Final answer:
Many Indian tribes and nations supported the British during the American Revolutionary War because they viewed a British victory as a way to secure their lands from American expansion. The Iroquois Confederacy experienced divisions, while Ohio River Valley tribes sided with the British due to their long-standing resistance to colonial encroachment. Native Americans feared the loss of land and consequently were expected to join British forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
Native Americans in the American Revolutionary War
Native Americans played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War. Many Indian tribes and nations supported the British rather than the Americans because they feared that an American victory would result in a greater loss of their lands. This perspective came about due to past experiences, such as the British support for the Proclamation Line of 1763, which aimed to limit colonial expansion and provide a measure of security for native lands.
However, the attitude towards the Native Americans during the war was complex, leading to a diverse array of alliances and neutrals. The powerful Iroquois Confederacy, for example, fractured with some tribes supporting the British and others, like the Oneida and Tuscarora, siding with the Americans.
The Ohio River Valley tribes, including the Shawnee, Miami, and Mingo, who had long resisted colonial westward expansion, also supported the British.
It was commonly perceived that most Native Americans would join British forces against the United States, seeking to protect their lands from American settlers and hoping to maintain or restore former territorial boundaries.
This sentiment was fueled further by the mistreatment of Native Americans by American colonists, culminating in tragic events such as the massacre of ninety-six Christian Delawares in 1782. Thus, the general expectation was that Native Americans would ally with the British, who they saw as a lesser threat to their way of life and territories.