The Consequences Of European Invasions

European invasions resulted in horrific and detrimental results to the Native American population living in the Western Hemisphere. Most Europeans made the voyage with the mindset that whoever they would encounter along the way were savages and therefore lesser to them. With this mindset, when the Europeans made contact with the Natives they killed and enslaved them. In the eyes of a Native American, this inhumane interaction was unnecessarily brutal and created an instant enemy between Europeans and Natives. Natives saw their people dying of disease brought by Europeans, killed at the convenience of the new settlers, and their land being forcefully taken from them. Centuries ago, Natives fought through the brutality of the initial settlers, …show more content…
Natives knew they would have to fight for what was theirs and while not all Europeans came with the same motives, in most cases, all Europeans would battle the Natives at some point. The French were among the few European voyagers who initially came without malicious intent. While the French came to find a trade companion, the Spaniards came in search of labor , and the English were looking for land to conquer for crops and supplies, as well as to expand and create colonies (). Following the initial contact of the settlers, Natives continued to fight against European colonization, especially near the coast, however, were unsuccessful in stopping major colonies from forming. Natives were on constant watch and were always prepared to fight for their beliefs. Unfortunately, this exhausted and diminished their tribes, many times forcing them out of their land so new colonies could …show more content…
Though both sides wanted the Natives to have no part in the war, it was a conflict that would directly affect them, and therefore they decided to intervene. The colonists had given them no reason to help them fight the British, while alternatively if the British were to prevail this may halt western expansion, as well as get some of the lands back to the Natives. Therefore, most Natives pledged their allegiance to the British as they stood to lose even more of their homeland and the remaining aspects of their culture if the patriots were to win. However, a few tribes did affiliate themselves with the Americans, splitting the Native alliance. Natives aided the British in battles against the patriots. One historian describes Native motive when he states that “ Natives fought the revolutionary war for political independence, cultural integrity, and the protection of their land and property” (136). In other words, they did not fight for the British, but for themselves. The decision to fight, for most tribes, was not difficult as it came down to whoever understood and would aid in fulfilling native