Colonizing of Australia:
The colonization of Australia was similar to that of North America, and not to contemporary patterns of conquest.
How they interacted with European Forces: It did not talk about this at all in the book, but online i found a source that said that the natives were friendly and hospitable at first, trading with the colonists for food, water, and supplies for survival, like axes and other various tools. Relations didn't become hostile until a few years later, when the Aborigines realized that their land and resources, along with their way of life was being disrupted and threatened by the colonists, so they began to resist and attack the British.
Colonization Motives: It also didn't talk about this at all, but online i found that there were two main reasons for the colonization. One reason was because they were going to use Australia as a penal colony, where they would dump all their criminals and unwanted people. They also felt that Australia was filled with vast expanses of land, and that the people their were godless, and didn't deserve, or truly want the continent.
Response to colonization: The natives were truly overwhelmed. They tried to fight back at first but were no match. They were greatly outnumbered. 75% of the natives there died of disease brought over by the British, and the remaining were tired and eventual gave up. The book says that by the end, the Aboriginal Australians only constituted only 2 percent of Australia's population. This is why they were truly overwhelmed.
For 40,000 years before European settlement, Australia was inhabited by more than 200 different tribes and indigenous nations. Eastern Australia was seized by the British in 1770, and over time their control grew on Australia. As the continent was explored, in the 19th century another Five Self Governing Crown colonies, along with New South Wales. On New Years day 1901, the six colonies came together and formed the Commonwealth of Australia.
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