The Impact on Native American Communities
When Great Britain emerged victorious in the Seven Years War with France, the rights and privileges of Native Americans were drastically affected. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 formally marked the end of hostilities and simultaneously gave Great Britain control of an immense area of land in North America, including former French colonies and territory inhabited by Native American groups. As Great Britain boasted of its newfound territory, the Natives were faced with the consequences of this momentous victory.
The first implication of Britain’s victory was the loss of autonomy. As the new colonizers of the land, they intended to assimilate Native American cultures into their own. Despite the Native Americans’ efforts to keep their heritage and way of life alive, the British along with the colonists influenced their language, law, religion and way of life. Great Britain also dismissed several of the long-standing agreements between French and Native American communities, such as the exclusive trade and hunting rights. This met with great displeasure among Native Americans, depriving them of the right to hunt and trade freely in their own homelands.
Great Britain’s use of the land was another reason why Native Americans were disadvantaged. They settled large numbers of settlers in the conquered territories and prohibited the Natives from living and cultivating there. As a result, Native Americans had to maintain larger hunting grounds to feed their families, since much of the land they were used to hunting on was now owned by the new settlers. This not only diminished hunting grounds, but also their culture and way of life.
In addition, Great Britain imposed a series of restrictions on Native Americans, limiting them to their new reservations and forbidding them to practise their religious and cultural ceremonies. This patriarchal government made decisions without consulting the Native Americans—leaving them with little control over their traditional lands and decreasing their ability to maintain their own way of life.
The imposition of British law was also a disadvantage to the Native Americans. Unlike the French who viewed them as allies, Great Britain had a whole different attitude towards them—viewing the Natives as inferior subjects in need of protection. To sustain this, Great Britain began regulating trade activities by the Native Americans and imposed taxes on them. This pushed them further into poverty as goods they traded in kept on getting more expensive due to the new taxation regulations.
The victory of Great Britain over France in the Seven Years War resulted in a wave of dire repercussions experienced by the Native Americans. Not only were they faced with a complete loss of autonomy and loss of traditional hunting grounds, but they were also subjected to the imposition of British law and guidance.
Military Presence and Its Consequences
The victorious British also increased their presence in the region by building military forts. This posed a great challenge to the Native Americans, as British domination made it difficult for them to survive with their dwindling hunting grounds. The military forced many Natives off their homelands and onto unfamiliar new territories.
The added military presence posed a significant threat to the Natives, who were vastly outnumbered by their colonizers. This enabled the British to create a hierarchical power structure on the land in which they imposed their own ideas and beliefs—ultimately claiming dominance over the Natives.
The Natives were also not equipped to deal with the corruption that came with the British presence. Political officials would often use their status to impose unfair taxes and engage in corrupt practices. Native Americans were thus utilized as an easy source of income for the British, as they had minimal resources to defend their rights.
Furthermore, the Natives were denied equal rights as the settlers ensured their own survival by pushing them away from prime land and resources. This led to tremendous socio-economic hardships for the Natives who were no longer able to access the agricultural resources that were essential for survival.
The failure of the British to protect the Native Americans from exploitation increased divisions between the two groups. Instead of being considered as equals, the Natives were labeled as inferior subjects, exposing them to significant amounts of discrimination and injustice.
Developing Conflicts
The effects of the British victory were so profound that it led to many violent conflicts. Native Americans were ill-equipped to deal with the new colonizers. The cultural ideologies and practices which had been in place prior to British colonization had to be completely thrown away, and replaced with those of Britain.
The introduced British political systems also left very little room for the facilitation of any negotiation or compromise between them and the Natives. This created an imbalance of power and justice, and for the Native Americans, triggered a whole wave of socio-economic and political marginalization.
Due to these conditions, discontent amongst the Natives became prevalent, and eventually led to armed conflicts. The Natives were often put at a greater risk of harm as they had fewer resources and military equipment in comparison to the British. In their efforts to maintain their autonomy and freedom, they ended up having to defend themselves against the British, leading to significant losses in life and property.
The hardships experienced by the Natives did not go unnoticed. In 1775, the Revolutionary War commenced during which the Natives tried to redress the wrongs inflicted on them by the British. Despite their efforts, the Natives were not offered a seat at the negotiating table of the US-British treaty when the war ended in 1783.
Impact on Representation
In addition to suffering from physical and economic injustices, the Natives were also prevented from participating in the political process. After Great Britain’s victory, they withdrew from any participation in the new self-governance of the region. British authorities were unwilling to recognize the Natives’ right to self-determination in the new polity, which left them without representation, and without any form of protection against injustice.
Instead, British officials discouraged any form of communication between the Natives and the new settlers. This meant that any grievances that the Natives faced due to the changes had to be addressed by themselves. Although some of them sought refuge in the Canadian administration, a majority of them had to claim their autonomy without any assistance.
This created a sense of alienation from the settlers as many felt that the Natives were not competent to participate in the new world, further contributing to the divisions that had been created previously. This left the Natives without any political and economic power, a situation which still persists today.
Economic Consequences
The Native Americans also experienced severe economic consequences as a result of Britain’s victory. The Natives had developed a vast trading network prior to the Seven Years War, however, this was disrupted by the British’s acquisition of their lands and their imposition of taxes on all traded goods.
The British also imposed a series of restrictions on the Natives. They opened new trading posts and began to sell items like liquor to the Natives. Since the Natives often could not afford the items, however, the British began to give out rum on credit. This led to alcohol addiction amongst certain Native American communities, leaving them poorer and unable to sustain their own families.
Moreover, trade had been a valuable source of income for the Natives prior to the war. Now they had to buy goods from the British instead of trading, leaving them with much less money and resources than before.
In addition, the new trading markets had a direct effect on the traditional way of life of the Natives since foreign traders would pay for the furs that they hunted for. This reduced their incentive to hunt for food for their own families, and often times, they would have to resort to buying food from the traders in order to survive. This took away their autonomy over their own lives.
Social Struggles
The Natives also faced severe emotional and social hardships due to the British colonisation. During their colonisation, the British sought to incorporate Native American populations into their world, attempting to force the Natives into abandoning their culture and embracing the English ways. This had a direct effect on the Natives’ identities, and it was more often than not, met with much resistance.
In the end, this led to social divisions amongst the Natives, as some opted for the latter and others decided to remain loyal to their culture. Those who remained disconnected from the colonists were perceived as a threat, and were thus targeted and ostracised. This further led to mistrust between the two groups.
The achievement of British supremacy over the Native Americans brought about a series of dire repercussions that still are experienced today. These ranged from physical injustice and economic adversity to social alienation and isolation. The impact of this lost autonomy and oppression has been so profound that its effects on Native American History still remain rampant today.
