How did Indigenous peoples of the Southeast use alliances with Spain, France, and Britain during the 1700s?

During the 1700s, Indigenous peoples of the American Southeast navigated the competing interests of Spain, France, and Britain by leveraging trade and diplomatic alliances to protect their sovereignty and economic interests.1

Large polities, including the Muscogee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee, recognized that European powers were often at odds and manipulated these rivalries to their advantage. For example, the Muscogee became particularly adept at playing the three imperial powers against one another to maximize their own profit and influence. Similarly, the Chickasaw strategically shifted their trade from the French to the British to access higher-quality, less expensive goods, successfully resisting French trade hegemony.12

These alliances were often volatile. During conflicts like Queen Anne’s War, Indigenous nations were frequently forced to choose sides, which sometimes pitted them against one another. While some groups successfully utilized these relationships, others suffered; for instance, the Natchez were defeated by a French-Choctaw alliance and subsequently sold into the slave trade. By the mid-1700s, however, the growing influx of European settlers began to overshadow the diplomatic leverage these nations had previously maintained.21