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America's first war...
America's first war...
Item # 689643
August 16, 1675
THE LONDON GAZETTE, England, Aug. 16, 1675
* King Philip's War - Metacomet
* New England Colonists vs. Indians
* First war in America (historic)
The back page has a report concerning King Philip's War, an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day New England and English colonists.
The significance of what is known as "King Philip's War" is lost with most Americans, but the event cannot be over-stated. This was America's first war, and the only newspaper in existence to report it was this title.
As Wikipedia notes, this was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–78. The war is named after the main leader of the Native American side, Metacomet, known to the English as "King Philip".
The war was the single greatest calamity to occur in 17th century Puritan New England and is considered by many to be the deadliest war in American history. In the space of little more than a year, twelve of the region's towns were destroyed and many more damaged, the colony's economy was all but ruined, and its population was decimated, losing one-tenth of all men available for military service. More than half of New England's towns were attacked by Native American warriors.
Keep in mind that nearly all the English colonies in America were settled without any significant English government support, as they were used chiefly as a place of refuge or exile for religious minorities and other rebels in England. King Philip's War began the development of a greater American identity, for the colonists' trials, without significant English government support, gave them a group identity separate and distinct from subjects of the Monarchy and Parliament of England.
The report mentions in part: "...arrived from New-England...account of the rising of some of the Indians with design to fall upon the English...had already killed several & burnt & plundered their houses...the Bostoners and they of Plymouth had set out several hundred armed men to pursue the Indians...".
An historically significant report. Complete as a single sheet newspaper, 6 3/4 by 10 3/4 inches, very nice condition.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
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