24. "King Philip's Speech" (1836) by William Apess

Between 1616 and 1619, 90 percent of the Wampanoag Indians of Massachusetts were wiped out by disease in an epidemic called "The Great Dying" caused by their interaction with Europeans who had been visiting the region during the previous fifty to one-hundred years.

When the separatist Pilgrim Puritans arrived in 1620, Wampanoag leader Massasoit (ca. 1590-1662) maintained peaceful relations with the them. His son, Metacom (1638-1676), became leader of the Wampanoag when Massasoit died in 1662. Metacom was called “King Philip” by the English.

After the Plymouth colony executed three Wampanoag in June 1675, Metacom led an alliance against the English colonies in Massachusetts, Rhode island, and Connecticut. The English called it “King Philip’s War” (1675-1676).

The Narrangasetts and the Mohegans took sides with the English because they had “grievances against the militarily aggressive Pequots” (10).

In February 1676, Mary Rowlandson and her three children and 20 others were taken captive after the Indians attacked their frontier village in Lancaster, Massachusetts. Rowlandson was held captive for three months before she was released for a ransom. Six years later, she published narrative of her expeirence and her encounter with "King Philip," whom she describes as "generous" and "sympathetic to her." Her narrative was republished several times.

Metacom was killed in the Great Swamp Fight of August 1676. His severed head was later put on a stake in Plymouth, where it remained for years.

By September the colonists and their Indian allies had destroyed much of the Native American opposition in southern New England, killing thousands of Native Americans and selling many into slavery and indentured servitude. Some 600 English soldiers had been killed in the conflict and 17 white settlements destroyed; some 50 additional settlements had been damaged."

Many historians describe King Philip's war as the bloodiest conflict per capita in U.S. history.

In his “Eulogy on King Philip,” a speech he delivered in Boston in 1836, Pequot leader and Methodist minister William Apess set out to humanize Metacom.

Full text of William Apess's Eulogy for King Phillip

For more on William Apess, see:

Gussman, Deborah. "O Savage, Where Art Thou?": Rhetorics of Reform in William Apess's "Eulogy on King Philip." The New England Quarterly, Sep., 2004, Vol. 77, No. 3 (Sep., 2004), pp. 451-477  URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1559826

Invasion of Land or Disrespect for People?
Apess’s King Phillip’s Speech is an empowerment speech addressed to fellow Natives. It is meant to incite action to protect the culture. As it states, “all our ancient customs are disregarded, and the treaties made by our fathers and us broken all of us insulted” (41). This line seems to be calling them to fight for recognition and respect. Furthermore, based on the passage, I think this demonstrates that perhaps they were bothered less by the invasion of land and home and more by lack of willingness on the part of the colonist to impart camaraderie and knowledge in their interaction with the Native people.

Disrespect for Customs and Traditions?
The paragraph excerpt from Eulogy on King Philip shares a common sentiment with The Trickster. The excerpt says, “Brothers, these people from the unknown world will cut down our groves, spoil our hunting and planting grounds, and drive us and our children from the graves of our fathers, and our women and children will be enslaved” (27-28). Much like in The Trickster, someone is adamantly ignoring customs and traditions, destroying land and life.