What Was The Early Relationship Like Between Europe And The Variuos North American Indian Tribes?
In general there seemed to be relatively sophisticated political and economic relationships that allowed many eastern Tribes to keep European settlers bottled up along the Eastern seaboard for many years. How was this early relationship between Europe and the various North American Indian Tribes like? That is, how and why did the relationships evolve as they did. Additionally, how did these relationships affect the relationships between various Indian Tribes?
Probably the answer to your question is pretty complicated. The frontier was unsustainable for settlers too far inland due to transportation concerns and Indian warring amongst themselves. Some Indian groups were willing to make treaties and try to co-exist with Europeans, while others were more hostile. Some Indian groups formed alliances with Europeans to help them in their struggles against other Indians they were enemies with. It wasn’t that they really liked the Europeans as much as it was an alliance of convenience. Basically the principle of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”