Exam # 2 Paper

As the founding of English colonies in modern Massachusetts combined a strange mix of idealism and violence. There are a couple major men that helped to change the colonies of Plymouth, for the better. Miles Standish contributed important protection to the early colonies by using violence. This is also Benjamin Church,who provided vital leadership to protect the colonies during King Philip's War. Despite all of this violence, the colonies were also founded on religious idealism. It is important to understand the full history of these areas because this is what Americans generally consider to be our nation's beginning.



Miles Standish contributed important protection to the early colonies by using violence. Once way that he showed his violence was that he charged into a wigwam, and scared the people inside so badly that they were trying to climb through the walls. After killing one indians, Standish beheaded him and put his head on a post on the front gates of Plymouth. He was so violent that he killed an indian with his own knife hanging around his neck. Some people disagree with the violence that Standish practiced. But if he hadn't used some violence against these indians than the colonists may have been more scared and taken action upon themselves.



Benjamin Church provided vital leadership to protect the colonies during King Philip's War. He had such good tactics that he went into an enemies camp and defeated them with only 6 men without firing a weapon. Church was the one who's plan who finally killed Phillip for being so awful to many of the colonists. Another accomplishment was that he and a group of 20 men defeated 300 indians. King Phillips War may have gone on even longer if not for Church's clever tactics and leadership skills.

Despite all of this violence, the colonies were also founded on religious idealism. The Puritans moved to the New World so they could practice their religion free. When John Winthrop was chosen as governor he stated that Plymouth would be a " A city on a hill." This meant that everyone would be looking at them and want to become just like them. They also strongly believed in making a public education system. The colonies were not only about the violence, they wanted a good, new life for themselves and their children.

The colonies were founded on both violence and on their idealist views on religion in the New World. Standish's violent way of protection was absolutely needed for the colony to advance. Without Church's intelligence of fighting King Phillips War probably wouldn't have turned out the same. Even though there was some violence, the colonies were also founded on their ideas on religion in Massachusetts. As Americans we often have a different, simpler view of how the colonies were founded and we don't know what really happened.