The Americans and Indians

During the numerous years of colonization, the relationship between the Native Americans and the English stayed the same throughout the area. Native Americans would consider the settlers to be their allies, then as time progressed, they would engage in wars with them in a struggle for control of the land. This process of friendship to enemies seemed to be basic patterns in the majority of the colonies. When the English arrived in Jamestown is 1607, the most dominant tribe in the area was the Powhatan, in which the English settlers named due to the leader of the tribe. When the first meeting took place, the Powhatan considered the new settlers to be allies, who may be able to help them through their struggles to gain land and power over the other tribes in the area. These friendships were quickly tested when starving settlers started to take food from the Native Americans. In 1610, only alliance between the Powhatan and the Virginia settlers were immediately crushed when Lord De La Warr arrived with a declaration of war against all Native Americans in the Jamestown area. De La Warr used his “Irish Tactics” of burning down houses along with crops. He also took prisoners to destroy the Native Americans in the war called, The First Anglo-Powhatan War. A peace treaty was created and soon signed by many, but lasted only a good eight years. The Powhatan's killed 347 settlers, which led the Virginia Company to give orders for a “prepetrual war without peace and truce.” The peace treaty of 1646 eliminated all chances of the Powhatan's coexisting with the Virginia settlers. The treaty also banished all Indians from their native lands, which later was considered as a reservation. After this event occurred, the number of Native Americans in Virginia went down drastically. Only leaving about 10% of the population to be Native Americans.