ABSTRACT
Whether a new or established colony, the Europeans lived in a state of dependence on native peoples, who defended their colonies and conducted offensive operations against their enemies. Yet close alliance with the Europeans had great hazards. Europeans were not always the most steadfast of allies. The English, in particular, tended to treat non-Europeans as commodities—as people who could be bought and sold—even their “friends” became saleable. The English of New England and South Carolina had a propensity for turning on native allies: engaging a new group of Indians to assist them in enslaving old friends, waging war upon them, and dispossessing them of their lands. But the Europeans could not afford to alienate all native groups simultaneously. Native military power was often too strong, and with the Europeans frequently engaged in armed conflict with each other, the Europeans required Indian military assistance. Natives often bore the brunt of fighting in the imperial wars of France, Spain, and England, which began at the end of the 17th century and lasted over 100 years.
