European explorers first landed on the shores of what would later become North America more than 500 years ago. Not long after the first explorers had entered the "New World" they found out that they were not alone on this new frontier. Their neighbors in this new land were the Native Americans who had been there for centuries, virtually unaware of life outside the continent. Thus began an inconsistent and often times unstable relationship between the European settlers and the North American Indians. Two nations who had particularly interesting relationships with the Native Americans were the British and the French, both of whom took different approaches to their relations with the Indians economically as well as culturally. Neither nation had complete trust for the Indians, nor did the Indians ever completely trust the men who arrived on "floating islands with many tall trees". Nonetheless, they did interact with one another in their daily lives. Both economically and culturally the French and British went about their interactions with the Native Americans differently. Through first hand writings and documents as well as observations by historians, it is evident that the British and French interacted with the Indians of North America in different ways. In the early beginnings of exploration, both the British and French had relatively good relationships with the Indians because of the economic success that came with simple cooperation. The fur trade with the Native
The time period between the 1600s and 1700s was a time of a major change in the land of the New World. The colonization of Europeans into the North America had considerable impacts on the Native American lives. European empire at the time, such as the French, England and Spanish empires, often fought against each other for power and control. After the European tried to colonized, the Native American suddenly found themselves dealing with European power politics. The arrival of Europeans into the New World meant new political relationships for both the European and the Native Americans. Each side had thing to gain and loss in this kind of relationship, especially military alliances and new trade goods. European power politics and rivalries were a major factor in the development of European and Native American relations because they created relationships of mutually beneficial relationships of trade and alliances.
From the very first interaction, the social and political relations between the Native Americans and the Europeans had begun with much tension. Many Europeans came to the Americas with the intention of discovery. However, when it became apparent that these new lands were inhibited the motives changed, and then the natives were colonized, abused, and in many cases killed. From then and throughout the impending periods of time, the relations between the natives and the Europeans had a few points of mutual peacefulness, but were overall negative.
Beginning in the sixteenth century, Europeans made the voyage to a “new world” in order to achieve dreams of opportunity and riches. In this other world the Europeans came upon another people, which naturally led to a cultural exchange between different groups of people. Although we commonly refer to European and Indian relations as being between just two very different groups of people, it is important to recognize this is not entirely true. Although the settlers of the new world are singularly referred to as Europeans, each group of people came from a different nation and with different motives and expectations of the new world. Similarly, the Indians were neither a united group nor necessarily friendly with each other. Due to the
Throughout the course of history there have been numerous accounts regarding Native American and European interaction. From first contact to Indian removal, the interaction was somewhat of a roller coaster ride, leading from times of peace to mini wars and rebellions staged by the Native American tribes. The first part of this essay will briefly discuss the pre-Columbian Indian civilizations in North America and provide simple awareness of their cultures, while the second part of this essay will explore all major Native American contact leading up to, and through, the American Revolution while emphasizing the impact of Spanish, French, and English explorers and colonies on Native American culture and vice versa. The third, and final, part of this essay will explore Native American interaction after the American Revolution with emphasis on westward expansion and the Jacksonian Era leading into Indian removal. Furthermore, this essay will attempt to provide insight into aspects of Native American/European interaction that are often ignored such as: gender relations between European men and Native American women, slavery and captivity of native peoples, trade between Native Americans and European colonists, and the effects of religion on Native American tribes.
The relationship between the English and the Native Americans in 1600 to 1700 is one of the most fluctuating and the most profound relationships in American history. On the one side of the picture, the harmony between Wampanoag and Puritans even inspires them to celebrate “first Thanksgiving”; while, by contrast, the conflicts between the Pequots and the English urge them to antagonize each other, and even wage a war. In addition, the mystery of why the European settlers, including English, become the dominant power in American world, instead of the indigenous people, or Indians, can be solved from the examination of the relationship. In a variety of ways, the relationship drastically alters how people think about and relate to the aborigines. Politically, the relationship changes to establish the supremacy of the English; the English intends to obtain the land and rules over it. Socially, the relationship changes to present the majority of the English settlers; the dominating population is mostly the English settlers. Economically, the relationship changes to obtain the benefit of the English settlers; they gain profit from the massive resource in America. Therefore, the relationship does, in fact, change to foreshadow the discordance of the two groups of people.
The early relations with the natives were a mix of cooperation and conflict. This goes back to Verrazzano reporting that the natives were willing to trade with them, but were not willing to put their trust in the Europeans. Then on the other end of the spectrum, we have Powhatan. He wanted to absorb the Europeans into their own ways through hospitality and gifts. “By 1609, [he] realized that the English intended to stay. Moreover, he was disappointed that the English did not return his hospitality nor would they marry Indian women (an affront from the Native perspective).” (Colonial Settlement)
Native Americans had many encounters with Europeans, one of which involving the French. They first came into contact with each other around the 1600s and were predominantly civil. In fact, compared to all the other Europeans who came to America, I believe that they had the most pleasant of interactions. The French primarily traded with local natives when they first
Closely followed by Columbus’ “discovery” of the New World in 1492 were the establishments of European colonies with the French primarily in the north and down the Mississippi, and with the British along the east coast. As a result, the Native Americans’ lives changed drastically. Before 1750, in terms of economically, French responded mutually in terms of economy, culturally befriended them and in terms of religion, responded benignly by encouraging Catholicism through missionaries and on were on the best terms with the Natives; the British by contrast, economically
The treatment of Indians by the French in Canada and English in Massachusetts was dramatic. The French had proceeded there way to North America and arrived in the 1500’s and was interested in establishing trading posts. There were settlements on St. Lawrence River that came to the point as a serving (as a base from which to invade and conquer the kingdom of Saguenay). The trade between the French and Indians was a development from these enterprises in trading military forts. There were many items that were traded such as beaver pelts, furs, textile, and metal that had attractions for both trading partners. The indigenous they interact with Huron in British because French settlements aren’t big. The hurons get upset with French because Jesuits try to convert them to Catholicism. The Hurons initially tolerate these conversions efforts, but grow to resent them. The hurons are exposed to disease that kills many of them. The French don’t provide adequate protection against the Iroquois. Among the disease victims were chefs, clan leaders, wise elders, and skilled craftspeople.” The Iroquois attack the Hurons and destroy their capital. The English desire for land created an antagonistic relationship with Wampanoag. The Puritans and the religious motivations for Plymouth are important. The interaction with Wampanoag the English wanted power and land. The 1621 treaty with the Wampanoag shows this desire for both. The Wampanoag see the British as
Resulting in the a loss for the French, the French and Indian War impacted trade between the French and Native Americans greatly. Occurring over disputes concerning land, the French and British broke out into to a war called the French and Indian War. Unfortunately for the French, they did not come out on top. Seeking revenge after this great loss the French decided to form an alliance with the Native Americans. Having proper treatment from the France, they were open to an alliance.
The French interacted with the Native Americans by developing trading alliances with them. They used the Native Americans to slave away at making trading materials. The trade strengthened the relationships within the tribes and the French because not only did some tribes eventually convert to Christianity, they developed an understanding and somewhat friendship. The French gave gifts to the Indians as they continued to make materials to trade for them and also to trade inside
The British emphasis on farming and owning land often put them in competition with the American Indians. Since the french relied so heavily on trade they viewed the american indians as allies.
The french later colonized to North America to trade with the indians without the use of force. They recruited the indians as trading allies, they sent traders for trappers of beaver pelts.
During 16th century, the Age of Exploration. Many European nations such as England, Spain, and Portuguese were hunting for colonization especially in the New World (America today). These nations have to face a lot of interaction with the American Native Indian. Both good and bad relationship which basically cause them hardship and sometimes helpful in the early period of exploration while they also got many influences from the interaction too. British is one of the nation that has a lot of interactions with the American Indians, the relationship between them is hard to describe as stable relationship as when one side seem to have more powerful than another, it’s easy to lead to conflict. However the interaction between British and American
In terms of European relations with Native Americans, for the most part, many of the New World settlers saw the Natives as inferior to them because of their differences in clothing style, religious practices, and farming use. Nevertheless, there are some distinctions in the manner in which the Spaniards, French, and English