Fort Necessity
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Fort Necessity
National Battlefield
The Native People – French Allies at Fort Necessity
Europeans of the 18th century, primarily the French and
British, found lucrative trade opportunities in North
America. We often group their indigenous trading partners
together as "American Indians" or "Native Americans," but
the cultures and the relationships between them were
numerous, diverse, and complex. Some traded exclusively
with the French, others with the British, but most, just as the
Europeans, wanted the trade that was to their own greatest
advantage. When Britain and France went to war, the
various native nations had to decide whom to back. The
British were unable to convince any native people to fight with them at Fort Necessity.
Between 120 and 250 Indians from different nations fought with the French.
Huron:
Iroquois speaking
At French contact, the Huron were locked in
traditional warfare with the Iroquois Confederacy.
Population before the Small Pox epidemic of 1639 was
nearly 30,000 people; post epidemic it was 10,000. In
the 1640s the Iroquois launched full-scale attacks on
the Huron for fur trading opportunities in the
Canadian shield. The Huron were displaced from
their territory by the 1650s. The Huron were noted
canoe builders.
Huron of Lorette:
Iroquois speaking
The Huron of Lorette were the first and largest group
of Huron to seek refuge from their Iroquois attackers.
The French Jesuits established them in 1697 at their
present location, near the fall of the Saint Charles
River in Quebec. Mixing heavily with the French, the
Huron language quickly disappeared and was
replaced by French (The last Huron-speaking person
died in 1912). This Huron group became Catholic
very early.
Nipissing:
Algonquian speaking
The Nipissing suffered from the same Small Pox
epidemic that the Huron did, greatly reducing their
population. The Nipissing were strong allies to the
French throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The
Nipissing were known to be Sorcerers and were
feared by the Iroquois. However, this did not stop the
Iroquois’s from attacking them also, in the 1640s.
Algonquin:
Algonquian Speaking
The Algonquin were very closely associated with the
Nipissing. Their original territory lay to the East of
the Odawa and Nipissing in Ontario and Quebec. The
Algonquins also suffered greatly by war with the
Iroquois from 1628 to 1646. Fort Necessity was not
their only Western Pennsylvania battle; they also
fought at Braddock’s defeat in 1755.
Odawa or Ottawa:
Algonquian Speaking
The Odawa inhabited the coastal and river regions of
the Lower Michigan Peninsula. They also lived
throughout Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
Wisconsin. They were very pro-French and worked
as intermediaries between other native people and the
French during the early fur trade. Very few Odawa
accepted Christianity. This limited the hold of the
missionaries on them. The third quarter of the 18th
century shows that the Nation began to split their
alliances, some became allied to the Americans, others
to the British.
Shawnee:
Algonquian Speaking
The Shawnee were a semi nomadic people who were
scattered through out the East and South. However,
they claimed the Ohio Valley region as their
traditional homeland. Migrations during the second
quarter of the 18th century filled the Ohio regions
with Shawnee. They were French allies during the
French and Indian War despite their long trade
relationship with the English colonies. Today, the
Shawnee reside in Oklahoma and Canada. Their
language is still used in Oklahoma and is also being
taught there.
Abenaki:
Algonquian Speaking
These people lived in the St. Lawrence waterways of
Quebec and surrounding areas. First encountered by
the French in 1642, they were converted heavily to
Christianity by the Jesuits. They were very proFrench in their alliances and became very important
in the early beginnings of New France. They aided
the French in their explorations of Canada. The
language exists; however most of the remaining
Abenaki speak a dialect of the French language.
For further reading on these Nations and other Nations, refer to the
Handbook of North American Indians ‘Volume 15, Northeast’. Published by
the Smithsonian Institute.
EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
Jul-03
rev Jun-09
