How Did The Spanish And French Terrorize Native Americans?

The Spanish, English, and French would all agree that the New World was a bountiful land, and a place where they could all potentially make a profit. These three groups began colonizing so they could gain profits off the land. The Spanish were mining for gold and silver, the English were harvesting agriculture, and the French were trading for fur skins, and through their attempts to gain money and power they all interacted with Native Americans. During colonization, the Spanish, English, and French treated the Native Americans they encountered with varying degrees of severity, and little kindness in most cases; consequently, their treatment heavily impacted relations with Native Americans. The Spanish terrorized Native Americans, which led many natives to fear the Spanish, and caused some to revolt against their reign. According to Eric Foner, “the Spanish forced tens of thousands of Indians to work in gold and silver mines, which

According to Foner, “They did not seek to suppress all traditional religious practices.” Frances’s kindness towards Native Americans was unlike Spain’s oppression or England’s suppression. Furthermore, Foner writes, “the French worked out a complex series of military, commercial, and diplomatic connections, the most enduring relations between Indians and settlers.” Therefore, France’s kindness towards Native Americans helped develop sustainable relationships between the two groups. In addition, Foner states, “New France witnessed considerable cultural exchange and intermixing between colonial and native populations.” The relationships the French strived to create and develop led to a cultural exchange between the peoples. In truth, France may have only been kind to gain a profit, however, their relations with the Native Americans truly benefited from their kind