Author Description

French and Indian Wars is a thoroughly researched and documented review of the role of Native Americans in influencing French and British strategies in a series of wars in North America fought across 150 years. It identifies the various roles played by Native Americans in starting and expanding the culminating war of the era. Prior histories of the French and Indian War have ignored or underplayed the critical role of Native Americans in the development of French political and military practices as well as those established by the British and their colonists in response to French and Indian actions.<br/><br/>Few Americans are aware of the series of wars fought between New France and the British colonies as they were largely extensions of European conflicts with limited engagements in North America. However, each of these conflicts were significant in their impact on French strategy as well as on colonial British responses. The key factors driving a unique set of strategies and tactics relative to European wars was the geography of North America and the presence and actions of Native American tribes.<br/><br/>This work establishes the context for Native American actions in the period including their decision to support or oppose each of the European powers. While beyond the focus or understanding of politicians and military leaders of the time, Native American tribes were engaged in the same kind of 'balance of power' politics as Europeans were conducting in their home continent. Tribal leaders sought advantages in economic and military spheres through alliances, trade, and technology. They developed sophisticated methods for managing relationships with the French, English, Dutch and other European competitors. The approaches developed by Native Americans kept European colonists pinned to the eastern seaboard and the St. Lawrence Seaway for 150 years. When those strategies came apart as a result of the English victory over the French in the French and Indian War, Nat