W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2011 Steadfast in their ways: New England colonists, Indian wars, and the persistence of culture, 1675-1715 David Michael Corlett College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Military History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Corlett, David Michael, "Steadfast in their ways: New England colonists, Indian wars, and the persistence of culture, 1675-1715" (2011). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539623344. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-3p7s-st69 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STEADFAST IN THEIR WAYS: NEW ENGLAND COLONISTS, INDIAN WARS, AND THE PERSISTENCE OF CULTURE, 1675-1715 David Michael Corlett Vancouver, Washington Master of Arts, The College of William and Mary, 2000 Bachelor of Arts, Gonzaga University 1994 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the College of William and Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Lyon G. Tyler Department of History The College ofWilliam and Mary January, 2011 APPROVAL PAGE This Dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy David M. Corlett Approved by the Committee, November 201 0 Committee Chair James Axtell, Professor Emeritus of History Department of History-College ofWi ·am and Mary of History and Mary Philip H. Daileader, Associate Professor of History Department of History-College of William and Mary ABSTRACT PAGE The Indian wars of early New England were traumatic events. During King Philip's, King William's, and Queen Anne's Wars (1675 to 1715) dozens of towns sustained attacks, and English communities and their inhabitants were buffeted and challenged by the experience. The scholarship on colonial warfare and New England as a whole has focused on change and development that occurred as a result of these wars. War places great stress on individuals and societies, forcing them to act in new ways and often to reevaluate and abandon old habits. New Englanders and their communities did change dramatically as a result of repeated wars with the region's natives and their French allies. Yet New Englanders were also resistant to change, and this persistence of core culture ideals is often as historians analyze the transformation of New England from colonies to provinces. Beyond the extensive physical damage, the conflicts challenged the identities and values of English colonists in myriad ways. In the midst of battle, many men failed to live up to the expectations of their gender, while some women stepped beyond theirs to act in a manly fashion. Despite the troubling behavior of cowardly men and manly women, gender norms and roles in New England did not change under the pressures of Indian wars, in part due to the uncoordinated management by ecclesiastical and political leaders of the narratives of the conflicts. Alternately chastising and praising their constituents, leaders offered examples of "proper" behavior, reasserted control over "amazons" and "viragos," and created larger-than-life heroes. Indian raids forced hundreds of English settlers from their homes, putting great stress on towns and colonies and creating the dilemma of either aiding refugees (andabandoning the traditional insular nature of towns) or excluding and expelling them (failing John Winthrop's exhortation to bind together). Historians argue that traditional aid through family and towns was incapable of meeting the demand. Instead, New England's governments responded by relieving towns of this responsibility. However, this aid was actually limited and narrowly directed. Towns remained exclusive, gathering in those they were obliged to aid through familial or proprietary connections and allowing outsiders to remain only conditionally. Following the natural hierarchy of their community, refugees sought to support themselves before turning to family and friends, and sought town and colony aid only when traditional sources were exhausted. Finally, in the midst of Indian wars, New Englanders often had to "dispose of' captured Indians. Having suffered grievously in the wars, New Englanders might have abandoned the law (albeit English law for Englishmen) and exacted revenge. Many prisoners suffered vigilante justice, and others faced servitude or public execution after a formal trial. New Englanders are rightly criticized for their actions, but while the colonists' treatment of prisoners was "uncivil" by modern standards, when viewed through the context of the time, New England's leaders tempered the "rage of the people," and the colonies remained within bounds of tradition and law. New Englanders resisted changes to the core cultural ideas and institutions of patriarchy, localized community, and morality based in English law. Though these notions of gender, community, and morality were battered by war, they survived and remained central to New England identity. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Dedication v Acknowledgements vi List of Figures viii Introduction: The Seat of War is With Us 2 Chapter 1: Cowards and Viragoes: The Troubling Behavior of Men and Women 17 Chapter 2: Sojourners for a Time: New England Refugees of Ear1 y Indian Wars 93 Chapter 3: To Still the Clamors of the People: Justice, Revenge, and the Fate of Indian Prisoners 163 Epilogue: Steadfast in their Ways 245 List of Abbreviations 261 Bibliography 263 Vita 300 iv To Vicky, Collin, and Catherine v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It takes a village to write a dissertation, and it is unfortunate that only one name will adorn the spine of this work because it is truly the product of many people. I owe each of them a debt of gratitude. I owe my sanity to the wonderful community of history and American Studies graduate students-past and present-at the College of William and Mary. They have been great inspirations, colleagues, and friends for many years. Buddy Paulett, Pat Crim, Evan Bennett, Dave Brown, Tony Bly, and Andrea Westcot deserve special mention for years of casual and professional conversation, for my impromptu education in archaeology, and for reminding me that academic life is not always serious. In addition, the remarkable group of instructors with the National Institute of American History and Democracy deserve mention for enduring my battlefield tours and Jeopardy games. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with y~m, and you have taught me a great deal. My professional development began at Gonzaga University with two exceptional teachers and mentors, Professors Robert Carriker and Stephen Balzarini, who taught me to ask and answer the big questions. Professor Carriker posed the greatest of these questions when I asked him for a recommendation to graduate school-" Are you sure you want to do this?" I appreciate his candor and his confidence that I would succeed. Several other outside scholars have contributed to the success of my research and writing. Kyle Zeiner of the University of Southern Mississippi, a friend as well as former graduate colleague, endured endless discussions during the early stages of my dissertation. It was at his prompting that I first presented my research before professional audiences at the American Historical Association and Society of Military Historians annual conferences. He graciously agreed to read and comment on the final project, and his insights will shape the book to come. Holly Mayer, Timothy Shannon, and Gerald Moran also provided insightful comments that changed the direction of my research. My lengthy tour of duty at William and Mary has indebted me to two particular institutions-the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the Lyon G. Tyler Department of History. To the editorial and publications staff of the OIEAHC-Fredrika Teute, Gil Kelly, Ginny Montijo Chew, and Kathy Burdette-thank you for the year-long apprenticeship in VI historical editing and for demystifying the world of scholars. I extend my sincere thanks to the faculty and staff of the history department. Betty Flanigan, Roz Stearns, and Gail Conner endured years of questions and interruptions, and they always had answers or fixes. Professors Carol Sheriff, Kris Lane, Leisa Meyer, and Dale Hoak have all influenced how I approach history and teaching, and Professor Phil Daileader cheerfully agreed to serve as a reader. I owe special thanks to Jim and Caroline Whittenburg (Dr. Mr. and Dr. Mrs. within the NIAHD). They have been mentors, colleagues, and friends for many years, and this mention cannot begin to repay what I owe them. Finally, to my director Jim Axtell I owe my skills as a writer and a historian. I am grateful for his critical eye and years of patience and instruction. My family has been an endless well of support throughout this process. My in-laws, Jim and Janet Wilhelm, have been patient supporters, and my children have benefited immeasurably from their presence. I would not be in this position, or profession, if not for my father, Bob Corlett. I inherited his love of history and literature, and unfettered access to his library allowed me to follow my interests from a very young age. My mother, Melba, encouraged me from