welcome to the ancestral findings podcast this is episode 228 the French enjoyed much
better relations with Native Americans than other European groups when they
first came to American shores join me today and I'll give you the reasons why
there are all kinds of stories of hostilities between early American colonists and the native
people who were already there however these hostilities did not occur with every European
group who came the French are a notable exception to this and in fact enjoyed excellent relations
with the NATO's almost from the very beginning why were the French different the main reason is that
they did not try to change the natives they also did not compete with the natives for land when
the French first came to the Americas in the 1530s and 1540s to engage in seasonal fur trading they
immediately established strong trading ties with the local natives they found there the natives
already dealt extensively in furs the French quickly discovered they could go back to France
in the winter months with ships laden with furs they had purchased from the natives with European
wares such as metal cooking pots weapons horses and other goods not accessible to the natives at
that time the natives also accompanied the French on hunting parties and show them where the good
fur animals could be found the French made it a point to learn the native languages and ways and
established good relations that were based on equality with all of the tribes in the area the
French began to stay year-round in the early 1600s establishing their first permanent settlement at
Quebec in 1608 one year after the English founded Jamestown in Virginia they did not displace any
natives in the establishment of their settlement and continued to work closely with them in the fur
trade they respected native territories their ways and treated them as the human beings they were the
natives in turn treated the French as trusted friends more intermarriages took place between
French settlers and Native Americans than with any other European group this close alliance which was
based on mutual respect and good treatment from both sides led the natives to side with the French
in their conflicts with the English settlers that came later in this 1600s and into the mid 1700s
relations between the natives and the English were not nearly as good the English treated the
natives as inferior believed they stood in the way of their given right to the land in America
and tried to subject the natives to their laws as they established their colonies the Spanish didn't
have any better relations with the natives as they try to enslave them when they first
came to America and later established missions where they tried to force them to convert from
their traditional religions to Catholicism the natives did not appreciate any of this the key
to the friendly relations the French enjoyed with the natives was all in the way they treated them
when they first encountered them and how they continued to treat them afterward as long as
the French maintained settlements in America they enjoyed excellent relations with each other for
those who have early American French ancestry or French settler ancestors who married Native
Americans the vast majority of those records can be found in the provincial archives of Quebec some
records there might lead back to France if the settler returned there with his Native American
bride these records provide a fascinating look at relations between natives and Europeans and show
just how different things could have been if all the European people who came to America had been
as progressive in their treatment of the natos as the French work do you have Ashkenazi Jewish DNA
this can be an exciting journey for you next time I'll talk about who the Ashkenazi people are and
what it means for your family history copyright by ancestral findings all rights reserved
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