Wednesday, December 7, 2016

In what ways did the English colonists and Native Americans adapt to each other's presence?

In the early days of English colonization, it was the English that had to adapt to the presence of Native peoples, who possessed the power to wipe the English colonists fairly easily at first. English leaders like John Smith in Virginia and Edward Winslow in Plymouth pursued treaties with native leaders like Powhatan and Massasoit, respectively. Over time, as the English presence grew, some Native peoples joined the English in wars against other Natives, a diplomatic strategy that would persist until after the American Revolutionary War. For their part, the English adapted to Native diplomatic customs, like giving presents before beginning talks with emissaries. Natives tried to exploit European geopolitics through a "play-off" system in which they appealed to both the English and their French adversaries. Some English and especially Scottish merchants married into Native families in order to gain the right to trade such items as furs, deerskins, and guns. Natives and English people learned each other's language, adopted each other's children, hired each other as scouts and craftsmen, and adapted to each other's presence in many other ways.

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