Teacher's Guide for COBBLESTONE ^® King Phillip's War

1. When King Philip was killed in 1676, Capt. Benjamin Church described him as a "doleful, great, naked dirty beast" and Puritan minister William Hubbard labeled him a "savage miscreant with envy and malice against the English." In 1820, Washington Irving wrote a story called Philip of Pokanoket, describing Philip as "a prince true to his subjects, and indignant of their wrongs - a soldier, daring in battle, firm in adversity . . . with an untamable love of natural liberty." In 1990 historian Russell Bourne characterized Philip as "the innocent victim of Puritan skullduggeries."
   • Can all three views of Philip be true?
   • How could such different viewpoints evolve?
   • Consider the times in which each author wrote. What had happened in the United States that would influence their understanding of Philip?
2. Read "The Great Swamp Fight," pp. 26 - 29. Divide the class into two groups.
   • One group should assume the role of Josiah Winslow, who must write to the King about the outcome of the battle. What would Josiah say to convince the King it was a great English victory?
   • The other group should assume the role of a Boston merchant, who sees the war hurting his business and wants the King to send help. What would the merchant say to convince the King that he should intervene?
   • Have the two groups compare their responses. Together, discuss what the Narragansett leader, Canonchet, might have said about the Great Swamp Fight.
   • Who is right? What conclusions can you draw about how historians interpret "facts"?
   • Can you draw analogies with other famous American events or people (e.g. - the Boston Tea Party, the Maine, the Alamo, slavery, the Vietnam War, Thomas Jefferson) to support your conclusions?

1. You are a Pokanoket. You admired the sachem Massasoit while he lived, and you now admire his son, Philip. However, you also are friends with many of the English, as was your father. Now it is June 1675 and war has broken out. You must make a choice. List all the factors that would encourage you to join with Philip. Next to this, list all of the factors that would encourage you to side with the English. Which list is most compelling? Why?
2. For many years historians have debated whether King Philip's War was inevitable. What do you think? Could two such different peoples live side by side? Can you find evidence in other cultures that supports your position? Consider especially how the forces that maintained peace for 50 years gradually evolved.

We know that no accurate portrait of Philip exists - all of his likenesses are based solely on the imagination of the artist. Consider the images of Philip on pages 2, 9, 32, 35 and the cover. Can you describe in a few words which of Philip's qualities you believe the artist was attempting to illustrate in each image? If you were an artist asked to sketch a portrait of Philip, what qualities would you try to emphasize? Try it!

1. For several decades before King Philip's War, the natives of New England waged a battle against the Mohawk of New York. This so-called "Mohawk War" is often forgotten to have played a role in the outcome of King Philip's War. Research the Mohawk War and draw a conclusion about its impact on Philip and his struggle.
2. Englishmen settled Virginia in 1607. As in New England, the Virginia Indians were soon competing for land with the English. However, in Virginia, there was no cataclysmic war like King Philip's War. Over time, however, the results for the Native Americans were the same. Research the Powhatan's struggle against the English, and compare that to the struggle of the Wampanoag, Narragansett

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Updated: 11/21/08 01:30 pm
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