Part Three, Bondage, Chapter 6, A Dangerous Merchandise Summary and Analysis

On August 2nd, 1676, Philip's Wife Wootonekanuske and her nine year old son were captured. Ten days later, the colonists caught up with Philip and killed him on the spot. Wootonekanuske and her son were sent to Plymouth and it was debated as to whether the boy should be killed for his father's crimes. The Puritan divines saw Scripture that forbid killing a son for his father's crimes but they thought he in some way participated in the crime and declared that he would be executed. However, it never came to pass since the idea of hanging a nine year old was thought of as too grisly. Despite records of theological debates about what to do with the boy, historians know little of what happened except that Philip's son was...