Episode 191: Lisa Brooks, A New History of King Philip’s War

by Holly WhiteJune 19, 2018

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King Philip’s War is an event that appears over and over again in books about colonial America.

So when you have an event that has been as studied as King Philip’s War has been, is there anything new that we can learn about it by re-examining it in our own time?

Lisa Brooks, an Associate Professor of English and American Studies at Amherst College believes the answer to this question is “yes.” And today, she’s going to help us re-examine and re-think what we know about King Philip’s War by introducing us to new people, new ways we can look at known historical sources, and to different ways we can think about what we know about this event with details from her book Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.

Episode Summary

Lisa Brooks , an Associate Professor of English and American Studies at Amherst College and the author of Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War, helps us re-think what we know about King Philip’s War by introducing us to new people, new ways we can look at known historical sources, and to different ways we can think about what we know about this event.

During our re-investigation of King Philip’s War, Lisa reveals details about King Philip’s War and when it took place; What caused the war and who the war was really between; And, how King Philip’s War and the stories of its lesser-known participants can help us better understand early American history.

What You’ll Discover

King Philip’s War
What King Philip’s War can still teach us
Land as a cause of King Philip’s War
Plymouth Colony’s first sons
European encroachment on Native American farmland
Land deeds and King Philip’s War
The power of Native American kinship networks
John Sasamon and his death
King Philip or Metacom
James Printer and the Nipmuc Indians
The realities of colonial warfare
The end of King Philip’s War
How King Philip’s War can help us better understand early American history

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Lisa Brooks
Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip's War
Companion Website: OurBelovedKin.com
Virginia DeJohn Anderson, Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America
Jill Lepore, The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity
Jean O’Brien, Firsting and Lasting: Writing Indians Out of Existence in New England
Boston History Camp, July 7
Boston Meet Up: July 8, 10am Meet at the corner of Park Street and Tremont Street on Boston Common
Cleveland Meet Up: Saturday July 21

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Time Warp Question

In your opinion, how might the American origin story look different if we removed the idea that Europeans and colonists were destined to defeat Native Americans from the narrative?