Which European power exploited Native Americans to purchase a valuable island in exchange for "a few toys"?
Question
Which European power exploited Native Americans to purchase a valuable island in exchange for "a few toys"?
Solution
The European power that exploited Native Americans in exchange for "a few toys" was the Netherlands. This incident refers to the purchase of Manhattan Island in 1626. Peter Minuit, the director of the Dutch West India Company, famously negotiated the purchase from the local Lenape tribe. According to historical accounts, the Dutch offered goods valued at approximately 60 guilders, which was often humorously translated to “$24 worth of beads and trinkets” in modern terms. This transaction exemplifies the significant disparities between European colonizers and Native populations, as the Indigenous peoples often did not fully understand the implications of land ownership as conceived by Europeans. Consequently, this purchase stands as an early instance of exploitation within the context of colonial expansion in North America.
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