Question Home

Position:Home>History> How did Washington try to establish strong diplomatic relations with the Indians


Question: How did Washington try to establish strong diplomatic relations with the Indians of the Ohio Valley!?
How did his method differ from that of the French!?

Using the document "A Storm Arising in the West", by George Washington, in his warning to the French!. Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Washington as a young Lt!. Col!. was sent by the Governor of Virginia into the Ohio River Valley (in direct conflict with the governing English authority) to set up a camp along the Mississippi River!. Washington and his men came upon a French Fort and over took it!. This is the root cause of the French and Indian/Seven Year's War!. By the end of the war, the French had been defeated on two continents, but still they hung on in North America!. Within ten years, the Americans would declare war on the English and make friends with the French!.

The French were never much interested in settling the land!. Their interests were in pelts and fish!. They built their forts and trading posts along the waterways that would lead back to the Atlantic and leave the land surrounding the fort as they'd found it!. They did not make unreasonable demands of the local Native Indians when it came to teaching them about Christ!. They did not require the natives to learn to read nor give up their own beliefs, only that they incorporate the teachings of Christianity into their belief systems!.

The English viewed land uncleared and uncultivated as land gone to waste!. Even if that land was used as hunting grounds by the Native Indians!. They also demanded that the natives give up their old "superstitious" beliefs and learn to read and adopt Christianity to save their mortal souls!.

By the end of the American Revolution, the fledgling country was too weak to protect its own borders!. The English (like the French) refused to leave and there was nothing they could do about it (pother than tolerate it)!.

Making matters worse, the Americans believed that they would be warmly accepted into the world market but this was not to be!. Even their ally the French turned their backs on the Americans!. Economically, times were tough for the Americans!.

Having given you all of this as a back drop, can you now figure out what it was Washington said and did!?Www@QuestionHome@Com