The Native American population in Arkansas was significantly affected by the arrival of European settlers into their regions. Many of the tribes were decimated by diseases brought by the Europeans and to which the Native Americans had no resistance, and natural circumstances such as drought also accounted for a decline in their numbers after settlers arrived (Taylor.) Nevertheless, the relationship between the Indians and settlers underwent many changes over time, and was characterized by hostility alternating with cooperation between the peoples. This paper will discuss the relationship between Native Americans in Arkansas and the settlers that sought to make the United States their permanent home.
The Quapaw and Kadohadacho tribes that lived in the area were similar in several ways: both tribes were considered to be valuable allies by the Europeans who were attempting to keep control of the territory by using only limited force. In addition, both tribes were involved in shrewd diplomacy to advance their interests when opportunities permitted them to play competing European nations against each other (Taylor.) Both tribes were dependent on manufactured European goods that were ultimately used to diminish their ancient tribal practices. Finally, both tribes were enemies of the Osage, another Native American tribe that was extremely aggressive and frightening to other Native Americans as well as the European settlers.
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During the 17th and 18th centuries, the two tribes continued to experience tremendous losses of population from the new diseases to which they were exposed. In addition, they were being eliminated in large numbers because of the deadly methods of warfare that now included guns. Kidnappings of Native Americans were also a significant problem, because there was motivation to provide slaves in some of the Eastern colonies. Finally, the social fabric of the tribes became increasingly unraveled because of the destructive impact of alcoholism, a substance that was introduced to the Indians by the settlers.
In any event, Native Americans in Arkansas were able to survive during the colonial period mostly because they were major contributions to the economic, political, and military goals of both the French and Spanish peoples. Additionally, their territories never became distributed on a large scale by the Europeans since neither the French or the Spanish were able to settle significant numbers of colonists from Europe into the area. That changed, however, when in 1803 the United States decided to pay $15 million to France, ruled by Napoleon at the time, for a parcel of land that was 830,000 square miles and which would become the entirety of Arkansas as well as all or part of 12 other states (Taylor.) That move inspired tremendous numbers of American settlers to travel to Arkansas to make permanent homes there following the Louisiana Purchase, and at that point the Native Americans realized that they were living on territory that was terrifically desirable to the settlers.
After the Louisiana Purchase, it became clear to the Native American population that the settlers’ attitudes reflected a tremendous amount of greed to acquire land, jealousy of Indian claims, and a lack of both charity and sentimentality (Taylor.) Many of the Native American population relocated because of the diseases caused by the settlers, and their vulnerability to armed conflicts. The first European settlement in the region, called Arkansas Post, was founded in 1686, and for that group of Europeans living there, the Native Americans had been respected and considered to be valuable allies and trading partners with the French inhabitants of the post, despite the devastating impact of European diseases and war.
After the United States took over the settlement, however, in 1804, the Indians had become so weakened that the new settlers regarded them as providing very little economic or military purpose. Treaties were negotiated between the Native Americans and the settlers in which the Indians gave up land in exchange for land of their own. However, those treaties were eventually not considered to be generous enough for the settlers, and they continued to renegotiate treaties in which the Indians ceded even more land. Ultimately, the relationship between the Native Americans and colonists became adversarial and was characterized by a tremendous imbalance of power.
- Taylor, Jim. “Arkansas Natives Thrive, Decline, before Louisiana Purchase.” January 2004. South Shore.com. Web. 8 February 2014.
