Interaction Between Natives & Outsiders: Friendly or Hostile? - Essay Sample

Introduction

The interaction between the native tribes with colonial settlers, Africans, the British, and the French was quite varied. It can best be described as sometimes friendly and sometimes hostile. While the Natives benefitted from the access to trade and technology that the colonial settlers, French and British brought, the thirst for land and diseases which the outsiders brought posed a problem to the native's long-established way of life.

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The friendly relations existed mostly during the initial phases of their interaction when the natives benefitted from knives, cooking utensils, axes, fish hooks, and weapons. There were also a series of setbacks, wars, and skirmishes which almost always resulted in further loss of land and defeat to the Indians. As a result, the fights continued and intensified. For example, in an uprising in 1622 in Virginia, the Indians killed about 347 settlers and in the ensuing fighting, a lot of the natives were killed while others were sold into servitude.

The same can be said of the interaction with the British and the French because at some times, the natives would be trading furs and siding with the British against the French in the fight for the dominance of America at around 1763. However, other native tribes fought against the British and others stayed neutral as demonstrated during the American Revolution where almost every tribe made its own decision. However, the interaction between the native tribes and the Africans was very limited. However, in some instances, there were alliances based on cooperation that emerged between the Africans, especially those that escaped slavery to fight off Europeans. One such alliance was known as Maroons or Quilombos.

The Most Powerful Native Tribes During the Colonial Era

There were some powerful native tribes during the colonial era either as a single tribe or an alliance of several tribes. The Comanche was one of the powerful tribes during that era. By 1750, the Comanche underwent military and social transformation due to the horse. They adapted to the horse more completely and earlier than any other tribe. First, the combated and defeated other tribes and by the time that the colonial era began, they were ready.

By the time that the settlers came in the 1820s, they had managed to stop the French and the Spaniards and had then gone on and made a diplomatic and military alliance with other 20 tribes. From around 1830 to 1875, the westward expansion came to a halt in Texas. The other powerful unit was an alliance of six tribes that was called the six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy.

The encompassing native tribes include the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Seneca and the Tuscarora. The association consisted of some 5,500 people from linguistically related tribes. They were a powerful alliance when the colonialists encountered the natives at the beginning of the 17th century.

In particular, the Mohawk warriors were well experienced with flint arrows and they were dangerous because they incorporated stealth, surprise, and ambush into their tactics. After years of solidifying their power by fighting other tribes, they were ready for the colonists and when diplomacy failed, they were able to not only defend themselves but also attacked them.

Bibliography

Kavanagh, Thomas W. 1996. The Comanches: a history, 1706-1875. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press in cooperation with the American Indian Studies Research Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Usner, Jr., Daniel H. 1992. Indians, Settlers, & Slaves in a Frontier Exchange Economy: the Lower Mississippi Valley Before 1783. London: Chapel Hill.