The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada

by Cadwallader Colden

"The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada-Which are dependent on the Province of New-York, and are a barrier between the English and the French in that part of the world" is a classic Native Canadian studies text by Cadwallader Colden. Though every one that is in the least acquainted with the Affairs of North-America, knows of what Consequence the Indians, commonly known to the People of New-York by the Name of the Five Nations, are, both in Peace and War; I know of no Accounts of them, published in English, but what are very imperfect, and indeed meer Translations of French Authors, who themselves know little of the Truth. This seems to throw some Reflections on the Inhabitants of our Province, as if we wanted Curiosity to enquire into our own Affairs, and were willing to rest satisfied with the Accounts the French give us of our own Indians, notwithstanding that the French in Canada are always in a different Interest, and sometimes in open Hostility with us.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Native American

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1727

About the author

Cadwallader Colden was a physician, natural scientist, a lieutenant governor and acting Governor for the Province of New York.

Colden was born in Ireland, of Scottish parents, while his mother Janet Hughes was visiting there. His father, Rev. Alexander Colden A.B. of Duns, Berwickshire, sent him to the Royal High School and Edinburgh University to become a minister.

When he graduated in 1705, he continued his studies in medicine, anatomy, physics, chemistry, and botany in London. In 1710, his aunt Elizabeth Hill invited him to Philadelphia where he started his practice in medicine. He returned to Scotland to marry Alice Chryste in 1715, and came back with her to Philadelphia that same year. In 1717, he was invited by Governor Robert Hunter to relocate to New York, and in 1720 he became a surveyor general of New York.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say it makes for a fun read as it is the most classic case of "and then this happened" especially part 1, the second part does tend to go for a bit more opinion and open questions as it deals with the impact of the then recent glorious revolution against the stuarts but still. However this is a book from the 18th based on accounts from the 17th century what are we expecting really? They can't be all Gibbon. Now why I picked up the book is because I was genuinely curious on how native americans would be described in this book from this time period and a few things stand out. They are nations not tribes, they might still be barbarians but they are also capable, rational and honorable and the way Tacitus would have described Germanic peoples came to mind. In fact if anyone the French and lesser extent the Dutch get a lot more negativity heaped upon them.

I think this book was meant as a sort of reflection on what to do with these formidable society so close to the English colonies and it seems that the author was not aiming for removal or subjugation, to try and civilize them, sent missionaries yes but even there he laments how easily English and French "go native" and so few natives really take up the English live because their way of live has so much more personal freedoms. What the book also is, is a strong passionate anti jesuit pamphlet, which again given the time makes sense. Not only where these French Jesuits, the Jesuits were the ultimate catholic boogey man for this period of English history and they found them wherever they went; north america, India, east Asia those darn Jesuits were out there messing things up, at least according to British authorities. On this front you definitively need a French counterpoint because even reading between the lines you can see what influence and impact these Jesuits had.

As a source material it is definitively a worthwhile addition but from an informative and or entertainment perspective I would not really recommend; but I would want to read a book based on information to be found here and compared to what the French and dutch had to say about the same events; Also I could not help but get the tune from "last of the Mohicans" in my mind whilst browsing this book.

[Sjonni]

What an amazing find! The first publication ever made about the Iroquois Wars, written in two parts twenty years apart directly from the records of the Indian Affairs of the colony of New York. Composed 30 years after the events narrated, back in the weird old days when all our disputes were addressed and ultimately fixed between London and the court at Versailles. The Iroquois Confederacy, manipulated into war by Albany managed by sheer will-power (they were forever unassisted and fought with insufficient supplies) to hinder the development of the French colony for over 50 years. The immediacy of the struggle is well-captured, all the thwarted ambitions, the fragility of the commercial links with Huronia and the resulting miserable conditions under which the settlers of Canada had to live while New York prospered. All in all, a fantastic tale with walks through frozen wastelands, cruelty and barbarism (mostly on our part, id est, the French) and a hint of what was to come for many of the actors, mainly their ultimate destruction.
The text stops short of the General Peace signed in 1702 at Montréal between the French Crown and most of the Indian nations of our side of the continent, the treaty that finally allowed Canada to exist and to prosper as a colony.
For those who care, I include the bit that concerns my hometown, the one and only time it figures in world history. "The Five Nations continued their Incursions all Winter on Canada. Forty of the Mohawks fell upon Fort Verchères, and carried off twenty of the Inhabitants; but the Alarm reaching Montréal, Mr. de Crizaei, with one hundred Men of the regular Troops, was sent in pursuit of them, who recovered most of the Prisoners.' p.119