What was the most lethal war ever waged on American soil per capita? In this archived educational presentation from January 2021, American Heritage Partners President Jonathan “Jay” Dickey explores King Philip’s War (1675–1676), a devastating and often overlooked conflict that forever transformed early New England. Click here for a 36-minute video of his presentation posted on July 14, 2026 by American Heritage Partners.

Jay breaks down the escalating tensions between the Plymouth Pilgrims, the Massachusetts Bay Puritans, and the Native American tribes under the leadership of Metacom (dubbed “King Philip” by the colonists).

He shares ancestral ties to key figures like Benjamin Church, details the tragic spark that ignited the war (the death of John Sassamon), and examines the harrowing realities of the Great Swamp Fight.

Finally, the talk addresses the legacy of the conflict—how Metacom was mythologized in the 1800s, and how his name continues to decorate New England landmarks today.