Pilgrim Myths P9

Because of King Philip’s war and 60% of the towns in Massachusetts & Plymouth Colony destroyed, eventually the colonists organized local militias and fought back, finally gaining the upper hand. By the conclusion of the war, =from 400 to 800 settlers and 900 to 3,000 Indians had been killed——the highest casualty rate by percentage of total population of any war in American history. (An other casualty of the war was the “praying Indians,” who were reduced nearly 50%.)

The Pilgrims did indeed kill Indians in King Philip’s War, first in their own self-defense against the treacherous and unprovoked attacks from Metacom’s warriors, and then in ending the war he had started. But there is no historical basis to support the modern claim that the Pilgrims “oppressed” the natives. Like all humans, the Pilgrims were not perfect, but they attempted to live their lives by a code of standards much higher than those around them, and encouraged others to do likewise.

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