Page 200 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

warfare—post-columbian north america 1977

Key Warfare Events in Post-Columbian North America

1520-1600 Spanish exploration and settlement of Florida and the American Southwest.
1609 French explorer and commander Samuel Champlain aids Algonquin-speaking
Natives in brief engagement against the Iroquois.

1614 Dutch arrive in the upper Hudson River valley and begin supporting the Iroquois.
1622 First major Native American conflict in Virginia.
1637 Pequot War in New England.
1652-1674 Anglo-Dutch Wars, New York becomes English in 1664.
1675 King Philip’s War in New England and Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia.

1680 Pueblo uprising against Spanish rule in New Mexico.
1689-1697 King William’s War between French and English— Port Royal (Nova Scotia), Acadia
captured by New England troops, returned by England at the peace of Ryswick.

1701-1713 Queen Anne’s War between British and French allied with the Spanish—Port Royal
captured again, British occupy Nova Scotia but French population remains.
1739-1748 War of Jenkins’ Ear or King George’s War between British and French allied with
Spanish, Louisburg, Cape Breton Island captured by New England troops and
Royal Navy, returned to France at the Peace of Aix la Chapelle.

1754-1763 French and Indian War (part of the European Seven Years War: 1756-1763) between
the British and the French, results in the expulsion of France from North America.

1764-1766 Pontiac’s Rebellion, British against former French-aligned Native tribes of the
Old Northwest, Ohio to Illinois and Michigan.

1775 American Revolution begins.

supporting Native American allies on one or both sides. on set-piece battles. Within those constraints, however,
This article will focus on the second and third types and combat was ruthless and brutal with little concern for
touch only briefly on the first as much of that type of war- “noncombatant” casualties. Especially in surprise attacks
fare is poorly documented at best. on an enemy’s villages, women and children were not
spared unless to be taken as captives.While war was sel-
Characteristics of dom waged to intentionally annihilate an enemy tribe,
Native Warfare often times the casualties would be significant enough to
It is a commonly held misconception that the Native cause one side or the other to have to assimilate with
American style of warfare was more ceremonial or more neighboring groups, thus effectively ceasing to exist as a
of a dominance ritual than warfare as fought by the Euro- separate tribe.
peans. Just as the Europeans waged war for territory and One major exception to these general conditions is the
power, Native Americans primarily waged campaigns to creation of the Iroquois Confederation in the later years
expand or defend hunting-and-gathering areas or regions of the 1500s and the early 1600s, in what would become
of cultivation and to secure captives either to replace upstate New York.The Iroquois, while maintaining many
losses or to serve as slaves. of the characteristics of native warfare, were also in the
These native wars were characterized in North Amer- midst of what can be called an “imperial” expansion of
ica by techniques suitable to a hunting-and-gathering cul- their own, conquering territory and subjugating neigh-
ture, relying more on ambush and surprise attacks than boring tribal groups.