Relationship Between Native American And French Settlers

Each European country that settled in America around the 1600’s treated Native Americans differently. Many of settlers, such as the Englishmen, treated them harshly because they either wanted their land or they wanted to convert the natives to their religion. Other countries, such as France, treated the natives in a more respectable way. Unlike other European countries the French built a remarkably good relationship with the Native Americans (ancestralfindings.com). Because the French settlers respected and were fascinated by the Native Americans, they treated the natives in a sophisticated way while Englishmen treated them harshly.
The native’s skills proved to be useful for both sides. Because the natives were already skilled in trapping

and growing crops, settlers in America set up trade agreements with them. Each group traded what they had in surplus, so the natives traded furs and food while the European settlers traded guns, iron utensils and tools (Crash Course US History). The French made sure not to upset the Natives Americans so their trade relations stayed positive. On the contrary, the English stole from the natives when they weren’t satisfied with trading or a tribe decided not to trade with the English anymore. Naturally this led to high tensions between the two groups.
The two European groups wanted to convert the Native Americans to their religion, however each did so in a different way. The French did not force the natives to convert; they tried a less invasive approach and attempted to reason with the natives. The French feared that if they forced the natives to convert then it would decimate their trading relations. On the other hand, Englishmen such as the Puritans thought of the natives as heathens that needed saving. This caused the English to forcefully convert natives to Christianity. Because of this cruel treatment, the Native Americans became embittered toward the Englishmen that settled near them.