Final answer:
Indian tribes sided with the French primarily due to the French's cooperative approach, trading alliances, and treatment of them as equals, contrasting with the English's land-based expansion that threatened Native territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout the conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries, most Indian tribes sided with the French rather than the English due to a variety of strategic and social factors. The French, who were primarily interested in the fur trade, established more cooperative and mutually beneficial relationships with the Native Americans. They engaged in trade alliances, intermarried with Native American women, and often treated the Native Americans as equal partners. These actions fostered a sense of trust and partnership.
In contrast, the English settlers' expansionist goals represented a greater threat to the Native American way of life. The English were more interested in acquiring land for settlement, leading to direct competition for territory. Native Americans feared that siding with the English would result in more significant loss of land and autonomy. Moreover, historical events, such as the English settlers doing little to help the Iroquois during French attacks, and the aftermath of the Treaty of Paris 1763, where the British failed to continue French practices of gift-giving, further strained relationships.
Therefore, siding with the French was seen as a strategic choice for many tribes, as the French were perceived to pose a lesser threat to their lands and way of life compared to the encroaching English colonists. The end of the French and Indian War, however, significantly altered these dynamics, with the defeat of France leading to a loss of a vital ally for the Native Americans.