>just to cite one example: the houdenosaunee confederacy's war
>against the huron. by 1649 after a decade of war, the
>hurons were destroyed as a nation, and faced the choice of flight
>(further west, or to french protection) or assimilation by the victors.
Haudenosaunee = Onondaga word for Iroquois League
Hurons spoke an Iroquois language but were never members of the League
1534-41 Jacques Cartier explores St. Lawrence River & meets several
tribes including Iroquois and Huron, remains neutral.
c.1560 The Iroquois League of Five Nations is formed
1614 Dutch Fur Trade begins
1615 Samuel de Champlain, accompanied by a Huron war party
attacks Onondaga villages, setting Iroquois against French.
1627 French fur trade begins; French befriend Hurons, etc.
1643 Dutch befriend and *arm* Iroquois; Dutch attack other tribes
1640-85 Beaver & otter gone in Iroquois territory, causing pressure for
Iroquois to migrate, displacing Huron, Tobacco, Neutral,
Erie, Mahican and Susquehannock
1664 British oust Dutch, befriend and *arm* Iroquois; British
alienate other tribes due to hatred of French
1689-97 First French & Algonquian vs British & Iroquois war
Conclusion: Iroquois history greatly affected by Dutch, French and
British history, plus the new fur trade economics, plus
arms received from Dutch and British.
The French did not arm their Indian allies at first, so
there was an unbalanced technology between Iroquois and Huron.