The Pilgrim/Pokanoket Relationship in Brief

The Pilgrims came to America in 1620 to set up an exclusive religious community. In spite of this, the hardships of the first years and the fact that the Natives greatly outnumbered them led them to create a positive relationship with the Native Americans. The Pilgrims gained skills from the Natives about how to live and build a community in America, and the Natives gained English technology and access to the culture of the Pilgrims. By the mid 1600's, however, English greed for more land and Native anger at the English taking their land was commonplace. A rigged English trial that ended with the execution of 3 Natives pushed a bold native leader named Philip over the edge, and war ensued. This war claimed the lives of many English people, but their losses pale in comparison to the great damage to the Native population and culture that resulted from the war. The fact that the children of the Pilgrims and Native Americans who made peace and celebrated the First Thanksgiving decided to mercilessly kill each other teaches us a lesson about how we must always remember past events.