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Frontier Wars 1675 - 1759 : Queen Anne's War Queen Anne’s WarFollowing King William’s War, the English gradually began resettling the region as far east as Falmouth. However, they were still traumatized by the horrors of previous conflicts and their advancements were hesitant and cautious. Tribal people, too, began to return to the area but disease, warfare and the large exodus to Canada had dramatically thinned their populations. Like their Anglo neighbors, the Native Americans feared the possibility of renewed conflicts and settled largely inland along major waterways to avoid problems. The English no longer considered local Natives to be the great danger that they had once been. It was clear that they, too, preferred peace whenever possible; increasingly, it would be Indians from Canada and their French allies who would pose a real threat to English settlers. Queen Anne’s War began abruptly on August 10, 1703 with coordinated strikes at seven Maine communities between Wells and Falmouth. But this time, fortified English stations stood at Saco and Falmouth and the Natives were not able to sweep the English away as they had done in previous wars. Diminishing French support further impeded the Native Americans as they sought to fight the English. At the same time, the contest between England and France for European control of America steadily moved west beyond the Appalachians. Increasingly, conflicts between the English and Natives manifested as guerrilla-style raids across the region. By the war’s end, Maine’s Indians would never again be able to mount a major offensive, and English expansions into Maine’s frontiers increased dramatically, much to the chagrin of Native populations. Links and Sources: http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/dow/chap13/dow13_4.htm
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