Relationship Between Indians And English Colonists

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In the late fifteenth century both Indians and English colonists had to adjust in their new world together. Both sides quickly formed ways to find peace and friendship but over time relations between Indians and English colonists were anything but friendly. What started as equal unification shifted to ever growing greed of land and unfair treatment rooted of racism and jealousy from the colonists. Diseases and multiple wars caused the Indians not only to lose their people but also their land to the flourishing colonist population. With less people and resources, the Indians stood defenseless to the advanced English and suffered greatly; however, many do not know this for all documentation involving relations with the Indians have been written…show more content…
Puritans thoroughly believed the Wampanoag tribe could convert and change to be a godly Christian society. Many ended converting to become a part of the Puritan lifestyle. One of them was John Sassamon, who helped deliver messages from the Wampanoags translated to English for the Puritans. Sassamon heard that Metacom, King Phillip to the Puritans, was planning an attack and was warning them ahead of time. Shortly after this announcement, Sassamon disappeared and his body was found to be discovered he was murdered. Immediately both Wampanoags and Puritans pointed the finger at each other, saying the other was responsible for the John Sassamon’s death. The Puritans charged three men for Sassamon’s death in a lengthy trial. King Phillip and his tribe were furious. He claimed his people in the involvement of Sassamon’s murder were innocent and also claimed that even if his people were involved, that it was rightly provoked because the English had ‘ronged’ them by taking “many Miles square of Land … from them…” and their farm animals destroying said land. King Phillip’s insistence, however, did nothing. The men were executed and caused relations to be on full strain: filled with distrust, anger, and frustration. Shortly a war, later known as King Phillip’s War, broke out amongst both sides. It has become known as the most fatal war in American history. Puritans were forced to rely on the English for help since their Indian relations fell through because of the war. The Wampanoags lost not only their land, but also thousands of people. This war further caused a prejudice against Indians in the new world and made almost all colonists believe they were

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