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How did establishing a confederacy benefit the woodland native Americans

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Final answer:

Forming a confederacy helped Woodland Native Americans strengthen political and military alliances, negotiate trade more effectively, and collectively protect their interests. These alliances were key during conflicts such as the Northwest Indian War and in negotiations like the Treaty of Greenville, although they often came with costs to land and sovereignty.

Step-by-step explanation:

Establishing a confederacy provided Woodland Native Americans with several strategic advantages. By forming alliances, such as the Iroquois Confederacy allying with the British and the Wabanaki Confederacy with the French, these native groups were able to amplify their political and military power. These confederacies were made up of culturally and linguistically related groups that shared a loose political affiliation, which allowed for a united front without sacrificing individual group autonomy. The formation of such alliances played a crucial role in defending their lands against White settlers and other rival tribes, especially during the period following the War of Independence and the Northwest Indian War.

The confederacies also gained economic benefits by playing a crucial role in trade, particularly in the fur trade which was economically significant to the region. Establishing a confederacy meant better positioning in trade negotiations and the ability to exert more control over vital resources like the Hudson Bay and trading posts, which were hotspots for the fur trade. Additionally, the confederacies used collective action as a means to diplomatically and defensively represent their interests against the expanding United States government and European settlers.

However, despite these benefits, Native American alliances with European powers and the United States often came at a significant cost. Treaties like the Treaty of Greenville resulted in the loss of land and autonomy, and later governmental policies led to further disenfranchisement. Nevertheless, the confederacies provided Native Americans with a framework for resistance and some measure of influence during tumultuous times.

User PaNaVTEC
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Step-by-step explanation:

Union and mutual support are the keywords to highlight about Woodland Native Americans' confederacy. at the beginning of the colonization, many tribes were not too organized, internally and externally, this way at confrontation moments, without strong alliances, be defeated was easier.

However, some tribes (Iroquian´s as an example) started different movements to unite social, and military the most iconical and representative tribes of determined territories. This way the power of this ¨Confederation¨ was considerably higher compared to previous moments without the alliances.

So mainly The organization and mutual support of different woodland tribes were the main benefit of the confederacy movement, allowed them to be way more powerful, and respected by the adversary, and with plenty of economical and military benefits, they haven´t before.

User Tiziana
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