Indians in Colonial Societies Native Americans constituted an integral part of the colonial societies and economies Native Americans in New Spain – labor, religion, missionaries Native Americans on the Atlantic seaboard – labor, religion, education

Colonists in Indian Societies As Indian societies reacted to foreign ideas, colonists in turn observed and adopted certain Native ways of life French North American empire Colonial men who “went Indian” The Impact of the Fur Trade Indians became tied to developing European capitalism The effects of alcohol to Native Americans

The fur trade as depicted in this sketch was crucial to the economy of Indian and colonial America

Indian Slavery Slavery existed in North America before the English and French landed Europeans colonialism introduced different concepts of slavery Like the trade in furs, trade in Indian slaves became a routine feature of the colonial economy As African slaves arrived to the colonies, Indians will regard them the same as the colonist

This French sketch shows Iroquois warriors returning form a raid with scalps and an Indian captive Iroquois Warriors and Captive, c. 1666

Indian Nations and European Territorial Claims, c Although European presence was common, Native American people and power predominated during this period yet European ambitions will change this soon after

Diplomacy in Colonial America European powers competed for North American resources and dominance, as well as for Indian allies Indians resisted European intrusion and pretenses yet often forged alliances Constant renewal of alliances and good relations was vital to avoiding violence French diplomacy vs. British diplomacy

Isawaholi, a Huron chief is depicted wearing a European coat and metals, but he speaks on a wampum belt in the traditional manner Wampum belts – pieces of polished shell or beads roped together into strands – conveyed messages, initiated proceedings, recorded agreements, and guaranteed promises Iroquois orators opened councils by offering wampum to produce a state of mind conducive to calm discussion Speakers punctuated their talks by handing wampum belts to their listeners; refusing a wampum belt meant the listener rejected what was said When the talks were finished, the wampum belt became the tribal record and collective memory

Treaty with the Indians When He Founded the Province of Pennsylvania in North America, 1771 by Benjamin West This painting shows Penn and his Quakers meeting with the Delawares. This meeting nonetheless never happened as the portrait depicts. How is William Penn depicted in this portrait? How are the Delawares depicted?

Attempts at Diplomatic Balance European and Indian diplomatic skills were essential to survive and succeed Indian leaders realized that Europeans invited them to the treaty table generally wanted their land, resources, or young men as soldiers As war became endemic in 18 th century North America, Indian villages and countryside bore the brunt of the fighting The French and English War - Seven Years’ War also known as the French and Indian War ( )

The Ohio Country during the Seven Years’ War By the mid-18 th century, the Ohio country was home to many Indian peoples, some of them pushed there by the pressure of European settlement in the east. The forks of the Ohio were regarded as the key to the West and became the focus of Anglo-French rivalry

The Treaty of Paris in 1763 redrew the political map of North America. France withdrew from North America, handing its territory east of the Mississippi to Britain and west of the Mississippi to Spain North America before and after the Treaty of Paris