Foreign Relations: Amid New Settlers

It was inevitable that the Indians lives would change dramatically once Columbus step foot on the island he proclaimed “San Salvador” [Holy Savior] believing a westward route to Asia was finally unveiled. Settlements of the French were generally in present day Quebec and Ontario as well as along the Mississippi River. An influx of English people started to migrate to the eastern and southern side of North America. Hence, Native Americans were surrounded by foreigners who were ambitious to start a new life in North America, obtain new land to profit from and have freedom to follow their own religion without having fear of being persecuted. Prior to 1750 the British religiously had no intention of converting Native Americans to Christianity. Economically the British refused to commence any trading with the Indians whatsoever, and performed atrocious acts towards the Indians culturally. Economically the Spanish removed Indians from their land. Culturally the Spanish were accepting of their culture, and religiously tried to alter their beliefs.

Culturally, the Indians and English were amazed with each others objects. Though this peace did not last a considerable long time. The English in fact seized every opportunity to take advantage of the Indians, whenever the opportunity arose. Once the Native Americans and Indians began to trade their goods, the English would trick the Indians into giving them more than what they were offering the Indians. Soon enough when the Indians realized they were being deceived, wars commenced. As a result the English would continuously raid innocent Indians villages and take anything they saw worth of value. There was a temporal peace between the Indians and the English, when Pocahontas married John Rolfe. This marriage temporarily disabled apprehension between the Indians and the colonists. Religiously Puritans believed the Native Americans were followers of Satan due to the fact the Indians lived in the forest and cherished more than one god. They also thought the Native Americans were unworthy of being Christianized. Unlike the Spanish or French, the English failed to excessively attempt to convert them to Christianity. Economically, Southern colonies perceived Indians as an intrusion detaining them from expanding westward to create new colonies. Colonists who were greedy for land often invaded Indian villages, they did so by decimating Indians. Quakers on the contrary bought land from the Indians in an attempt to ease the tension between the colonists and Indians.

Religiously the Spanish continuously tried to convert the Indians to Christianity, exclusively mission churches in the southeast were created by local Indians. The friars baptized the Indians and taught them the foundation of Catholicism. Culturally, activities such as those threatened the Native Americans way of life, the friars who followed their task paid no mind to their lifestyle. Economically, the Spanish stole the Indians resources and established settlements in North America essentially to find gold and silver. The Native Americans were obligated to work in the mines in search of gold and silver. Eventually the Indians became rebellious and fought for freedom , though their attempts failed.

Both the British and Spanish mistreated the Indians in one method or another. Religiously, the Spanish tried to convert the Indians while the British had no intent of making new congregations. Puritans perceived Indians as savages and followers of Satan, who were unworthy of becoming Christian. Spanish missionaries forced basic teachings of Catholicism upon them. Economically, the British and Spanish stole the Native Americans land and resources. Culturally, the Spanish did not treat the Indians as maliciously as the English had.

The British were not as to kind to the Indians, because their greed for new land blinded them ambition. Economically and culturally the British oppressed the Indians, by stealing their resources and deceiving then in terms of trading. They did not have as much fervor to convert new parishioners as the Spanish. Religiously the Spanish tried excessively to convert the Native Americans, even though economically they abused their naiveness. Though the Spanish treated them differently in terms of culture, both ethnicities intermixed, while the British did not intermix with the Native Americans.