Article Analysis Essay on 'King Philip's Herds: Indians, Colonists, and the Problem of Livestock in Early New England'

Introduction

The article 'King Philip's Herds: Indians, Colonists, and the Problem of Livestock in Early New England' by Virginia DeJohn Anderson was published in Oct. 1994. It featured in the journal 'The William and Mary Quarterly as a third series publication with a volume number 51 issue 4. It was published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture. The author of the article, Virginia DeJohn Anderson is a specialist in the examination of the history of America. She is a Ph.D. holder and a professor at Harvard University. Her qualifications and specialization are some of the factors that may have contributed to the publication of the article. For example, most of her writings reflect some of the happenings that took place during the colonial a period and her experience in such field may have influenced her idea into giving insights into some of the then social, economic and political issues.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The publisher of the article, Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture mostly provides knowledge of early American history and culture. That aspect may have contributed to the publication of the article since the accounts from the article relate to the knowledge the institution offers. The text is aimed at reaching a specific audience. An analysis of the content of the article reveals that aims at imparting knowledge to learners who wish to understand the Indians, colonists and the different problems of livestock in early New England.

I looked at several elements in the article before the class discussion. For example, I looked at the authenticity of the article as a reference point. I also examined the main arguments raised by the author and the relevance to the class discussion. Lastly, I examined the validity of the arguments presented in the article by exploring some of the references used. I would position the article in the context of sources giving accounts of early history.

The article explores the war that ensued between 1675 and 1676 between the Native Americans and the English settlers and their allies. It explains the events of the war and the different factors that prolonged the war (Anderson, 2017). Additionally, the article examines the effects of the war and its end. The author of the article, therefore, seeks to understand some of the factors that led to the war and the consequences of the war in explaining the colonists' period. The article, therefore, takes a stance in giving an account of the war and its positive effects in influencing the history of Americans and the Indians during that period.

I think the article has effectively explored the topic in context by giving detailed information about the war. The author gives a historical concept of the war and the various factors that triggered the occurrence of the war. It supports the main arguments by referring to some of the literature provided by other scholars in explaining the events during the period. The primary sources used in the argument of the paper are effective since they give first-hand information about the events that transpired during the war. For example, the article uses reports of the times to support some of the arguments presented in the article. However, the article does not sufficiently address the relationship between the two factions before the beginning of the war. It would be essential to use secondary sources, which would help in providing more information.

References

Anderson, V. D. (2017). King Philip's herds: Indians, colonists, and the problem of livestock in early New England. In Colonial America and the Early Republic (pp. 57-80). Routledge.