The first is to find any small-scale changes that have occurred within the timeline of the conflict itself. The political landscape of the area east of the Mississippi River was directly affected by the results of these conflicts. In the main chapters of the thesis, I examine the three conflicts in detail; in conclusion, I look at some themes and how they changed over time, as seen through these conflicts.
The early Spanish conquistadors had an enormous influence on the status of the Mississippian chiefdoms. King Philip's War involved the English colonies in the northeast against a loose coalition of native people under the Metacomet. In the next chapter on King Philip's War, I begin with a little background on the causes of the war.
In all the conflicts I examine, Euro-American powers sought to exercise control over indigenous land. Most of the changes I focus on have occurred over the broad spectrum of time and will come at the end of this piece.
HERNANDO DE SOTO EXPEDITION…
For example, the decision of the Chicaza chief to fight the Spanish was most likely motivated by the. The Spanish stole from the Chicaza's food supplies and took prisoners, all the while claiming to be friendly. 20 Although the arquebus was an important part of the Spanish conquests, it was not always the most successful weapon.
Vigilja, "The Hernando de Soto Expedition and the Spanish Struggle for Justice," in The Hernando De Soto Expedition ed. During the Battle of Fort Alibamo, there was a head-to-head clash between the Spanish and the Alibamo Indians. An Indian on the opposite side of the river adjacent to the fort challenged one of the Spaniards to a shooting match.
While De Soto was in Florida, the local Napituca Indians attacked the Spanish. However, a native interpreter alerted De Soto to the plan before the battle began, so the Spanish troops were prepared for battle. The Battle of Mabila was the first formal battle against the Spanish east of the Mississippi River.
One can only imagine De Soto's disappointment when the native warriors fled across the footbridge, leaving the Spanish behind in an empty fort.
KING PHILIP’S WAR
The rumors that their leader had died at the hands of the English sent the Wampanoags into a frenzy. Of the English involved, there are two individuals I would like to introduce: Benjamin Church and Josiah Winslow. His leadership and decision making in the campaign is important to understanding the English side of the war due to his use of English chains of command and tactics.
At the beginning of the war, the English used the matchlock in combat because it was the standard weapon at the time. However, by the time the English forces were able to approach Philip's village, most of the Indians had crossed the bay to Pocasset Beach. The English were cautious in their approach to the peninsula, which gave King Philip enough time to retreat across the bay.
The Narragansett had made promises to stay on the side of the English during the war. After the English took control of the fort, they began setting fire to the wigwams, but Winslow ordered a tactical retreat, which left the fort to be recaptured by the Narragansett. This implies that the native groups had learned from the English long before the war broke out.
There is also some question as to what was the real purpose of the unfinished opening that the English used to enter the fort. Narragansett Territory, the English forced the hand of the Narragansetts to join Philip's side. The addition of the Narragansett only contributed to the difficulties of the English, who suffered another string of defeats at their hands.
The success of their attack against Philip helped convince the English of the usefulness of native allies. The rest of the English reinforcements moved out only after news of the battle had spread. To explain the quick response of the English reinforcements, it is necessary to understand the English militia system.
The waning months of the conflict saw two distinct but linked campaigns by the English. 1676, by an Indian ally of the English in an ambush orchestrated by Captain Benjamin Church.215.
NORTHWEST INDIAN WAR
236 The guns they provided, known as Northwest Fusils, were available to most of the native groups in the Ohio Territory. General Anthony Wayne headed probably one of the best-trained, yet short-lived armies in US history: the Legion. One of the most important details of the Northwest Indian War was the ability of the natives to form a multi-tribal defense against the United States.
The main camp was not in a particularly defensible position.316 Early in the morning a group of warriors surprised the militia on the north side of the river. The population of the combined tribes in the Northwest Territory was much larger, but neither tribe had sufficient numbers to resist Americans. 325 Barbara Alice Mann, "Fractal Massacres in the Old Northwest: the example of the Miamis", Journal of Genocide Research 15, no.
Revolutionary War A major smallpox epidemic covered much of North America, including the Old Northwest.327 This led to a dramatic reduction in the region's Indian population just before the Northwest Indian War. The Northwest Indian War is a clear example of the state of warfare in the Eastern Woodlands in the late eighteenth century. On the indigenous side of the conflicts, I will discuss the use of omens, indigenous alliances, ambush tactics, fortifications, and much more.
King Philip's War paints much the same picture, partly because of the short duration of the conflict. During the Northwest Indian War, firearms became a fixture in Native American life. By the time of the Northwest Indian War, it was well established that Indians did not fare well against cavalry; so the American forces used cavalry.
The fortifications that existed at the time of King Philip's War were similar to those of the Mississippian Southeast. In the case of the Great Swamp Battle, we see a fort influenced by the English colonists. By the time of the Northwest Indian War, there were no more large native strongholds.
A comparative analysis of the accounts of De Soto on the way to Mabila and the events therein, in the edition of Searching for Mabila. Fractal Massacres in the Old Northwest: the example of the Miamis”, Journal of Genocide Research 15, no.
