In what ways did the Narragansetts use ideas brought by the English to defend their sovereignty?
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The Narragansett tribe, an Indigenous American group from the region that is now Rhode Island, had various interactions with English colonists during the 17th century. They used ideas and items brought by the English in several ways to defend their sovereignty:
1. Diplomatic Engagements: The Narragansetts learned to engage in diplomatic relations with the English, using treaties to affirm territories and establish alliances, which were European diplomatic practices. They signed treaties such as the 1644 peace treaty with the English, which was meant to solidify their territorial claims and maintain their autonomy.
2. Adoption of European Technologies: The Narragansetts, like many other tribes, understood the power of European technologies, especially weapons. They acquired guns from the English through trade, which they used to strengthen their military capability and defend their land against rival tribes and colonial encroachment.
3. Economic Trades and Alliances: The Narragansetts engaged in trade with the English, exchanging furs and other goods for European products. These economic activities not only enriched the tribe but also formed a basis for alliances, as trade partnerships often translated into political and military support.
4. Legal Systems: They partially adopted legal concepts from the English to challenge encroachments on their land. Although they maintained their own tribal governance and legal systems, they sometimes used European-style legal arguments and settlements to contest land issues.
5. Adaptation of Settlement Patterns: The Narragansetts sometimes adapted their settlement patterns to mimic the English, constructing more permanent villages with fences and English-style buildings, which reflected a sense of ownership and permanency in their territories, reinforcing their sovereignty claims.
6. Political Maneuvering: They made strategic alliances with the English against other tribes, such as siding with the English in conflicts like the Pequot War, to maintain their dominion and to weaken other tribes that threatened their sovereignty.