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As Kurt noted in his post, one central theme in Taylor’s 18th chapter was the roles that different groups played in the 7 years war. Specifically, I was interested in the complex relations that Native Americans had with the french and British during conflict. These interactions illustrated an aspect of Indian agency that I previously was ignorant of. It is important to acknowledge the role that colonies played in the elimination of Native civilizations. But a historical view in which Natives are seen exclusively as victims of settlement ignores the complexity of their intentions and motives.
Taylor illuminates this complexity through his analysis of Indian-European interactions in which the Indians play a larger and more independent role than may be expected. for example, he notes how pivotal the Six Nation Iroquois were during the 7 years war because of their location in between warring colonies. Each side needed native american assistance in their endeavors to beat the other. On page 424 Taylor makes a great point by saying, “Indians dominated the forest passages between the rival empires. They could obstruct the advance of their colonial enemy and terrify and destroy outlying settlements.” In this way, we see a relationship in which Europeans were actually partly dependent on Native Americans. This works toward dispelling the notion that Native Americans were purely victims.
In addition, we see the inner workings of how both Natives and Europeans choose to behave towards one another. Taylor illustrates the power dynamics of these relations. Regardless of what they really thought of the Indians, the French were more hospitable towards them because they knew they needed their help against the increase in English power. The British were the opposite–they were aware that they were in a position of power, so they showed less hospitality towards their Native allies.