Clash of Cultures: The Deerfield Massacre

Queen Anne’s War, was a second in a series of wars fought between Great Britain and France in North America for control of the continent. Twelve years of fighting between the Spanish in Florida, the French in the North American interior, the English on the coast, and different Native American tribes, that aligned themselves with one group or another, finally came to an end with an English victory. This success gave the English a base on the Hudson Bay, furthering their expansion into North American. It also, brought into play a period of relative peace in Europe that allowed France and England to increase their hold on positions in the New World. However over time the increasing strengths of the economic and social qualities of the English colonies would eventually threaten the French further.
The raid of Deerfield, a western outpost of Massachusetts, was one of the bloodiest events of Queen Anne’s War. The raid took place February 29, 1704. Deerfield was a tiny frontier settlement, and was well aware of the fight between the French and English for control of the North American continent. Precautionary measures were taken and the people stayed within the town’s tall wooden walls, along with the group of twenty militia men sent by the governors of Connecticut and Massachusetts. These militia men arrived and settled in on February 24, 1704. This brought the total of Deerfield’s population to about 291 people. However prepared they could be, an attacked was not expected in the middle of winter.
Deerfield fell under attack by the French shortly before dawn, on February 29, 1704. The French, under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville, along with French soldiers and thirty to forty Pennacook warriors, the combined forces gave him roughly 250 men. After assessing the town’s defenses, the group noticed that