south were decimated within a few short years of Columbus's arrival. The Indians the English and French settlers dealt with were shadows of their former selves following their dealings with the Spanish and Portuguese.

Two good books, "1492" and "Lost City of the Monkey God" deal with this in very informative and fascinating fashion. "Before the Revolution" which focuses mostly on life in the American colonies prior to Independence also spends a lot of time in the complex relations and motivations of the Indian tribes in their dealings with Europe.