American colonists practice scalping — History.com This Day in History — 2/20/1725
In the American colonies, a posse of New Hampshire volunteers comes across a band of encamped Native Americans and takes 10 "scalps" in the first significant appropriation of this Native American practice by European colonists. The posse received a bounty of 100 pounds per scalp from the colonial authorities in Boston.
Although
the custom of "scalping" was once practiced in Europe and Asia, it is
generally associated with North American native groups. In scalping, the
skin around the crown of the head was cut and removed from the enemy's
skull, usually causing death. In addition to its value as a war trophy, a
scalp was often believed to bestow the possessor with the powers of the
scalped enemy. In their early wars with Native Americans, European
colonists of North America retaliated against hostile native groups by
adopting their practice of scalp taking. Bounties were offered for them
by colonial authorities, which in turn led to an escalation of
intertribal warfare and scalping in North America.
Although
the custom of "scalping" was once practiced in Europe and Asia, it is
generally associated with North American native groups. In scalping, the
skin around the crown of the head was cut and removed from the enemy's
skull, usually causing death. In addition to its value as a war trophy, a
scalp was often believed to bestow the possessor with the powers of the
scalped enemy. In their early wars with Native Americans, European
colonists of North America retaliated against hostile native groups by
adopting their practice of scalp taking. Bounties were offered for them
by colonial authorities, which in turn led to an escalation of
intertribal warfare and scalping in North America.
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