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Difficulty: EasyEuropean and American Indian Relations

"Why should you take by force that from us which you can have by love? Why should you destroy us, who have provided you with food? What can you get by war, when we can hide our provisions and fly into the woods? ... Let this be otherwise, and we will continue to provide you with corn and meat, if you come to us in peace."

�� Chief Powhatan, address to Captain John Smith, 1609

Which of the following historical developments in the Chesapeake region best explains the tension described in the excerpt?

  1. The expansion of English tobacco cultivation, which increased demand for land and led to encroachment on Indigenous territories.Answer
  2. B
    The establishment of the encomienda system by English authorities to coerce Indigenous peoples into growing cash crops.
  3. C
    The arrival of Puritan families seeking to establish self-sufficient, localized farming covenants.
  4. D
    The creation of a unified political alliance among all North American tribes to ban trade with Europeans.

Answer

The expansion of English tobacco cultivation, which increased demand for land and led to encroachment on Indigenous territories.
The correct answer is correct because the introduction of tobacco cultivation in the Chesapeake region made land highly valuable. This prompted English settlers to expand their territory, leading directly to conflict with the Powhatan Confederacy, who had previously engaged in trade and provided food to the early colonists.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the stimulus.
The excerpt shows Chief Powhatan in 1609 addressing Captain John Smith in the early Chesapeake (Jamestown), urging cooperation and trade over force.
Understanding the time period and actors establishes that early relations were characterized by trade and mutual survival needs.
2
Identify the primary economic driver of the Chesapeake colony.
The introduction of tobacco by John Rolfe soon made the Chesapeake colony economically viable through plantation agriculture.
This identifies the shift in English colonial motivation from mere survival to profitable expansion.
3
Connect the economic driver to the breakdown of relations.
Tobacco was soil-depleting and required large tracts of land, prompting English settlers to aggressively expand into Powhatan territory, breaking the peaceful relationship Powhatan sought.
This explains how economic expansion directly caused the territorial encroachment and subsequent wars.

Key Concept

Chesapeake economic models and their impact on Native American relations
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Topics

European and American Indian Relations

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