Different European Reactions towards Indigenous Peoples (College Board AP® US History)

Summary

Timeline

1598: Catholic missionaries in what is now New Mexico force the Pueblo to convert to Christianity

1675: Spanish authorities arrest and jail Tewa Pueblo leader Po'Pay on charges of performing witchcraft and killing missionaries

1675: The massacre known as the Great Swamp Fight occurs in West Kingston, Rhode Island

1675-1676 Metacom's (King Philip's) War is fought in New England

1680: Po'Pay leads successful revolt against the Spanish which drives them out of Pueblo lands

1692: Spanish return to New Mexico and regain control of the area

Early 1700s: French fur trade exists throughout the Great Lakes region, the St. Lawrence River Valley, and the Mississippi River Valleys

European reactions toward Indigenous peoples varied significantly, shaped by their differing goals, approaches to settlement, and religious views. In the Southwest, Catholic missionaries, such as those in New Mexico, sought to convert Indigenous peoples like the Pueblo, often using forceful methods. The French established a fur trade by the early 1700s, relying on more cooperative relations with Indigenous tribes in regions like the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, and Mississippi River valleys. These varying relationships reflect how European powers shaped and were shaped by their interactions with Native peoples across different regions.

European treatment of Indigenous peoples

• By the early 1700s, the French had established a highly successful fur trade throughout:

  • the Great Lakes region

  • the St. Lawrence River Valley

  • the Mississippi River Valleys

• The fur trade was a major source of wealth for France

• Members of Indigenous tribes participated in the fur trade with the French

• France needed this relationship to maintain the fur trade and continue its success

  • The French did not force Indigenous peoples to convert to Catholicism

  • Some Indigenous women married French men

• Many Indigenous peoples:

  • settled in French mission villages

  • attended Mass

  • wore crucifixes

• Other Indigenous people chose to

  • practice their traditional religions

  • follow a mixture of traditional and Catholic beliefs

Negative influences and changing views on enslavement

• Interactions between the French and Indigenous peoples were not all positive

• The French brought negative influences into Indigenous communities, including:,

  • contagious diseases that decimated Indigenous populations

  • guns which increased the violence between tribes

  • alcohol which disrupted Indigenous social structures and health

• Over time, Indigenous views on enslavement changed due to these interactions

  • Indigenous people increased the number of raids on neighboring tribes, capturing people to be used as enslaved labor for the fur trade

  • This shift was partly due to the increased demand for furs, which required more labor and resources

  • Traditional practices of integrating captives into communities or using them as gifts to form alliances began to fade

  • Indigenous groups started to view captives more as economic assets for the fur trade

    • Aligning their practices with European models of enslavement

Pueblo Revolt

• The Spanish wanted to spread Christianity

  • They forced Indigenous peoples to convert to this religion

• In 1598, Catholic missionaries burned Pueblo kivas, masks, and other sacred objects used in religious ceremonies

  • As part of this, they destroyed colorful mural paintings

• Spain arrested and jailed a Tewa Pueblo leader named Po'Pay in 1675

  • He was charged on suspicion of witchcraft and killing several missionaries

• The Pueblo Revolt was an uprising in 1680, in what is now New Mexico

  • The uprising was led by the Pueblo people and drove the Spanish out of the region for 12 years

• The Pueblo were tried in Spanish courts and received severe punishments including:

  • hanging

  • whipping

  • enslavement

  • cut off hands or feet

• After his release from prison, Po’Pay went into hiding and spent four years planning a revolt

  • He believed the loss of traditions, languages, and religion meant the entire Pueblo culture was under attack

• Po’Pay used knotted ropes to send messages about the date of the revolt

  • Local leaders untied a knot each day until all the knots were gone

  • Spanish authorities captured and killed two messengers

  • After this, the date had to be changed

• Po'Pay led the revolt on August 10, 1680

  • Almost all Pueblos participated; some died

  • The Spanish fled the area on August 21, 1680

  • Over 400 Spanish died, including several dozen priests 

• After the successful uprising, the Pueblo 

  • washed off their Christian baptisms

  • annulled Christian marriages

  • set fire to Christian churches

  • kept the Spanish out of the region for 12 years

• The Pueblo Revolt is the only successful North American uprising against a colonial power

  • Some Pueblo scholars say 12 years was enough time to preserve ancient Pueblo lands, languages and traditions that still exist today

Metacom's (King Philip's) War

• In the 1670s, the relationship between English colonists and the Wampanoag got worse

  • There were land disputes about the English colony’s livestock grazing on Wampanoag fishing and hunting grounds

  • The English continued their influence on the Wampanoag, including

    • expanding their agricultural activities, using the Wampanoag lands for livestock grazing which reduced the resources for hunting and fishing

    • controlling regional trade, often benefitting their own economic interests at the expense of the Wamponoag who were given little in return for their food and furs

    • religious conversion to Christianity

• The Wampanoag and colonial militias led raiding parties against each other

• The Narragansett of Rhode Island pledged to stay neutral in the conflict

  • To keep them safe from the raids, Wampanoag leader Metacom (also known by the English name King Philip) sent women, older men, and children to live with the Narragansett

• Colonists felt that due to this, the Narragansett were no longer neutral

  • They considered the Wampanoag men, women, and children to be hostages

  • They demanded the Narragansett give the Wampanoag to the colonial militias

    • The Narragansett did not hand over the Wampanoag

  • They executed three Wampanoag who had killed one of Metacom’s former advisors

    • Metacom had accused the advisor of being a colonial spy

• In November 1675, a militia of colonial men and Indigenous allies went to what is now West Kingston, Rhode Island  

  • They attacked a Narragansett fort located on an island in a swamp and set the fort on fire

    • This caused the deaths of as many as 600 Narragansett older people, women and children

• The Incident became known as a massacre called the Great Swamp Fight  

• In Spring 1676, after the Great Swamp Fight, the Narragansett became allies with Metacom and the Wampanoag they:

  • formed an army of 3,500 men from several Indigenous groups

  • moved through southern Rhode Island and central Massachusetts

  • destroyed English settlements or forced settlers to leave them

  • burned Providence after meeting with Roger Williams

  • no longer trusted the English because the English had attacked them first

• In August 1676, the colonial forces killed Metacom

• The conflict ended in September

• During the war, colonists and their Indigenous allies had killed Indigenous peoples that opposed English settlement

• Colonists sold survivors into enslavement or forced them to become indentured servants