How Did French English Colonists Treated Native American Indians

French, English, and Spanish colonists all reacted to and treated indigenous American Indians differently. The question is what exactly led to these different reactions? Based on historical evidence, the original objectives of European colonists seem to be the most influential factors regarding their relationships with American Indians. Of course, many other factors played into these historical interactions; however this seems to be the defining aspect of them all.

To begin, we’ll start with the Winnebago Indians observing a French ship sailing towards them. “The ship came nearer and the Winnebago went to the edge of the lake with offerings of tobacco and white deerskins…After a while they discovered that they were without tools, so they taught the Indians how to use an ax and chop a tree down…Then the French taught the Indians how to use guns.” (Nicolet, Account of the First Contact of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago)) This account …show more content…
After all, the French were religiously tolerant and they got along and established a trading system with the native people, while the intolerant Spanish desired to convert all of the Indians to their religion, thereby causing them to revolt and see them as their enemies. However, as stated by Richter, “Copper, axes, knives, cloth, and the technologies that produced them were the most important aspect of Native peoples’ discovery of Europe, and the most important reason that Native leaders persistently sought alliances with Europeans…” (Richter, Native American Discoveries of Europe) This proves that trade was the single most important aspect in the minds of the American Indians, and that religion was not the only issue involved. So although religion did contribute to assisting the development of a peaceful or violent relationship with the native people, it was not the defining factor when it came to Europeans and American