American Indian Wars E51 Before the War Drums: Native Nations and Early American Conflict
This episode marks the beginning of Marine involvement in the American Indian Wars. It traces how early settlements like Jamestown quickly shifted from fragile peace to brutal conflict. From the 1622 Powhatan massacre to the growing wars of the 1600s, we follow how land, trade, and power shaped choices on both sides. It’s a story of shifting alliances, betrayal, and survival—laying the groundwork for centuries of bloodshed to come.
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From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 31 May 1779
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References
Bowen, J. C., Stewart, E. M. (1934). History of Wages in the United States from Colonial Times to 1928. United States: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Conover, G. S., Cook, F. (1887). Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan Against the Six Nations of Indians in 1779: With Records of Centennial Celebrations; Prepared Pursuant to Chapter 361, Laws of the State of New York, of 1885. United States: Knapp, Peck & Thomson, Printers.
Drake, J. D. (1999). King Philip's War: Civil War in New England, 1675-1676. United States: University of Massachusetts Press.
From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, May 31 1779," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-20-02-0661. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 20, April 8 –31 May 1779, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010, pp. 716–719.]
History of the Pequot War: The Contemporary Accounts of Mason, Underhill, Vincent and Gardener. (1897). United States: Helman-Taylor Company.
Russell, F. (1962). The French and Indian Wars. United States: American Heritage Publishing Company; book trade distribution by Meredith Press.
Vaughan, A. (1978). "Expulsion of the Salvages": English Policy and the Virginia Massacre of 1622. The William and Mary Quarterly, 35(1), 57-84. doi:10.2307/1922571