Final answer:
The English relationship with the Mi'kmaq was more transactional and less harmonious than the French due to the English focus on fighting European rivals and colonial expansion. The French built alliances through the fur trade and cultural integration, such as marriage. Not until after 1674 did the English begin to improve relations with Indigenous groups like the Iroquois, but primarily for strategic alliance purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The initial relationship between the English and the Indigenous peoples, specifically the Mi'kmaq, contrasted with that of the French due to various strategic and socio-economic differences.
While the French focused on building alliances by integrating with Indigenous peoples through trade, especially for beaver pelts, and even marrying into Native communities, the English prioritized colonial expansion and establishing agriculture.
Initially, the English continued conflicts with other European powers rather than nurturing relationships with the Indigenous peoples, as evidenced by their involvement in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, which strained their resource trade with the Iroquois.
After 1674, efforts were made by the English to improve relations, particularly with the Iroquois through the Covenant Chain, but their approach often remained transactional and focused on their colonial objectives.