When immigrants to the New World first arrived on this land, perhaps what they saw was an undeveloped world overgrown with bushes. But that also meant the land was new: sturgeon and salmon filled the rivers in shoals, and the timber felled during settlement was enough to build houses.
The Indians did not drive away these Europeans who had come from afar before they could gain a foothold. Instead, they marked out a piece of land for them to live on.
The New World immigrants and the Indians lived peacefully together for a time. The Indians even cooperated with the immigrants to drive away the stronger northern tribes. But in the end, the immigrants could not resist the temptation of more fertile and expansive land, and land disputes arose between them and the Indians. The spark that ignited King Philip's War was actually a small matter: the immigrants' livestock ate the corn planted by the Indians, igniting the long-standing resentment of the indigenous people.
In 1675, a Native American who had converted to Christianity reported in advance that his tribe was planning an attack. Using this as an excuse, the colonial authorities arrested thirty thousand Wampanoag people. With only one witness, they accused "King Philip's" confidant of murdering the Native American informant.
Under British law at the time, a murder conviction required two eyewitnesses. The court sentenced three Indians to be hanged, including King Philip's confidant, Tobias.
He witnessed his father's horrific death with his own eyes. Just as he was about to die, the rope suddenly broke, saving his life. In a mental collapse, he changed his testimony and accused his father of murder, giving the court its second witness.
During the war, the people of New England and the Indians captured one another. When Indians became slaves to