Mitchell, Damek

Damek Mitchell

Professor Dietel-McGlaughlin

FYC

23 March 2011

The Effect of European Weapons on Native Americans

Centuries before Europeans had ever stepped foot in North America, various

Native American tribes had thriving cultures and sophisticated forms of technology. The

techniques implemented by Indians ranged from hunting practices all the way to the

methods used by different tribes to wage war against one another. These techniques

were based on the different technologies that these tribes developed over years of

adapting to the environmental conditions that they lived in. Things such as spears and

bows and arrows were key examples of weaponry that was depended upon by these

tribes of Indians not only for dietary sustainability but also to ward off hostile tribes and

maintain the security of each individual Native American society. When Europeans first

came to the Americas in 1492 the methods of these tribes would forever be changed.

European settlers brought new weapons to the Americas and Indians had to quickly

learn to master these new technologies just to survive. The introduction of European

weapons on Native Americans radically impacted their culture in the ways they hunted,

waged war, and integrated European technologies into Native American society.
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Archaeologists have discovered various things about the ways in which

prehistoric Native Americans lived through excavation. In 1926 a team of archaeologists

from the Denver Museum of Natural History started to dig in the Northeastern part of

New Mexico. In a city called Folsom this archaeological team found stone fragments of

early man-made tools that were over 10,000 years old. This excavation was very

important to the field of archaeology because the tools that were uncovered were the

earliest human tools found in America. Most of the tools were spears that were very

unique from spears found in other continents because of the fluted tips that these

spears had (Roberts, 40). Other similar sites were excavated and scientists discovered

evidence that Indians of North America had not always been so dependent upon bison

alone. Scientists found remnants of animals like mammoths, American camels, wild

pigs, extinct antelope, giant sloths, musk ox, and horse. From the weapons found in and

around these animal bones, scientists discovered that the first Native Americans used

tools like spears and knives to hunt a variety of game (Roberts, 41). A plethora of

spears, knives, and bows were used to hunt within a single hunting party (Roberts, 88).

Closer to the time of Columbus’ first trip to the Americas, Indians had progressed in

their weaponry. The bow and arrow was the defining weapon of tribes in both North and

South America. Native Americans used the bow and arrow as an efficient hunting

weapon and as a tool of war. The bow was a very effective weapon because it was

quick to reload and it was virtually silent (Laubin, 3). Indian archers were extremely

skilled and accurate; in fact, many of the early European settlers were impressed with

the accuracy that Indians had from great distances (Laubin, 14).
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Native Americans not only used bows and arrows for hunting game, they also

used this tool to fight against their enemies. When Columbus first landed in the new

world he was met by a shower of arrows from the Carib tribe; there were so many

archers that Columbus and his men were forced to run back to their ships. Some tribes

used techniques to make their arrows even more deadly by putting fish teeth on the tips

or by poising the arrow tips (Laubin, 14). Many Indians were so skilled at archery that

they were able to kill armor clad Europeans by targeting their necks and faces. Due to

the extreme bow skills that Native Americans possessed they continued to utilize

archery until the invention of the repeating rifle (Laubin, 3). Some tribes had bows that

were as long as 8 feet and arrows that measured up to 65 inches. Native American

bows were very similar to those of the Europeans except for one key difference; Indian

bows had the string running through a hole on one end that was tied to the opposite end
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of the bow while European bows had a nock (Laubin, 14).

Indian Bow English Bow

The weapons used by many Native Americans in battle quickly changed from

bows to guns in the 1500s, due to European influence. Although most Indian tribes

continued to use bows and arrows for hunting, many tribes began trading Europeans for

guns to be used in war. Tribes that were able to acquire the most guns gained the upper

hand in war because they had superior technology (Given, 9). The Huron tribe of the

Great Lakes were a prime example of how guns changed the hierarchy among

neighboring tribes. Out of all the tribes of the Great Lakes, the Huron were the most

powerful because they were able to acquire more guns than any other tribe. Without

guns, they would have been no better than any other tribe, but the introduction of guns
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into their society gave them advantage and changed the status of their tribe. The reason

that the Hurons were able to get more guns than other neighboring tribes was that the

Hurons had access to more beaver and otter furs than any other tribe. During the 1500s

and 1600’s the French began trading guns to Native Americans who could supply them

with the most fur; since the Hurons had the most fur they were able to get the most

guns and ammunition from the French. Guns influenced many other local tribes like the

Mohawk and Iroquois to begin raiding Huron camps for fur that they then used to barter

for guns. These raids were somewhat successful but the Iroquois and Mohawk were

forced to get their weapons from the Dutch instead of the French because the Huron

were closer to French traders in Canada (Purdue, 25).

Some might say that guns did not have much of an effect on the culture and the

lives of Native Americans because in the end Europeans took over the Americas and

were able to successfully squash Indian resistance. It is true that Europeans won the

Americas from the Indians; however, this was mostly due to the diseases that

Europeans brought to the Americas. Smallpox, a highly communicable crowd disease,

was one European disease that had pandemic effect on Native Americans. Tribes like

the Arikaras, Mandans, and Hidatsas were cut from around 32 villages to 2 or less after

the majority of the tribe contracted the deadly disease. Many tribes lost up to 90% of

their population to smallpox (Purdue, 68). In 1781 a war party of Blackfoot warriors had

planned to raid a Shoshone camp and steal their guns and ammunition. The Blackfoot

tribe had been supplied with their own guns by French traders and had successfully

blocked the flow of guns to the Shoshone for some time; they had planned to try and

steal all the remaining guns from the various Shoshone villages to achieve complete
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dominance over the Shoshones. The Shoshone had been receiving their guns from the

Spanish until the Spanish ceased gun trade with them. The Shoshone were in such a

need for guns that they had to trade with their cousins the Nermernuh to receive any

guns or ammunition. When the Blackfoot invaded the Shoshone camp they were

shocked at the condition of the people. All of the Shoshones at this particular camp

were dying of smallpox. The Blackfoot were appalled by the condition of the Shoshone

and they left without harming anyone there. Soon after this raid, smallpox spread

extremely quickly throughout the Blackfoot tribe all because of that one encounter with

the Shoshone, who had probably acquired it from the Spanish (Mann). As an author

Charles Mann said, “Steel was not a decisive factor in the Europeans victory.” Guns

changed the way Indians lived in all aspects and Native Americans became very

proficient with the use of firearms; it was not steel, or guns, that allowed Europeans to

triumph over Native Americans, it was the diseases they brought. Smallpox was the

most effective killing tool used by the Europeans and it was not even intentional. If the

Indians had had time to build up the same immunities that the Europeans had to

smallpox then America might be a very different country today: an America controlled by

its Native people.

Another way that the impact of European weapons on the Native American

culture can be seen is through religion. Many European traders refused to sell weapons

to non-Christians. One example of this practice was the French fur trader Champlain,

who was known for making the Natives convert before he sold them firearms. Many

Indians from the Hurons and other tribes became Christians in order to attain superior

weapons that would help them become a stronger tribe. Seeing as the Hurons were the
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tribe who possessed the largest number of guns in their region it is apparent that many

of them were compelled to and did in fact convert to Christianity. Changing religion is

not something people tend to do for no reason, and the fact that these Native

Americans were willing to give up their lifelong beliefs to acquire guns just shows how

vital and culturally impacting guns were on the Native Americans.

Overall guns had a significant effect on the culture of Native Americans. Guns

changed the way Indians were able to do battle and also changed the social status of

tribes who were able to acquire more guns than other tribes. European weapons also

changed the way Indians hunted by replacing the spear and the bow with repeating

rifles, which were much more efficient in killing animals with less effort. Native American

customs changed and tribes that once were peaceful allies began raiding one another

to attain more guns or resources, like fur, which would help them trade for guns. The

issue of guns and their effects on Native American culture is important because of its

relevance to American history. Just as Americans learn about the early European

settlers and how their society progressed into what it is today, Americans should also

learn about the cultures that inhabited this same land before Europeans came to this

country. The technology aspect is also a very important reason why the topic of guns in

Native American societies is relevant. In modern society, different countries are able to

interact and share ideas and technology that change the way people live throughout the

world. This process of sharing technology and altering traditions is known as

globalization; with the example of European and Native American interaction we as

Americans can better understand globalization by studying one of its earliest and most

historically important examples.

Bibliography

-Mann C., Charles “1491: new revelations of the Americas before Columbus” (2005)

Print.

- Roberts H. H., “Frank Early Man in America” (February 1951) Print.

- Perdue, Theda; Green D., Michael “ North American Indians: A very short introduction”

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.

- Laubin, Reginald “American Indian Archery”

-Indian bow picture [Link]

-English bow [Link]

English-14th-century