Incite to King Philip’s War

Incite to King Philip’s War

The textual element that will be discussed in this paper is King Philip’s War. This event takes place in the Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Rowlandson actually wrote this narrative herself describing in detail her captivity and return to her husband. Mary Rowlandson’s narrative was published in 1682 and is ironically the only evidence of her dexterity as a writer. The main topic of this paper will be the incentive for King Philip’s War.

What caused King Philip’s War? This is a pretty complex question because one must go about looking at the views of the Puritans and of the Indians. To really get an understanding, both views are essential because they allow us to actually get in the atmosphere how both groups were reasoning. First, we will take a look at how the colonist approached the situation. King Philip’s War dates back to 1675 and fighting continued until 1678 (Tindall, 155). Just before this time, there was great anxiety among the colonist. This was due their fright of becoming Indianized(Robinson, 11). With this in mind, the colonist found themselves in a rather tough predicament. One, they could continue to live peaceably with the Indians; however, this was a problem because the colonist felt if things remained the same they would sink to the level of the Indians. This reminds me of what Crevocoeur said in Letters from an American Farmer. Crevoceur states that, “Men are like plants; the goodness and flavor of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow”(Franklin, 661). This quote really describes what the colonists are afraid of. They are afraid of acquiring the barbarous characteristics from the Indians. On the flip side of the coin, the colonist could enter war. This seemed hypocritical because then they would be confined to fight like savages(Robinson, 11). As you can see, the colonists were faced with a complex mental struggle.

I feel like a father who has just heard one side of the story, and now I am ready to listen attentively to what my other child has to say. As you probably know, your kid’s stories are probably going to contradict each other and will take you down different paths. It is almost the same situation between the Puritans and Indians. For a length of time, the Indian fur trade kept peaceful relations. This pact did not last to long due to the growth of the settlement and the decline of the animal population(Tindall, 153). As a result of the growth and decline of the animal population, the eastern tribes approached relative poverty(Tindall, 153). In addition to this, the colonial government kept slowly encroaching causing Indians to acknowledge English laws and customs(Tindal, 153). As you can see, the Indians were being pushed around, and they were fed up with having to obey English laws and recognize the colonial customs. If this is hard to understand, think of having resided on a piece of land for several years then all of a sudden some total strangers try to force you to obey their laws. It’s almost ludicrous. This example shows why the Indians resented the colonist. It also illustrates why war seemed to be the only alternative for Indians.

The straw that broke the