How Did The Choctaw Contribute To The Downfall Of Euro Americans

For many, the breakdown of Native societies in America was a swift downfall, however, the dependency between American Indians and Euro-Americans was a slow and purposeful demise. The Choctaw Tribe, a once sovereign and strong nation that inhabited the Southeastern region of the United States, became poisoned by the introduction of European influence. The 15th century brought along a new pursuit of treasure and slaves, as well as Spanish entry into the Gulf Coast. While these Spanish expeditions led to the death of many, as well as their mission, it carved a way for other Europeans to make their way into the region. In the 17th century, French traders and the advent of English slave raids led to the fateful meeting of Europeans and the affluent
The Choctaw are unique in the fact that they withstood the test of exotic diseases, however their fall was soon to come. An irreversible dependency between the Choctaw and Euro-Americans was constructed through the competitive European trade system that overall led to the erosion of traditional political systems and the chronic warfare between native nations. Religious and imperialistic ambitions drew English and French officials to the Americas as they hoped to strike commercial gain as well as to bring honor and glory to their homes across the ocean. Both the English and the French were ravenous for imperial power in North America and sought out Native nations to fulfill their need to control. What began as what seemed an innocent business venture soon became a game to manipulate and destroy Native America. The competition between the English and French created the play-off system, which would lead the Choctaw to become wholly dependent on their European counterpart. While the Choctaw nation resisted market ventures at first, the English, through methods of destruction, forced their
The changes in the redistribution system left many Choctaws without consistent and reliable access to European goods, leaving them “relatively poor”. French market dominance was short-lived, as they struggled to meet the growing demand for goods. Soon, Choctaw eyes turned to the English to fulfill their demand. To rid the French of the strength of the region, the English “offered higher prices for deerskins, traded in higher quality of goods, and usually seemed to possess these goods in abundance”. To further establish English dominance, the British intensified their efforts to destabilize the French-Choctaw alliance by offering better trade deals and encouraging hostile relations between the Choctaw and their neighbors. To prevent British takeover, the French began establishing a vertical hierarchy and began to chip away at the traditional political systems of the Choctaw. By centralizing power and manipulating leadership roles, the French aimed to exert greater control over trade and decision-making, weakening the authority of Choctaw