Native Americans and European Contact

Native Americans were the first people to occupy the Western Hemisphere. In the late 1400s, they numbered as many as 15 million in North America alone. The way of life for Native Americans was heavily influenced by the environment. They Native American lifestyle in present day northeastern and southeastern United States was based on agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Trade was an important part of the economic system. Strong social organizations rested on ties between extended families, with WOMEN in positions of power in those tribes that were agricultural.

The Iroquois Confederacy

The most powerful government in the Eastern Woodlands Native Americans was the Iroquois Confederation. It was formed in 1570. It made up of first FIVE and then SIX nations located in central and western New York. The Confederacy made it possible for the Iroquois to hold onto its lands against European pressure for almost two centuries, playing the English and the French against each other.

Trade and Alliances

Relations between colonists and Native Americans centered around trade and exhange, alliances, and warfare. The survival of JAMESTOWN, founded in 1607 as the FIRST PERMANENT ENGLISH SETTLEMENT in North America is credited in part to to food supplied, in return for weapons, by the Algonquin tribe. There is a picture below of the trading at Jamestown.

The Colombian Exchange

Interactions between Native Americans and the settlers led to outbreaks of diseases such as smallpox and measles. The diseases decimated the Native American population. As the Native Americans became increasingly dependent on European products the traditional culture weakened. This is often known as the Colombian exchange which is pictured below.

Different Values and Views

Possession of land was at the center of conflict between Native Americans and the colonists. Native Americans held land in common and believed it should be used for the good of all. LAND WAS NOT BOUGHT OR SOLD. The rights to the use of land could be transferred. The English valued LAND OWNERSHIP and had a tradition of buying and selling land.

The Europeans also believed in the superiority of their way of life. They attempted to convert Native Americans to Christianity and assumed that they would adopt and English lifestyle.