UNIT: THE AGE OF EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION
Clash of the Empires
WEEK 17
AMERICAN FOUNDATIONS
Empires of North America
By 1750, the majority of North America was dominated by three large empires: the British, French, and Iroquois Confederacy. Each empire differed in its customs, traditions, and beliefs. The meeting of these empires was peaceful at times but often led to armed conflict. Each empire had a different goal and ways in which it hoped to achieve that goal. British Empire The British Empire was firmly established in North America by 1750. During the Age of Exploration, the British government hoped to gain a foothold in North America to obtain land and new resources. Between 1607 and 1733, the British established 13 permanent colonies along the Atlantic Seaboard, By 1750, the population of the British colonies in North America exceeded one million people. British colonists tapped the raw, natural materials of the continent and engaged in agriculture to produce crops to send to England. These crops and materials were used to produce goods that were then sent to the colonies for purchase. The primary goal of the British government was to control the land to create a profitable system of mercantilism for England. French Empire The French hoped to have the same success in the Americas as their European counterparts. France sent explorers to North America to find riches and resources. The early French explorers arrived in Canada but didn’t find any gold or silver there. However, they did find something of great value. The Native Americans of the area trapped and skinned animals. They traded the furs for
tools, cloth, beads, and guns. Between 1608 and 1718, the French established trading settlements and forts from the Great Lakes region to the Gulf of Mexico, including Quebec, Montreal, Detroit, and New Orleans. Because of its location at the mouth of the Mississippi River and its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans quickly became an important port and center for trade. The port of New Orleans took sugarcane and cotton grown in the fertile delta of the Mississippi and shipped it upriver to trading posts in the North. New Orleans’s proximity to island colonies in the Caribbean also made it an important center for trade. The French system of trade was different than the system used by the British. The French used the resources to produce goods to be sold in European markets. They wanted control of the waterways and resources for trade purposes. Iroquois Confederacy The Iroquois Confederacy was a powerful empire made up of six tribes that inhabited areas of the Ohio River Valley and the Northeast, including the Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, and later, the Tuscarora. The tribes formed a united group, commonly referred to as a confederacy by historians, as early as 1390. The Tuscarora tribe joined the confederacy in 1722. The tribes created an oral constitution that described and enforced the laws of the confederacy. Each tribe had its own government, language, and customs. They relied on the natural environment to meet their needs. Each tribe hunted, farmed, and fished for
their food. They used tools made from materials found in nature, including bone, shells, and rocks. Clothing was made from furs, pelts, and other materials from their natural environment. Large homes were constructed to house multiple members of each tribe. The tribes established complex trade networks throughout the Northeast. The tribes traded amongst themselves for various goods, including crops, furs, shells, and other items from coastal areas. The Mohawk were among the first members of the confederacy to trade with European explorers and settlers. The tribes used their knowledge of the land and hunting methods to trap animals for furs and pelts, which were in high demand in Europe. Tribes that belonged to the Iroquois Confederacy traded with the English and French. They established very different trade relationships with each country. The French were willing to go to the tribes and trade in their villages, while the English made the tribes come to them to trade. Over time, the Native American tribes of the confederacy became dependent on European goods. These goods became a symbol of wealth and prestige, which changed the political, economic, and social structures of the tribes. As the need for European goods grew, the tribes formed military alliances with the French and English. For a time, these alliances helped to maintain peace, but a breakdown in communication led to open hostility and conflict between the tribes and European settlers. One of the greatest conflicts became known as the French and Indian War.
EMPIRES OF NORTH AMERICA, 1750
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What role did trade play in both cooperation and conflict between and among European settlers?
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