Colonial Period
During the Colonial Period, each colony was responsible for the development and implementation of its own policy regarding diplomatic and trade relationships with indigenous governments. By and large, the individual colonies mismanaged their relationships with the tribes along their borders. The main cause of this breakdown in trust was the inability of the colonial governments to reign in their citizenry. As more and more settlements pushed into indigenous territory, tensions rose to unpredictable levels. During the Seven Years’ War (in North America referred to as the French and Indian War), a great many indigenous tribes chose to ally themselves with the French. Mistrust of the colonial governments, compounded by tensions along the borderlands between colonial and indigenous territories, generated a sense of animosity that made tribal governments more responsive to French overtures. To safeguard against further alliances, the English government decided to centralize its policy regarding diplomatic relations with Native American tribes.
Centralization of Indian Affairs
In 1754, tensions rose to a boiling point and a with war with France for control of North America was inevitable. The British government began to take steps to court indigenous tribes in an effort to get them to rebuke the French entreaties. The Albany Congress consisted of representatives from seven colonies, who met to discuss the normalization of relations between the indigenous tribes and the British colonies in North America. Both a plan to unify the colonies into a central government and a formalized department to deal with indigenous affairs were proposed. The plan of union was accepted by the congress but eventually rejected by the Crown and the governments of the individual colonies. However, the idea of centralizing efforts to maintain friendly relations with indigenous tribes was not totally devoid of support. Eventually, the various colonial departments were organized into two departments who were responsible for continuing diplomatic efforts with indigenous tribes. The objective of these departments was to make treaties and prevent the more powerful indigenous governments (most notable the Iroquois Confederacy) from allying with France.
The American Revolution: Committee on Indian Affairs and Treaty System
The concept of making treaties with indigenous governments was continued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. The style of government for the United States at this time was a lose confederation--not a strong federalized government. However, even during the rebellion, the United States had the beginnings of a centralized regime. In order to direct the various national departments, the minutia of government was handled by a series of committees. The Committee on Indian Affairs by and large continued the British policy of seeking to normalize relations with indigenous governments. While members of the committee balked at the concept that indigenous tribes could be considered in equal esteem with sovereign nations, the committee itself established a treaty system to keep them allied with the rebellion. This system would eventually result in the creation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Marck C Carnes, Ed. U.S. History. (New York: MacMillan Library Reference, 1998).
Marilyn Miller and Martin Faux, American History Desk Reference. (New York: MacMillan, 1997).
Carl Waldman, Atlas of the North American Indian. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2000).
Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006).
