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Description and Holding Information
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1751, Colden, Present state of Indian affairs with the British and French Colonys (MS)
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SEE ALSO 56654 The present state of Indian affairs with their British and French colonys [sic] in North America with some observations thereon for
securing the fidelity of the Indians to the Crown of Great Britain and promoting trade among them. August 1751 by Cadwallader Colden. The Governor
asked Colden for this analysis--it is a truth-to-power document. Colden went back to 1746 when the Provinces were trying to mount an expedition
against Canada. The government had lost all influence with the Six Nations and other tribes. William Johnson was given the task of asking the natives to
side with the British; his negotiating skills and large presents did the job. Johnson continued to work with the tribes of New York and Ohio, but
when the war was over, the government ceased funding his efforts. The natives began complaining and Johnson resigned because he could not do his job.
Colden said there was a lot of fraud in the alcohol trade that siphoned off funds that should have been used for Indian affairs. He said the natives
were constantly cheated and the court system was rigged against them, so they had little reason to be friendly toward the British. Colden reported
that French prisoners of war said the French did not think they could compete militarily with the British, so they had to rely on the Indians and went to
great lengths to win their trust. The Governor of Canada directed all the efforts, so only one person was in charge, which worked better than the
British arrangement. That Governor committed money for presents and paid traders to cut their prices. They were building fortified trading posts at
choke points like Niagara and Detroit. The Six Nations did not like the forts, but did not think they could beat the French militarily, especially with
no support from the British. Having said all that, what should be done? Remove all duties from British trade goods, so they would be really cheap,
and put one person, perhaps a Superintendent of Indian Affairs, in place to quickly handle all complaints of cheating and abuse. Consider having
agents live among the tribes to be eyes and ears and win the trust of the natives, but not as traders. The Superintendent should communicate with all the
other Provinces for intelligence and advice. Beef up the Province's presence in Oswego and build a fort at Irondequoit. Put one or more ships on
Lake Ontario to control that space, because if the British don't do it, the French will. Pay for this by increasing the duty on alcoholic spirits; it
would be best for all the Provinces to do this to avoid bootlegging. Do this during peace, because during war, everyone is too busy. (Digitized from
a microfilm copy held at the Pennsylvania State Historical Society)
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Title:
The present state of the Indian affairs with the British and French colonys in North America : with some observations thereon for securing the fidelity of the Indians to the Crown of Great Britain & promoting trade among them.
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OCLC Number:
1438761017
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Available Volumes
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| Name | Fiche Count | Online | Paper Backup |
| Vol. 1 | | Yes | No |
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