Disputes over land and authority multiplied.

Native communities faced pressure to accept English law and religious expectations.

Colonial officials became increasingly suspicious of Native political gatherings and weapons.

Metacom did not immediately choose open war.

For years, he continued to negotiate.

That point is important because it changes the way the conflict should be understood.

The war was not simply the result of a single leader waking up one morning and deciding to attack the English.

It emerged from years of accumulated disputes and mutual suspicion.