What is the history of Indians?

We are already very familiar with the general course of the American Revolution, from the guns at Lexington to the Declaration of Independence, from the victory at Saratoga to the Battle of Yorktown, and finally to 1783 Treaty of Paris, American independence.

History textbooks in our domestic universities and middle schools all regard the victory of the War of Independence as the victory of the American people's struggle for independence, freedom and human rights.

This is certainly good.

But there is another side to the story: the American people at that time did not include Indians.

How did the indigenous Indians of the North American continent view this war, and what did they gain from winning the war? This is what we ignore.

Before the War of Independence, the North American Indians were still very powerful. They were a force that the local immigrants from Britain, France, Spain and other countries did not dare to underestimate.

In the process of the colonial countries fighting for the American colonies, they scrambled to win over the Indian tribes to their side in order to increase their power and gain an advantage.

Of course, Indian tribes often clashed with colonists in order to defend their territories and homes, as well as Indian culture and habits.

The Indians were very surprised by the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.

"We have heard of the differences and great disputes between you and Old England.

We are very puzzled and sad.

"They also I don’t understand why people with the same bloodline would go to war.

"It seems unnatural to quarrel, (because) you are brothers.

... This situation of you brothers quarreling is new to us Indians , and it is also strange.

There are no such examples and cases in the tradition of our ancestors.

"So, although the British wanted to use the Indians to form an alliance with themselves, At the beginning of the war, the Indians did not join any side and remained neutral.

They believed that this was a family conflict and quarrel, an internal dispute between the king and his children, and outsiders should not participate or interfere.

As long as both parties maintain peace with themselves and do not infringe on their own interests, "We declare peace, and we do not want you to ask the Indians to side with New England.

Let us Indians unite Be of one mind and be at peace with each other; you white people will settle your disputes among yourself" (Letter from the Oneidas Indian Tribe to the Governor of the Colony of Connecticut in 1775).

After the war broke out, white settlers continued to migrate westward across the Appalachian Mountains and continued to encroach on Indian land. As a result, immigrants and Indians continued to suffer ***.

Not only was the Continental Congress unable to stop the whites from advancing westward, but they also condoned and condoned immigration, so Indians were generally disgusted with independents and immigrants.

Since the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, the British have issued laws prohibiting immigrants from crossing the Appalachian Mountains to avoid conflicts with Indians in order to better maintain the British Empire. interests.

This ban reduced the encroachment of Indian land to a certain extent, so the Indians had a certain favorable impression of the British officials.

On the other hand, during the long-term exchanges between Indians and white people, the Indians' daily life gradually became dependent on white people's trade.

In 1772, an Indian leader said: "We are very poor. We need gunpowder, just like bears in the forest. We are ignorant and helpless. We have no ability to produce necessities. We can only rely on You.

"At the time, British officials controlled trade with the Indians.

If the Indians remained neutral, the British would reduce trade with them. This would put the Indians' lives in crisis. Forced by their livelihood, the Indians must also form an alliance with the British.

At that time, the independent faction was in financial difficulties and had too much time to take care of itself. Coupled with the acute land issue, most Indians joined the British side and became hostile to the Americans.

From the summer of 1776 to the autumn of 1778, Indians attacked immigrant settlements in the western frontier area because these immigrants seized the Indians' land and hunting grounds and threatened the Indians. human survival.

In addition to attacking immigrants, the Indians also assisted the British army in fighting, disrupting the US military's combat plan and causing great difficulties in the supply of troops and food to the US military.

In order to counter the Indian attack, in May 1779, Washington reduced the front line and did not have a direct conflict with the British army. Instead, he concentrated his efforts on retaliating against the Indians.

He ordered General Sullivan to lead the U.S. military deep into the hinterland of the Iroquois tribe and implement a scorched-earth policy, which caused immeasurable damage to the Iroquois.

An Iroquois woman recalled: "They destroyed all the food they could find, burned part of our corn and threw the rest into the river, they burned our houses, Destroying our fruit trees, killing the few cattle and horses they found, and leaving nothing behind but *** land and wood

"This sweep against the Indians was the occasion. One of the biggest consequences was the massive death of Indians.

"That winter was extremely cold, with five feet of snow. When the snow melted the following spring, wild deer died in large numbers, and other animals also died due to the cold.

Our People were on the verge of death, and some actually died of hunger and cold.

"In July 1776, the Cherokee people in the southern colonies revolted and revolted everywhere because they could not bear the intrusion of immigrants on their land. Attacking white people and burning immigrant settlements.

In September and October, the southern states of Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina united to fight back Indian attacks and defeated the Indian tribes.

The Cherokees were forced to sign a peace treaty and give up their territory in South Carolina.

At the negotiation table, the Indians expressed their confusion and anger towards the immigrants.

"Why are you asking for so much land so close to us? I feel sad about this and I understand that if we gave it up it would cost you much more than a few hundred pounds." of pounds.

When the goods you give us are rotten and worthless, the land is still good for you to feed your families and stock.

Hunting is our chief. Lifestyle, I hope you will seriously consider this.

"The reduction of land means the shrinking of hunting space. For tribes who make a living by hunting, this is indeed a fundamental issue related to life and death.

The Indians had their own logic in joining the British side and opposing American independence.

Of course, not all Indian tribes sided with the British.

The only significant pro-independence tribes during the war were the Tuscarora and Oneidas tribes of the Six Iroquois Confederacy.

The Oneidas initially wished to remain neutral.

But the war was a conflict into which neutrality could not be tolerated, and ultimately, thanks to the efforts of missionary Kirkland of the New England Mission, most Oneidas and Tuscaroras decided to side with the Americans.

In September 1777, one hundred and fifty Oneidas and Tuscaroras went to support the American army fighting the British General Burgoyne.

Burgoyne's advance was forced to stop and he was surrounded by the Continental Army and militia. In October, Burgoyne led 5,000 British troops to surrender at Saratoga.

In September 1778, due to the efforts of the independent Indian agent George Morgan, the Delaware Indian tribe and the Confederate Congress signed a treaty of alliance.

Both parties will eliminate hostility and forget old grudges from the date of signing the contract.

If one party goes to war with any third country, the other party must do its best to help.

Since the Independents were engaged in a war against the Crown to defend life, liberty, and independence, the Continental Army had the right to move freely through Delaware territory.

In order to repay the Indians, the Confederate Congress promised to respect the territory and rights of the Delaware tribe, and promised that the Delaware tribe could join the Confederacy as a state.

We found that Indian tribes allied with the United States generally lived very close to white immigrants. Under the influence of white culture, most of them accepted Christianity.

For example, the Oneidas and Tuscarora tribes believe in the Protestant Presbyterian sect.

Some people changed from participating in the war to becoming neutral after embracing Christianity.

Many tribes that support the British believe in the Anglican Church (Anglicanism), such as the Mohawk tribe, whose leader Blount also has a high level of religious accomplishment.

However, the US military did not trust its Indian allies who fought alongside it, and even treacherously killed peaceful Indian believers.

The most active missionary group in North America in the eighteenth century was the United Brethren, or Moravians.

They actively carried out missionary work on the Pennsylvania frontier. Many people in the Delaware and Mahican tribes believed in religion. However, on March 8, 1782, there were ninety Indian believers there. Innocent murders by U.S. troops who suspected they wanted to attack immigrants.

What is even more shameful is that in 1779, the US military killed "White Eyes", the leader of the Delaware tribe, an ally who was campaigning for peace.

This bloody act angered the Delaware tribes, who spurned their alliance with the United States and joined the British.

The Indians were fighting for their own survival.

They were very clear about the British's purpose of using them.

In 1781, Hauberken of the Delaware tribe said to the British officer Soule Pester: "You are fighting with the long knife for your own cause, not for our cause ( Refers to Virginians or Americans) going to war.

"They were dissatisfied with the way the British used daily necessities to induce the Indians to join the war. "We understand very well that if we disobey your orders, you will stop supplying the necessities we need."

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But he said: “We have neither reason nor desire to go to war with a people who have done us no harm.

"It is precisely because the immigrants continued to occupy Indian land during the war and were very greedy that most Indians sided with the British.

The Indians worked for the British cause For this reason, the territory was continuously invaded by white immigrants, the population was drastically reduced due to US military retaliation, and the strength was greatly weakened.

The British sometimes stood aside during the battle, sometimes did not cooperate, and also reduced their attacks on the Indians.

The Indians felt sad, aggrieved and helpless.

In the summer of 1775, the independent faction sent troops north to attack Canada, intending to encourage immigrants there. Oppose British rule.

During the attack on Canada, the Indian tribes assisted the British in resisting the American attack.

However, Canadian immigrants did not appreciate this. , which made Blount, the leader of the Mohawk tribe, very sad.

“In the battle, many of our best warriors were killed and wounded. It is true that the Indians were deceived by the white people in Canada.

The enemy troops returned, but no white people came to help the Indians. They all retreated to their villages and stood aside.

"In the battle between the Choctaws and the Spanish, they encountered a similar situation.

In March 1781, when the Spanish fleet was carrying Gal When one of Veese's troops emerged from the sea near Pensacola, several hundred Choctaws and Creeks assisted fifteen hundred British troops in the counter-landing operations.

Brave Joe. The Choctaws broke through the Spanish defenses, but they failed to receive support from the British.

The Choctaw leader angrily stated that the Indians had resisted every major move by the Spanish. It was done without assistance and without reward.

It can be said that the Indians gained little from participating in the War of Independence, but suffered immeasurable losses.

178. In September of the same year, Britain and the independent factions signed the Treaty of Paris, recognizing the independence of the United States.

Britain transferred large tracts of Indian land to the United States without consulting its Indian allies. < /p>

In the treaty, the British did not raise the issue of Indian rights, which means that the rights of Indians are not protected by the treaty.

In theory, the Indians and the United States are still at odds. A state of war.

The British signed a contract with the United States and abandoned their allies. This was an outcome that the Indians did not expect. Each tribe thought about its own response.

Some Indian tribes tried to negotiate peace and establish friendship with the new United States.

The Chickasaw tribe opposed independence during the Revolutionary War. In July 1783, Chickasaw took the initiative to contact the Confederacy, intending to reconcile. In the end, there was an armistice and peace, and we were happy from the bottom of our hearts.

…We’ve heard you’ll treat us fairly, and we’d like to talk to you.

"Other Indian tribes, such as the Mohawk tribe in the Iroquois Confederacy, were shocked.

"We were very shocked and shocked to hear the news. Frustrated, our people were also very dissatisfied and surprised.

"They asked the British to give them a definite answer.

"For the benefit of the Indians loyal to the king, I want to know a definite answer.

Are the Indians, as allies of the British, included in the treaty? Is the land where our ancestors and their descendants lived here from the beginning and were buried here safe for them? .

"There are also some Indians who know that the hatred with the Americans is too deep and cannot be repaired at all. They are willing to leave the homeland where they were born and raised and follow the British in retreat.

One of the chiefs said to the British: "If the British want to give up this land, we are willing to go with you - we can't make peace with the Virginians or the Spanish - we can't meet them.

”