English, Dutch and French contact with the natives was
inevitable. However, each group treated natives differently. The English were
concerned with placement of its excess population and in securing the flow of
raw materials back to the homeland. They expected the colonists to bolster England’s
Economy with demands for manufactured goods. In order for them to meet these
goals, the colonists were encouraged to make permanent agricultural
settlements. This created a conflict between the English and the Natives since
the lands they were colonizing where already inhabited. The English considered
the Natives to be primitive and inferior themselves so they tried to enslave or
eradicate the natives. On the other hand, the French were more concerned with
controlling trade routes with furs being the driving force. They and the Native
held a good relationship. Thus, French came to America mainly for the fur trade
which the Natives was already doing. So instead of being competitors over
living space they were partners in trade. They acknowledged that there were
many things that the Natives knew better than they did. They treated the
natives as equal partners to help bolster trade.
