Customer Reviews

The Red King's Rebellion: Racial Politics in New England 1675-1678

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This would be a great read around Thankgiving. When the Pilgrims first landed by Plymouth Rock, the native Indians helped the English settlers survive the winters. Cooperation between the Indian chiefs and the settlers resulted in survival in the new land. Fifty years later, the settlers took away the land of the Indians, sold Indian women and children into slavery and killed off most of the male Indians. How could peaceful coexistance lead to genocide of the Indians. Bourne explains this in his book about King Philip's War and the death and destuction of the native Indian tribes.
The author's contention is that Native Americans and the settlers could have led peaceful lives in New England. The influx of settlers led to the loss of the Indian's lives and land. Bourne argues that this should not have happened. What struck me is how the Pilgrims and Puritans (both religious fanatics) justified their wars and genocide because the Indians were heathens. Even if the Indians had converted to Christianity, they were still fair game in this war. This history is what should be taught at Thanksgiving.

That said, this book is only for the academic. The style of writing would not incite interest among the general population even though the topic is important in American history.

Quite a bit of useful data on colonial New England.
However, where is mention of the Jordan Plantation
of Spurwink and Scarborough Maine, that was destroyed in the King Philip's War 1675-1678? It was founded by Rev Robert Jordan,
minister of Spurwink, Casco, and Saco, Maine, and there is a book, missing from the bibliography.....The Jordan Memorial.... by Tristram Frost Jordan Picton Press, Camden ME.