hist 209 Analytical-Report-Rushforth-A

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Apr 3, 2024

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“A Little Flesh We Offer You” the Origins of Indian Slavery in New France ANALYTICAL REPORT HIST 209 A 2202 DR. SIMON-PIERRE LACASSE 2020
Author Brett Rushford brings to light the discrepancies that lead New France into the Indian slave trade in his book, “ A Little Flesh We Offer You.. .” 1 Rushford elaborates on the political aspects surrounding the origin of slaves in New France and the part captive slaves played in society. The Author goes on to detail throughout the book the methods of capturing natives as prisoners and their treatment under enslavement. New France’s original stance on slavery was oppositional, disregarding it as dishonorable. 2 However, the socioeconomic trend of the North American lands lead to New France participating in and establishing the legality of the Indian slave trade. 3 One of the main practices that lead to this was the exchange of slaves as “culturally powerful symbols” during the creation of French-Native alliances. 4 This led to French bureaucrats obtaining captured Indian slaves to build stronger trade relations and obtain a multitude of workers. Native slaves also played an important part in stabilizing the alliances created by the Great Peace treaty of 1701. 5 In participating of the capture and trade of Indian slaves, New France was able to ensure their allies would not defect as well as prevent any skirmishes or wars from emerging with their Native neighbors. 6 The trading of captured Native slaves pushed New France into intertwining itself in the systematic oppression of natives and accepting this trend as the social norm. Native slaves consisted mostly of prisoners of war. In the recollection of Pierre Boucher, a French colonist who resided amongst the Hurons, he describes the process of how the Indians of New France captured prisoners. 7 After defeating an enemy encampment, the native warriors would drag the captives a safe distance away and begin the process of binding, enslaving and 1 Rushforth, “A Little Flesh We Offer You” Origins of Indian Slavery in New France 2 Ibid, 779 3 Ibid, 779 4 Ibid, 780 5 Ibid, 780,793,794 6 Ibid, 780 7 Ibid, 782
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