The Europe conflict witnessed in the 17 th and 18 th century triggered a conflict within the English and the natives in the Colonial New England. The nature of the conflict between the two protagonists in the Colonial New England was mainly political. While the natives wanted to regain their political rule and autonomy, the Englishmen were keen on maintaining their rule in America. For instance, Pontiac who was then the chief of Ottawa led the local people in a rebellious attack on main British forts 1 . This was aimed at counteracting the British aggression in its bid to effectively colonize that section of America. Moreover, the nature of the conflict was equally cultural. The differences between the culture of the Englishmen and the native cultures were a strong foundation for this war. While the natives sought to hold on their different cultures, the Englishmen were keen on spreading their cultures in order to increase their influence in the region 2 . This supremacy battle of the cultures involved was a major cause of rivalry between the two groups. This coupled with the political and governance supremacy battle constituted the major conflict between the warring groups in this conflict.
The violence that existed between the Englishmen and the Natives was characterized by several factors. First, it was characterized by the involvement of the military. For instance, the American army and the British army were largely involved in this war. The violence was also characterized by religious persecutions. The Englishmen wanted to maintain a dominance of the Christian religion. Therefore, they persecuted every person that was involved in any other form of religion or held a different religious opinion 3 . The violence was also characterized by the death of many people.
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During this conflict, many of the native people died of diseases, hunger as well as killing during the violence. The use of military weapons was also utilized during the war. The violent conflict was also centered on the issue of land. While the natives considered themselves to have the right to land, the Englishmen sought to take it from them and use it for agriculture 4 . The difference over the ownership of land was a major characteristic of this conflict. Lastly, the violent conflict was characterized by the bid for and against slavery. The Englishmen wanted to make the native people work hard for their benefit. This was met with resistance from the natives and hence sustained the conflict between the two warring groups.
Religion played a significant role in this conflict. The native people had their own religion as well as religious beliefs. On the other hand, the Englishmen were strong Christians. As part of the colonization, they wanted to spread their religion to the vast majority of the Native Americans. On the contrary, the Native Americans wanted to hold onto their native regions 5 . These differences in religious opinion greatly fueled the violence between the native people and the Englishmen. Secondly, religion was used as a tool for political reasons. The colonialists held the view that having different religious beliefs would divide the native people and in turn make them ungovernable. James who was the King of England in the early years of the 1620s imposed a compulsory Anglican church to the natives 6 . His view was to unite the people under one religious belief and practice in order to make it easy for him to govern them without threats of divided loyalties. Therefore, Religion played a critical role the conflict between the natives and the Englishmen from both a cultural perspective as well as the religious perspective.
Bibliography
Arvin, Newton, and Kenneth B. Murdock. "Literature and Theology in Colonial New England." The New England Quarterly 23, no. 1 (2000): 104
Geiter, Mary K., and W. A. Speck. "New England." Colonial America , 2002, 68-84.
Krout, John A., and Charles M. Andrews. "The Colonial Period of American History: England’s Commercial and Colonial Policy, IV." The New England Quarterly 12, no. 3 (1999): 591-604.
Parrish, David. "‘Now the Mask Is Taken Off’: Jacobitism and Colonial New England, 1702-27." Historical Research 88, no. 240 (2014): 249-71.
Pettit, Norman, and Harry S. Stout. "The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England." The New England Quarterly 60, no. 4 (1997): 604-16.
1 Parrish, David. "‘Now the Mask Is Taken Off’: Jacobitism and Colonial New England, 1702-27." Historical Research 88, no. 240 (2014): 252
2 Arvin, Newton, and Kenneth B. Murdock. "Literature and Theology in Colonial New England." The New England Quarterly 23, no. 1 (2000): 104
3 Pettit, Norman, and Harry S. Stout. "The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England." The New England Quarterly 60, no. 4 (1997): 605
4 Krout, John A., and Charles M. Andrews. "The Colonial Period of American History: England’s Commercial and Colonial Policy, IV." The New England Quarterly 12, no. 3 (1999): 593
5 Geiter, Mary K., and W. A. Speck. "New England." Colonial America , 2002, 69
6 Pettit, Norman, and Harry S. Stout. "The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England." The New England Quarterly 60, no. 4 (1997): 606
