Pilgrim Myths P8

It is important to note that King Philip’s War was not solely natives versus whites, for Metacom also attacked and killed many Indians — they were Christian Indians, so they too were targeted, hunted, and tortured in ways similar to those used on the settlers. At its core the war was essentially an anti-Christian crusade, not a war between races, and many of the Christian Indians fought side-by-side with the colonists throughout the conflict. In fact, the war finally ended when Metacom was killed by an Indian, not a settler.

King Philip’s war lasted about 15 months, and in the early part of the conflict, more settlers died than Indians—-primarily because of the native’s surprise attacks at the beginning. Of the 90 towns in Massachusetts and Plymouth Colony, 12 were totally destroyed and 40 more partially so, totaling about 60% of the town.

Content Sourced from The American Story, The Beginnings. By: David Barton and Tim Barton