerfield, Massachusetts, on September 12, resulted in the deaths of many colonists and forced the survivors to flee to Hatfield, leaving their town in ruins. Hatfield, Northfield, Springfield, and Westfield were subsequently attacked, with varying degrees of success for the defenders.
The scope of the uprising extended as far north as Falmouth, Brunswick, and Casco Bay in Maine. There, members of the Saco and Androscoggin tribes attacked English settlements, killing at least fifty colonists. The widespread nature of the conflict demonstrated the depth of Native American resentment and the effectiveness of Metacom’s efforts to forge a broad alliance against the English. The brutality and scale of King Philip’s War of New England were unprecedented in the history of colonial New England.
The Narragansett, a powerful and influential tribe whose territory encompassed much of present-day Rhode Island, initially remained neutral in the conflict. However, rumors spread that they had welcomed Metacom and his warriors and were secretly planning to join the uprising. These rumors, whether true or not, were enough to provoke the English into declaring war against the Narragansett on November 2, 1675.
A large colonial force, consisting of a thousand men and horses from Plymouth and Massachusetts, was assembled under the command of General Josiah Winslow and Captain Benjamin Church. On December 19, 1675, this force, aided by troops from Connecticut, launched a surprise attack on the main Narragansett encampment, located in a swamp south of present-day Kingston, Rhode Island.
The ensuing battle, known as the Great Swamp Fight, was a bloody and decisive engagement. The colonial forces, despite suffering heavy casualties, managed to overwhelm the Narragansett defenders, routing them and burning their winter village to the ground. Hundreds of Narragansett men, women, and children were killed in the attack, effectively shattering the tribe’s power and forcing the survivors to flee.
The Narragansett defeat did not end their involvement in the war. Canonchet, the son of the murdered Miantonomo and a prominent Narragansett leader, escaped the Great Swamp Fight and fled to the Connecticut River, where he established a new rallying point for his warriors. He then allied his forces with the Wampanoag and Nipmuck, bolstering their ranks and intensifying the conflict.
In February and March of 1676, the combined Native American forces launched a new wave of attacks on colonial settlements. Lancaster, Massachusetts, was attacked, and Mary Rowlandson, a colonist who was taken captive during the raid, later wrote a harrowing account of her experiences. Medfield was also attacked, with fifty houses burned to the ground. Weymouth and Marlborough were raided and partially destroyed.
The western frontier of Massachusetts remained in a state of constant terror. Settlers were ambushed and scalped, others were tortured, and many were taken captive. Even the Pennacook tribe of southern New Hampshire was drawn into the conflict, although their involvement was relatively limited. Warriors ambushed travelers and settlers on the outskirts of towns, inflicting casualties and spreading fear.
Faced with the escalating violence, the commissioners of the United Colonies met in council and ordered a more vigorous prosecution of the war. More troops were raised, and garrison posts were fortified. However, initial results were disastrous. Captain Pierce of Scituate was ambushed near Blackstone’s River in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and his entire command was wiped out. Sudbury, Massachusetts, was destroyed in April, and a relieving force suffered heavy losses.
Despite these setbacks, the tide of King Philip’s War of New England began to turn in favor of the colonists. The Native American forces, weakened by disease, starvation, and dwindling supplies, began to lose their momentum. Canonchet, a key leader of the Narragansett, was captured near the Pawtuxet River, sentenced to death, and executed. His head was cut off and taken to Hartford, Connecticut, while his body was burned.
The loss of Canonchet was a devastating blow to Metacom, who saw his allies deserting him one by one. The colonial forces, under the command of Colonel Benjamin Church, a skilled and experienced Indian fighter, began to gain the upper hand. Using friendly Native Americans as scouts, Church gradually located and captured stray groups of enemy warriors.
Finally, Church and his men came upon the trail of Metacom himself. Relentlessly pursuing the fleeing sachem, they tracked him to his lair at his old stronghold, Mount Hope, Rhode Island. There, on August 12, 1676, Metacom, the leader who had terrorized New England for nearly a year, was killed by one of his own warriors.
With the death of Metacom, the Native American resistance collapsed. The remaining hostile warriors, dispersed and in flight, with their leaders gone and starvation threatening, sought refuge among the northern tribes. The last major effort to check the English advance in southern and central New England had failed.
The aftermath of King Philip’s War of New England was devastating for both the colonists and the Native Americans. More than six hundred colonists had been killed or captured, and hundreds of houses and villages had been burned or pillaged. Crops had been destroyed, livestock had been driven off, and agriculture had been brought to a standstill in many areas.
The war also had a profound impact on the Native American population. Thousands of Native Americans were killed, captured, or displaced. Many were sold into slavery in the West Indies. The remaining tribes were weakened and demoralized, confined to small reservations and subjected to increasing colonial control.
The war also had a significant impact on the psyche of the colonists. The experience of facing such a formidable and determined enemy instilled a sense of fear and vulnerability. It also reinforced their belief in the righteousness of their cause and their determination to secure their hold on the land.
The war left a lasting legacy of bitterness and distrust between the colonists and the Native Americans. It also marked a turning point in the history of colonial New England, solidifying English dominance and paving the way for further expansion and settlement.