Why did the English colonists believe they could move into the middle of the Wampanoag homeland?
The English colonists shared the English/European belief that the “New World” was an undeveloped wilderness brimming with commercial possibilities. They believed the Native People were backward “heathens” in need of Christianity and other “civilized” ways. This viewpoint allowed the English and other Europeans to boldly claim ownership of a land peopled by vital and thriving Native communities.
