Why Is King Phillip Called The First Indian War?

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King Philip’s war of 1675 -1676 is sometimes referred to as the First Indian War. A war that was between New England colonists, the Plymouth settlers, and the Wampanoag with their leader Metacom. King Phillip, of the Wampanoag, was known to his tribe as Metacom but to the New England colonists as Phillip. The war between Metacom and the colonists would change the relationship between Indians and the English settlers for decades.
The trading between the two was not only mutually benefiting but the Wampanoags thought of it as an agreement to protect their land from enemy tribes. Soon the loss of their land and political autonomy had begun to take a toll on the relationship of the colonists of Plymouth and the Wampanoags. Their leader Metacom …show more content…

Later that winter the ‘praying Indians” of Massachusetts had their feelings of uncertain. A certain young woman by the name of Mary Rowlandson was being held captive. During her captivity she had gotten into close contact with Philip (Metacom) himself. She had reported in her journals “In my travels an Indian came to me and told me if I were willing, him and his squaw
Would run away and go home along with me”. Early April of 1676, a praying Indian by the name of Tom Dublot, met with Philip to talk about her release.
Soon after in the months of August and June many things began to heat up a lot more between the tribes and the colonists. In August, the end would be to soon for the New England Colonists and King Phillip
In August of 1676, near the swamp of Mount Hope Caption Benjamin Church and his soldiers ambushed King Phillip (Metacom) and the Wampanoags. The Indian who lead the colonists had shot Metacom and killed him. After defeating the rest of the Wampanoags they cut off King Phillip’s (Metacom’s) head and stuck his head on a stick. They put the severed head of Metacom and placed it outside of the settlement of Plymouth. It was left there for decades and served as a warning to other Indian tribes that trying to stop expansion would not end well for