Why did the French and Dutch have better relationships with the native peoples than the English?

While the Dutch and French did have their fair share of conflict with the Native American tribes, their relationship with the natives was clearly more cordial than that of the British colonies. There are essentially two reasons for this. First, the aim of the English was to establish permanent settlements, while the French and Dutch were only interested in trade posts. These permanent settlements of the English displaced Indian tribes with very little concern for...

While the Dutch and French did have their fair share of conflict with the Native American tribes, their relationship with the natives was clearly more cordial than that of the British colonies. There are essentially two reasons for this. First, the aim of the English was to establish permanent settlements, while the French and Dutch were only interested in trade posts. These permanent settlements of the English displaced Indian tribes with very little concern for the rights of Indians. Even when French settlements were established, they did not deliberately displace Indian tribes.

A second reason for the superior relationship of the French and Dutch was their attitudes towards the natives. While the English felt it was their god-given right to settle in the Americas, the French and Dutch treated the Indians as humans. They fostered cooperation for trade and survival that was mutually beneficial. The English, on the other hand, were only interested in their own interests and viewed the Native Americans as savage and inferior. It can be said that the French and Dutch had a progressive view of the Indians while the English view was conservative and reactionary.