Now, from the dark side of American History

On this day in 1725 the American Colonists began taking the scalps of Native American indians in revenge for the massacre and scalping of colonists.

A posse of New Hampshire volunteers came across a band of encamped Native Americans and took 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 British 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 British authorities, which in turn led to an escalation of intertribal warfare and scalping in North America.n. The paying of bounties for scalps was eventually adopted by American state governments and by the Mexican government in the ensuing "Indian Wars" through the end of the 19th century.

It's nice to know we have become more civilized now... sort of....

Live Long and Prosper.....