Relationship Between Spain French And Indians

Between 1500 and 1700, North America became a destined land for European settlers. While in some instances, the Indians of North America had to fight the invaders; overall it was the first time in history they Europeans and Indians were brought together for the first time. The Indians played a crucial role in the establishment of the European colonies through trade, alliances, and warfare. It is with their role and the interaction with the European settlers that would bring about a shift in each culture that would change the course of history. Spain, France, and England seemingly had the strongest ties with the Indians, whether good or bad. Spain had a rather tumultuous relationship with the Indians. Don Juan de Onate’s account of his interaction
France’s relationship with the Indians was focused on trade. This was due to the few settlers that were present in New France relying heavily on the Algonquian tribe; otherwise they would have all died. The source of their trading system was the lucrative fur trade. Samuel de Champlain understood this when he established Quebec as a fur-trading outpost. The French supplied the Algonquian tribe with firearms, copper pots, glass beads, and metal utensils , and in turn they supplied the French colonists with the beaver pelts that they so desperately desired to survive the winter. Unlike the French settlers, the English settlers struggled with the Algonquian Indians. Jamestown struggled with Powhatan, the leader of the tribe. During this time, trade did exist but tensions rose between the English and the Indians. Powhatan, on his deathbed, reached out to John Smith, to beg for friendlier relations, that almost mirrored his tribe’s relations to the French. The English traded similar goods to that of the French, firearms, copper, etc. They too received beaver pelts and furs from the Indians. These types of trade arrangements could not have existed without having an alliance with the
Their alliances with the Indian tribes could either help their goal succeed or fail. The Indians saw this as a way to take advantage of the colonists fighting abilities, in addition to using their tools for warfare. Because of the supplies the French provided for the Algonquian tribe, they were drawn into battle against the Iroquois. Samuel de Champlain recalls encountering the “enemy,” when New France was provided support by the Algonquian they expected the colonists to aid in their battle. Champlain recalls, “The Iroquois were greatly astonished that two men had been so quickly killed, although they were equipped with armor woven from cotton thread, and with wood which was proof against their arrows. This caused great alarm among them.” Not only did this alliance affect the war, the firearms that the French were supplying impacted the winners of the war. This can be seen with each colonial/Indian relation. However, even though the English supplied their Indian allies with weapons, their alliance did not always benefit their colonies. In 1676, Bacon’s Rebellion broke out due to the Virginian’s governor denial of expansion due to the Governor’s concern of war with the neighboring tribes and violating the treaties that were previously signed. Bacon felt that the colonists were wronged because the governor “protected, favored, and emboldened the Indians against his Majesty’s loyal