Mayflower: Question 4

The Pilgrims established a tradition of more or less peaceful coexistence with the Native Americans that lasted over fifty years. Why did that tradition collapse in the 1670s and what might have been done to preserve it?

The agreements between the Natives and the Pilgrims, while always quite tenuous, were one of the more incredible parts of the Plymouth experience. Although there were still difficulties, most ntoably the language barrier, the Pokanokets and the Pilgrims remained allied, knowing that they could not survive against larger tribes, such as the Narragansett, alone.

Under the leadership of William Bradford in Plymouth and Massasoit of the Pokanokets, this alliance thrived. Unfortunately, following both these leaders' deaths, the new leaders were not always as prudent, and did not learn from previous generations. Had the new leaders used prior events as an example, peaceful relations may have been maintained. Ultimately, however, the greed of the Pilgrims, and the relative passive stance of the Pokanokets led to the breakdown of the delicate system. The Pokanokets began selling numerous tracts of land to Pilgrims, who were more than eager to purchase it. Eventually, as the Pokanokets sold more and more land, their situation became more and more dire, and King Philip was practically forced into the desperate decision to launch a war that would spread all across New England.