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 Indian Peoples traded corn, animal skins, stone tools, pots and wampum beads for centuries before contact with Europeans. Traditional Native American trade networks covered hundreds of square miles. Many of these networks expanded in the 1600s to include colonial settlements, trading posts and ships bound for Europe. As European colonialism spread throughout North America after 1700 and the size of Native communities shrank dramatically, indigenous peoples sought to adapt their traditional economies to the new realities. Articles once made for personal use quickly became valuable commodities to be sold or traded for manufactured goods. The introduction of new materials stimulated the creativity of Native American craftsmanship and allowed the artisans to develop and extend their unique cultural traditions into the future. |