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Difficulty: MediumEuropean and American Indian Relations

"Those that scaped the fire were slaine with the sword; some hewed to peeces, others rune throw with their rapiers, so as they were quickly dispatchte, and very few scaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fyer, and the streams of blood quenching the same... but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them..."

—William Bradford, governor of Plymouth Colony, Of Plymouth Plantation, describing the Mystic River Massacre (1637)

Which of the following historical developments in seventeenth-century New England is most directly reflected in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The development of a tobacco-based plantation economy that relied on alliances with Native American agriculturalists.
  2. Persistent conflicts between English colonists and Native American groups over land and resources.Answer
  3. C
    The implementation of an encomienda-style system by colonial authorities to extract tribute and coerced labor.
  4. D
    The voluntary assimilation of indigenous peoples who shared a homogeneous culture that adapted easily to English religious practices.

Answer

Persistent conflicts between English colonists and Native American groups over land and resources.
The correct answer is correct because the Pequot War (which included the Mystic River Massacre of 1637 described in the excerpt) arose from intense competition over land and regional trade between English colonists and local Native American tribes. As English settlers steadily expanded their settlements in the Connecticut River Valley, conflicts over land ownership and resources became increasingly violent and destructive.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical context and source of the stimulus.
The excerpt is from William Bradford describing the Mystic River Massacre during the Pequot War of 1637 in colonial New England.
Placing the source in its correct time and place is necessary for analyzing colonial relationships.
2
Analyze the cause and nature of the conflict described.
The Pequot War was a violent clash resulting from rapid English demographic growth and migration into native territories, leading to disputes over land and trade.
This links the specific violence of the massacre to the systemic issue of land encroachment characteristic of British colonization.
3
Evaluate the options to find the one that best matches the historical reality of British-Native relations.
The correct answer accurately links the event to persistent conflicts over land and resources, while the other choices present historical inaccuracies regarding colonial regions, Spanish labor systems, or native cultural dynamics.
This step ensures that incorrect distractors are systematically eliminated.

Key Concept

European and American Indian Relations
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

European and American Indian Relations

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