 The cause of the war stems from the increasing numbers of English colonists and their demand for land . As more land was purchased from the Native Americans , they were restricted to smaller territories for themselves . Native American leaders such as King Philip resented the loss of land and looked for a means to slow or reverse it . Of specific concern was the founding of the town of Swansea , which was located only a few miles from the Wampanoag capital at Mount Hope . The General Court of Plymouth began using military force to coerce the sale of Wampanoag land to the settlers of the town . 
