The early Puritan settlers of Plymouth Colony relied on the local Indians for basic survival, but attitudes toward the Indians soon became harsh. Colonists later viewed the Indians as savages and threats to the Puritan ambition of a godly society. Some Puritans envisioned the removal and/or extermination of the Indians as a solution. In the colony of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale led assaults to suppress the Powhatan Indians to facilitate the colony's expansion. The brutal treatment of indigenous peoples has its roots in England's colonization of Ireland, which encouraged future settlers to form isolated English communities in newly conquered areas.