All of the different groups of Europeans had a different way of dealing with the inhabitants of the new world. Some of the groups tried to eradicate the Indians, while others tried to coexist. The Spanish conquistadors were a group that tried to enslave the Indians and the French traders were a group that tried to coexist. The Spanish conquistadors and the French traders had two very different techniques in dealing with the Indians. The Conquistadors took over Indian civilizations and enforced the encomienda system. The French traders, on the other hand, left the Indian civilizations intact and simply traded with them.
The Spanish conquistadors at times treated the conquered Indians horribly. Some of the conquistadors used iron collars and dogs on the Indians. After the initial brutality the Spanish gave the conquered Indians, they introduced the encomienda system. This system served several purposes. The encomienda system gave Indians to colonists that promised to Christianize them. The system also provided an incentive for living in the new world. Upon moving into the new world, Indians, that were basically slaves, could be provided to a Spaniard. Usually the more wealth a Spaniard had, the more Indians he received. The system also gave the Spanish something to do with the conquered people.
The French traders took a completely different approach to the Indians. The main interactions between the French and the Indians involved trading. The French wanted the pelts of the animals that the Indians killed and the Indians wanted the French products, such as guns and ammunition. The Indians would eventually stray from their old ways of only killing the animals they needed to survive to killing animals just for their pelts so that they could trade with the French. .
The French were a jealous group, though. They didn't like the Indians trading with the English or any other group, because that meant lost profit.
