American Colonization

Brian Zou                                                                                DBQ#5

APUSH                                                                                 Block E

For periods of times from the late 16th century to the 17th century, dozens of white men from Europe began to settle in the Americas with high hopes of finding prosperity, richer lands, and better social statuses. After Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1492, European powers, set their eyes upon the Americas as regions to lay the foundation for and achieve their national imperial goals. Though emigrants were scattered over the continent, historians claim that the first mark of “American history” began as these European settlers migrated westward past the Appalachians after their settlement in colonies along the East Coast. However, as settlement and population in the Americas proliferated, several challenges were faced with the natives who had lived on American soil for centuries. Native importance to the colonizers exceeds that of the European importance to the process of colonization. From 1600 to 1754, the major European powers, Spain, France, and England sent many explorers and settlers to the Americas with different goals, but similarly, all had faced varying obstacles and obtained assistance from the Native tribes at the time.

           During the era of American colonization, France was desperate to expand into colonies for their economic bettering and to plunder Spanish shipping. Specifically, France had an imperial goal of furthering their fur trade. In 1603, Samuel de Champlain of France was desperate to explore and set out on his first voyage, pushing up the St. Lawrence River. Shortly after, in 1604, Champlain established a French settlement in Acadia. In 1608, Champlain, later to become “father of New France,” founded Quebec City in the far inland near Lake Huron. To the sparsely populated coureurs du bois, single-male citizens of this cold-climate land, in Quebec, the French government provided less financial aid. Therefore, the impact of the French was caused to be less powering over the Native Tribes. At Quebec, fur trades thrived and posts, which attracted more Natives and Colonists, later allowing for the colonization of Quebec City. Fur trades were conducted amongst the resident Montagnais, Algonkin, and Huron, who were skilled hunters. In addition, fur trade with the Montagnais, Algonkin, and Huron built an alliance amongst the tribes and France but caused the French to become enemies of the alienated Five Nations Iroquois. With the support of their Native allies, Champlain attacked the Five Nations Iroquois in June of 1609. The Five Nations Iroquois were armed with weapons obtained from Dutch trades and often harassed French trading posts in return. However, aside from the violent relations with the Five Nations, French maintained hospitality with Native tribes as trade was needed and offered lavish gifts to complete agreements during trade. New France was sustained by the Catholic bid to convert Natives, making them more dependent and dependable. French missionaries in New France during the early 1600s manifested the Counter-Reformation to reverse the growth of Protestantism and spread the practice of Roman Catholicism. The Jesuit conversion of these inferior Native savages who had no unified language to Catholicism made them more reliable in trade and alliance. With increased stability in New France, in the 1660s, the French government sent a permanent militia and women to act as brides. Before the arrival of French women, New French men were forced to intermarry with Native Tribes. The Micmac Tribes, who were part of the Algonkins, were aware of French regard to them as innately inferior persons who were socially under the peasants and laborers of Europe. The Chief of the Micmac Tribe commented on French regard of Natives to be of poor miserable lives and unhappy at heart. In contrast, the Natives were highly satisfied, dedicated, and believed they were more powerful than the French. The strong Natives were capable of completing tasks at mind, like shown by the Iroquois destruction of the Hurons in attacks called the “beaver wars.” Compared to the English and Spanish, French Treatment of the Native tribes was most lenient and mutual. (Docs 1,3; Garraty 24; Taylor 100-101, 106-108, 111-113, 380).

           As French settlement in the interior, North America increased, English settlement became limited to lands east of the Appalachian Mountains. Like their relations in Europe, The French and English were rivals in the New World as well. After the settlement of the first English colony in Virginia and the voyage of Puritans, led by John Winthrop in 1630, other English began to emigrate to America to escape religious/political persecution and promote the national goal of promoting mercantilism. Like the Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth and the Puritans who settled in Massachusetts Bay, many other groups Englishmen emigrated during the “Great Migration” period and settled in the Massachusetts area. English took advantage of their relations with Natives in Massachusetts Bay and attempted to use it to obtain funds. In 1636, the conflict that would lead to the Pequot War erupted due to the New English demands that the Native tribe pay a heavy tribute in wampum. In May 1637, Narragansett and Mohegan allies of the Puritans lead them into the Pequot territory to surprise their long-time enemy. Commanded by Captain John Mason and Captain John Underhill, the New English set the village on fire and left it to burn down in flames, leaving the attack a mystic massacre just before dawn. The Pequot Indians either burned in the flames or fled to be attacked by gunfire and weapons of their enemies. Though many Puritans responded to these attacks with criticism of overkill, the leading colonists argued it a job of  “God’s Bidding.” Through this, Narragansett and Mohegan were shocked, expecting at least the capture and adopt of the women and children, but none were considered or pondered. Though many Natives tribes were far from unification, each tribe stood strong individually and considered themselves a common people. Seen by the strength regain of the Pequot to weaken the Narragansett alongside colonists in the summer of 1676, the identity of various tribes against invaders followed an intratribal unison overarching ideology. (Doc 2, Taylor 189-196).

The English economic goals for mercantilism began with their desire for trade and economic bettering. Focusing on their imperial goal which was much easier than putting patience and effort into working with the Native tribes as the English had no respect for the culture they viewed as “primitive” and “savage.” From the 1670s onward, planters from the West Indies shifted northward to Carolina in honor of King Charles II of England. Carolina was made a plantation colony. Lords Proprietor attracted colonists quickly by founding Charles Town, which secured English claim of Carolina. Carolina’s leaders concluded with a way to recruit local Indians as slave catchers, offering them guns and ammunition. Soon, these slave catchers were forced to hunt or else they would be striped of ammunition that they needed to hunt food. English, with strong desire to control the Natives, did so easily once they had control over the gun trade and were in charge or large groups of armed Indians. Ruthless and stubborn, the English treated the Natives much harsher than the French fur traders, but slightly similar to the Spanish Conquistadores. However, though strict, after the development of the 13 New English Colonies near the 1700s, intellectual developments led to schools, such as the William and Mary College of Williamsburg, VA. In 1744, at the frontier, there was a letter to invite 12 Natives from the Six Nations Indians to attend the College, which was founded in 1693 by funds granted by King William III and Queen Mary II. Unfortunately, the Six Nations Indians rejected the offer which would have gone against enforcement and showed very little respect for the culture of the Natives. The Natives even offered to educate and instruct 12 sons of colonists in Virginia, as they would most likely not survive on their own in the wild, living the way that the Natives were. The Six Nations reaction to this letter shows how Natives react differently to options of assimilation, as it can be linked to Dawes Severalty Act that would be passed centuries later. (Docs 5,7; “Indians”; Taylor 223-235).

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