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How Did Native Americans Affect The American Colonists?

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Throughout the settling of America, the early colonists faced many struggles and hardships. Their story is amazing, and the resilience they portrayed was astounding. However, the lives of the native people that were affected by these events are often overlooked. These people helped and hurt the colonists in a variety of ways. The Native Americans helped shape early America more than many people give them credit for. First, the Native Americans are what initially fueled the new world trade. Many of the skins and hides that helped the colonists survive the unending winter months came from the Native Americans. Trades with the nearby tribes helped fuel the economic prosperity that the colonies were eventually able to form. As the colonies grew, these furs became one of the biggest exports from the colonies back to Britain, where they were then sold as clothing or hats. This trade is what allowed the American colonies to prosper as they grew, and helped keep Britain …show more content…
The most famous example of this is related to thanksgiving, where after a brutal winter and grueling passage from Europe to America a group of Indians taught the pilgrims how to “cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants.” Without the aid of the Native Americans, the early settlers would have struggled to survive the following years. Although the Native people helped many the colonies is many ways is both the practical and monetary senses, the relations were also fraught with conflict and danger. There were many accounts of violence on both sides if the spectrum, and many people lost their lives when these conflicts turned violent. However, this conflict was inevitable. The Europeans had come across the ocean and invaded the territory of these people. Naturally, some of the Native Americans were not supportive of the invasion, although many alliances were made with the

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