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Why did Native Americans have an alliance with the French rather than the British?

A) Shared cultural values
B) Economic partnerships
C) Competing territorial interests
D) Favorable trade agreements

User Ecoe
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Native Americans formed alliances with the French largely due to favorable trade agreements in the fur trade and less direct competition over land. The French also formed multicultural societies with Native tribes and provided them with military resources, strengthening their alliances relative to the British. Therefore correct option is D

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary reason why Native Americans formed an alliance with the French rather than the British can be best described as a combination of economic partnerships and competing territorial interests. The French sought wealth from the fur trade and relied heavily on Native American tribes for their expertise and guidance in exploiting this resource. The French and Native American alliance was also cemented through marriage and the creation of a multicultural and multiracial society within New France. Unlike the British, the French were less interested in large-scale agriculture and did not pose as great a threat to native lands. As such, the answer to the question of why Native Americans had an alliance with the French rather than the British is D) Favorable trade agreements, although the other options may have contributed to their cordial relations to varying extents.

In addition, Native American confederacies, such as the Wabanaki, allied with the French due to longstanding regional divisions and shared political affiliations. They had already been engaged in conflict with other confederacies like the Iroquois, who chose to ally with the British. The involvement of European powers only intensified these pre-existing conflicts.

Furthermore, the French reinforced their alliances by providing weapons to the Algonquin-speaking tribes, aiding them in their conflicts against rival tribes and European colonizers. The British, on the other hand, lessened their favor with local tribes following the French defeat by reducing gunpowder and ammunition trade and failing to distribute gifts as the French had done.

User Kaken Bok
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