AS+Last+of+the+Mohicans

The French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years’ War, was a time of harsh battles filled with blood, death, and bitter rivalry. The French, the English, and the Native Americans were the three sides that battled each other through those long seven years. Although some alliances were formed, that did not stop the brutality and trauma that was delivered during that time. The first thing I thought of when I heard that the war was named “The French and Indian War”, my initial thought was that it was between the French settlers and the Native Americans that inhabited the land that they were settling on. After doing some further research, I came to know that it was not named because of the reason that I thought, but because the “French” and the “Indians” were the two enemies of the English. During my reading I confirmed that it was true that the English and the French were opposing sides, but to me it seemed that the Indians were not their own side, but yet they were either in the middle, or allied with either of the two sides. This to me would cause much more tension in a war than there already is. The different alliances that the different tribes, specifically the Delaware and Huron, made the concept of war much more complicated. While Heyward and his companions were trying to travel to Fort William Henry, they were constantly traveling in fear had to be extra cautious because of the hostile Indians that were hiding unseen in the forest. Simple travels to a different fort were compromised, not even with the true enemy. If I was in the group traveling to escort Alice and Cora to Fort William Henry, I would have nervous and anxious the whole trip because of the unknown lurking in the trees. The fact that Indians are hostile is a bad one, and outside influences from colonial settlers built relationships that were not always good ones. Britain and France (excluding Spain) were the two main European empires that were exploring and colonizing the New World. Since the land was untouched and very valuable, you would expect heads to butt and problems to arise. The relationship that the English and French armies had was a truly cold blooded one. Even when English forces peacefully handed over Fort William Henry after signing an agreement with the French, it ended up being a massacre. The Indians that were sided with French started a quarrel that ended in blood. This goes back to my point that the Indians made everything much more complicated. If it wasn’t for the one Indian that took the women’s blanket, none of the people would have had to die. Although the Indians did cause many lives to be taken at the surrender of Fort William Henry, some Indians proved to be a big help to the English. The Mohicans, Chingachgook and Uncas, along with Hawkeye, were the heart and soul of the plot of the book. With all the other Indians in the War, other Indians proved to be helpful like the Mohicans and Hawkeye. I think that those relationships built between Native Americans and Americans/Englishmen were very healthy and built positive connections that were necessary in a time like they were living in. Although in the end, most Indians were made the enemy, the few that helped out and aligned themselves with people who did good, were ones that were true heroes.  The Seven Years’ War was a time where good relationships were necessary to survive. A web of complicated alliances and loyal friendships was spun between the French, English, and Native Americans helped everyone get through the rough road that helped built the great nation we now live in.
 * __ Last of the Mohicans Reflection __**