It symbolized the attempt to demonstrate that Native sovereignty itself had been defeated.

This is why the image has survived.

The head on the blockhouse is not only a gruesome detail.

It is a visual representation of a political transformation.

PART TWELVE — WHAT HAPPENED TO METACOM’S FAMILY?

Metacom’s death did not end the suffering of his family.

His wife and son were among those captured after the war, and members of his family were sold into slavery or forced servitude according to historical accounts.

This was part of a broader colonial practice in the aftermath of the conflict.