King Philip's War

In this episode, we explore King Philip’s War, a devastating 17th-century conflict between Indigenous nations and English colonists in New England, led by the Wampanoag leader Metacom in response to colonial expansion and the loss of Native sovereignty. We examine how broken alliances, land pressures, brutal raids, and militia campaigns brought destruction to towns across the region and caused immense loss of life on both sides. We also look at the war’s aftermath, including executions, enslavement, the collapse of Indigenous power in southern New England, and the growth of a more independent colonial identity.