Metacomet (1638 – August 12, 1676), also known as Pometacom,[1]: 205 Metacom, and by his adopted English name King Philip,[2] was sachem (elected chief) to the Wampanoag people and the second son of the sachem Massasoit. His older brother Wamsutta (or King Alexander) briefly became sachem after their father's death in 1661. However, Wamsutta also died shortly thereafter and Metacom became sachem in 1662.
His brother's widow Weetamoo, female sachem of the Pocasset, became Metacom's ally and friend for the rest of his life. Metacom married Weetamoo's younger sister Wootonekanuske.[citation needed] It is unclear how many children they had or what happened to them. Wootonekanuske and one of their sons were sold to slavery in the West Indies following the defeat of the Native Americans in what became known as King Philip's War.[3]
Initially, Metacom sought to live in harmony with the colonists. As a sachem, he took the lead in much of his tribes' trade with the colonies. He adopted the European name of Philip,[4] and bought his clothes in Boston, Massachusetts.[citation needed]
The colonies continued to expand. To the west, the Iroquois Confederation also was fighting against neighboring tribes in the Beaver Wars, pushing them from the west and encroaching on Metacom's territory. Finally, in 1671, the colonial leaders of the Plymouth Colony forced major concessions from him. Metacom surrendered much of his tribe's armament and ammunition, and agreed that they were subject to English law. The encroachment continued until hostilities broke out in 1675. Metacom led the opponents of the English, with the goal of stopping Puritan expansion.[citation needed]
In the spring of 1660 Metacom's brother Wamsutta appeared before the court of Plymouth to request that he and his brother be given English names in accordance with Wampanoag custom, in which new names marked significant moments in time (such as, in this case, Wamsutta's father's death). The court agreed and Wamsutta had his name changed to Alexander, and Metacom's was changed to Philip. Author Nathaniel Philbrick has suggested that the Wampanoag may have taken action at the urging of Wamsutta's interpreter, the Christian neophyte John Sassamon.[5] Metacom was later called "King Philip" by the English.
King Philip used tribal alliances to coordinate efforts to push European colonists out of New England. Many of the native tribes in the region wanted to push out the colonists following conflicts over land use, diminished game as a consequence of expanding European settlement, and other tensions.
As the colonists brought their growing numbers to bear, King Philip and some of his followers took refuge in the great Assowampset Swamp in southern Massachusetts. He held out for a time, with his family and remaining followers.
Hunted by a group of rangers led by Captain Benjamin Church, King Philip was fatally shot by a praying Indian named John Alderman, on August 12, 1676, in the Miery Swamp near Mount Hope in Bristol, Rhode Island. He was shot by Alderman for killing his brother. After his death, his wife and nine-year-old son were captured and sold as slaves in Bermuda. Philip's head was mounted on a pike at the entrance to Plymouth, Massachusetts, where it remained for more than two decades. His body was cut into quarters and hung in trees.[6] Alderman was given Philip's right hand as a trophy.
In his short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1937), Stephen Vincent Benét portrays Metacom as a villain to the colonists, and as being killed by a blow to the head (he was shot in the heart). Webster is portrayed as respecting Metacom as one of those who "formed American history." Metacomet, together with other famous historical villains, is a juror in the "trial of the damned". When convinced that his damnation resulted in his loss of admiration for the natural world, he ultimately takes Webster's side against the Devil. In the film he is replaced by Asa, the Black Monk.
Metacom is featured in the 1995 film The Scarlet Letter as the Wampanoags' new chief after his father's death.
David Kerr Chivers' Metacomet's War (2008) is an historical novel about King Philip's War.
Narragansett journalist John Christian Hopkins's novel, Carlomagno, is a historical novel that imagines Metacom's son becoming a pirate after having been sold into slavery in the West Indies.
The novel My Father's Kingdom (2017, by James W. George) focuses on the events leading to King Philip's War.
King Philip Stockade, a large park named after the chief, where the Pocumtuc Indians planned and began the Sack of Springfield, is now a part of Forest Park in Springfield
^Silverman, David (2019). This Land Is Their Land. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.
^Lepore, Jill. The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. Note: King Philip "was also known as Metacom, or Metacomet. King Philip may well have been a name that he adopted, as it was common for Natives to take other names. King Philip had on several occasions signed as such and has been referred to by other natives by that name."
^Lepore, J. (2019). "Chapter 2: Rulers and the Ruled". In These truths: A History of the United States. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
metacomet, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, september, 2017,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Metacomet news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Metacomet 1638 August 12 1676 also known as Pometacom 1 205 Metacom and by his adopted English name King Philip 2 was sachem elected chief to the Wampanoag people and the second son of the sachem Massasoit His older brother Wamsutta or King Alexander briefly became sachem after their father s death in 1661 However Wamsutta also died shortly thereafter and Metacom became sachem in 1662 MetacometWampanoag SachemPreceded byWamsuttaSucceeded byAnnawanPersonal detailsBorn1638DiedAugust 12 1676 1676 08 12 aged 37 38 Bristol Rhode IslandCause of deathGunshot WoundHis brother s widow Weetamoo female sachem of the Pocasset became Metacom s ally and friend for the rest of his life Metacom married Weetamoo s younger sister Wootonekanuske citation needed It is unclear how many children they had or what happened to them Wootonekanuske and one of their sons were sold to slavery in the West Indies following the defeat of the Native Americans in what became known as King Philip s War 3 Initially Metacom sought to live in harmony with the colonists As a sachem he took the lead in much of his tribes trade with the colonies He adopted the European name of Philip 4 and bought his clothes in Boston Massachusetts citation needed The colonies continued to expand To the west the Iroquois Confederation also was fighting against neighboring tribes in the Beaver Wars pushing them from the west and encroaching on Metacom s territory Finally in 1671 the colonial leaders of the Plymouth Colony forced major concessions from him Metacom surrendered much of his tribe s armament and ammunition and agreed that they were subject to English law The encroachment continued until hostilities broke out in 1675 Metacom led the opponents of the English with the goal of stopping Puritan expansion citation needed Contents 1 Name change 2 King Philip s War 3 Representations 4 Legacy 5 See also 6 Footnotes 7 References 8 External linksName change editIn the spring of 1660 Metacom s brother Wamsutta appeared before the court of Plymouth to request that he and his brother be given English names in accordance with Wampanoag custom in which new names marked significant moments in time such as in this case Wamsutta s father s death The court agreed and Wamsutta had his name changed to Alexander and Metacom s was changed to Philip Author Nathaniel Philbrick has suggested that the Wampanoag may have taken action at the urging of Wamsutta s interpreter the Christian neophyte John Sassamon 5 Metacom was later called King Philip by the English King Philip s War editMain article King Philip s War nbsp The death of King Philip as depicted by Harper s Magazine in 1857 King Philip used tribal alliances to coordinate efforts to push European colonists out of New England Many of the native tribes in the region wanted to push out the colonists following conflicts over land use diminished game as a consequence of expanding European settlement and other tensions As the colonists brought their growing numbers to bear King Philip and some of his followers took refuge in the great Assowampset Swamp in southern Massachusetts He held out for a time with his family and remaining followers Hunted by a group of rangers led by Captain Benjamin Church King Philip was fatally shot by a praying Indian named John Alderman on August 12 1676 in the Miery Swamp near Mount Hope in Bristol Rhode Island He was shot by Alderman for killing his brother After his death his wife and nine year old son were captured and sold as slaves in Bermuda Philip s head was mounted on a pike at the entrance to Plymouth Massachusetts where it remained for more than two decades His body was cut into quarters and hung in trees 6 Alderman was given Philip s right hand as a trophy Representations editMary Rowlandson who was taken captive during a raid on Lancaster Massachusetts later wrote a memoir about her captivity and described meeting with Metacom while she was held by his followers Washington Irving relates a romanticized but sympathetic version of Metacom s life in the 1820 sketch Philip of Pokanoket published in his collected stories The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon Gent 1820 John Augustus Stone wrote the play Metamora or The Last of the Wampanoags 1829 for the notable actor Edwin Forrest as lead In his short story The Devil and Daniel Webster 1937 Stephen Vincent Benet portrays Metacom as a villain to the colonists and as being killed by a blow to the head he was shot in the heart Webster is portrayed as respecting Metacom as one of those who formed American history Metacomet together with other famous historical villains is a juror in the trial of the damned When convinced that his damnation resulted in his loss of admiration for the natural world he ultimately takes Webster s side against the Devil In the film he is replaced by Asa the Black Monk Metacom is featured in the 1995 film The Scarlet Letter as the Wampanoags new chief after his father s death David Kerr Chivers Metacomet s War 2008 is an historical novel about King Philip s War Narragansett journalist John Christian Hopkins s novel Carlomagno is a historical novel that imagines Metacom s son becoming a pirate after having been sold into slavery in the West Indies The novel My Father s Kingdom 2017 by James W George focuses on the events leading to King Philip s War There is a short section about Metacomet in the prologue of Tommy Orange s novel There There Legacy edit nbsp The site of King Philip s death in Miery Swamp on Mount Hope nbsp King Philip s Seat a meeting place on Mount Hope Rhode IslandNumerous places are named after Metacomet Metacomet Mill in Fall River Massachusetts built in 1847 and named for the chief is the oldest remaining textile mill in the city King Philip Stockade a large park named after the chief where the Pocumtuc Indians planned and began the Sack of Springfield is now a part of Forest Park in Springfield King Philip Mills in Fall River Massachusetts built 1871 The USS Metacomet an 1863 United States Navy ship The Metacomet Ridge a 100 mile long mountain range in southern New England The 51 mile Metacomet Trail in central Connecticut The 110 mile Metacomet Monadnock Trail in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire Metacomet Country Club a golf course in East Providence Rhode Island Metacomet Park in Medfield Massachusetts The Metacomet parcel of conservation land within the Black Brook Management Area in Easton Massachusetts Metacom Avenue a major road running through Bristol and Warren Rhode Island Metacomet Avenues in Ocean Grove and South Deerfield Massachusetts Metacomet Lane in Franklin Massachusetts Metacomet Road in Longmeadow Massachusetts Metacomet Streets in Wrentham Walpole and Belchertown Massachusetts Multiple Metacomet street names surrounding the Metacomet Trail in Connecticut Mettacomet Path a street in Harvard Massachusetts Metacomet Drive improperly designated by the USPS as Metacomet Street in San Antonio Texas 7 Metacomet Lake a point of interest in Belchertown Massachusetts King Philip Street in Fall River Massachusetts King Philip Regional High School serving Plainville Wrentham and Norfolk Massachusetts King Philip Regional Middle School in Norfolk Massachusetts which serves as the middle school for the above three towns King Philip Middle School in West Hartford Connecticut King Phillip s Cave in Norton Massachusetts a cave said to have been used by the chief as a hiding place towards the end of his reign 8 King Philip Mountain a peak on Talcott Mountain near Hartford Connecticut King Philip s Hill on the western bank of the Connecticut River in Northfield Massachusetts King Phillip s Nose a rock island in the Connecticut River south of Northfield Massachusetts King Philip s Rock a historic site situated on a trail in Sharon Massachusetts King Philip s Restaurant in Phillipston Massachusetts King Philip Avenue Road Street or Drive in East Providence and Bristol Rhode Island Fall River Longmeadow Raynham Somerset Worcester and South Deerfield Massachusetts and in West Hartford Connecticut King Philip Woods Conservation Land in Sudbury Massachusetts 9 King Philip the clipper ship built in 1856 is periodically seen at Ocean Beach in San Francisco California Phillips Pond and Phillipswood Road in Sandown New Hampshire King Philip Trl Route 202 in Baldwinville Massachusetts King Phillip Road Taunton MAOne insect species is named after Metacomet Tipula metacomet a species of large crane fly with a type locality in Amherst MassachusettsSee also editRev William Apess claimed descent from Metacomet List of early settlers of Rhode IslandFootnotes edit Silverman David 2019 This Land Is Their Land New York Bloomsbury Publishing Lepore Jill The Name of War King Philip s War and the Origins of American Identity New York Alfred A Knopf 1998 Note King Philip was also known as Metacom or Metacomet King Philip may well have been a name that he adopted as it was common for Natives to take other names King Philip had on several occasions signed as such and has been referred to by other natives by that name Lepore J 2019 Chapter 2 Rulers and the Ruled In These truths A History of the United States New York W W Norton amp Company Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Philip King Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 21 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 389 Philbrick p 196 Blood and Betrayal King Philip s War History Net Plat filed in the real property records of Bexar County Texas at Vol 5870 P 88 History MGA Links at Mamantapett MGA Links archived 2006 King Philip Woods Conservation Land Town of Sudbury Massachusetts June 5 2014 Retrieved October 15 2020 References editBourne Russel 1990 The Red King s Rebellion ISBN 0 689 12000 1 Philbrick Nathaniel Mayflower A Story of Courage Community and War New York Viking Penguin ISBN 0670037605 Tilton Rev George Henry 1918 A History of Rehoboth Massachusetts Its History for 275 Years 1648 1918 Boston MA Published by the author External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metacomet The Royal Gazette article The struggle to honour Bermuda s Native American heritage Rootsweb New England Indians Bermuda Reconnection Festival 2002 Photo Album Rootsweb Edward Randolph on the Causes of the King Philip s War 1685 Rootsweb St David s Bermuda Indian Committee Pokanoket Wampanoag Constitution With History US History com King Philip s War 1675 76 Philip Appletons Cyclopaedia of American Biography 1900 King Philip s Biography Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Metacomet amp oldid 1192711708, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
