Their history

Arrival and development

The first Indian arrived through the strait of Bering forty thousand years ago. The first nomads group settled in North America and were pushed back to the South by other nomads group who were pushed back by other groups and so on. Thus, the American continent was inhabited from the North to the South. The development of Indian civilizations was slower than the development of the European ones. When the Indians of North America lived their Antiquity, Europeans lived their Middle Ages.

Arrival of Europeans

In the year 900, a vicking named Leif Eriksen discovered the North-East coast of America. They settled but were pushed back by natives. In 1492, Christopher Colombus conquered the San Salvador island. European countries were interrested in gold, silver, unknown fruit and new big spaces to discover. At first, the Europeans kingdoms (Spain and Portugal mainly) invaded the South America because of the gold worked by Incas and Astecs. North America were conquered later by France, England and Holland.

The genocide of the Indians

At first, the French traded furs with Hurons and Algonquins tribes. The search of new spaces caused wars against the Indians :

Pequot, Massachussetts and Mohawks tribes were anihilated at the end of the 18th century;
The Hurrons allied to the French fought the Iroquois allied to the English;
European diseases kill natives.

When the United States achieved its independance, it conquered the West side of America. From this, Indians nations lost their freedom. The Secession war (1861-1865) killed a lot of Indians. Rebellions grew in number. In June 1876, the Little Big Horn battle was won by the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. Indian tribes were parked in reservations and their chiefs were arrested or killed. In december 1890, three hundred Sitting Bull and Big Foot Indians were exterminated.

In the 15th century, the number of Indians was estimated to one million. In 1890, there were only less than fifty thousand survivors.

Author : Julien L.
Last update : June 2005