What happened to the native Woodland Indian tribes, like the Yaocomacos, Piscataways, Nanticokes, and Susquehannocks?
Most of the tribes on the western shore of Maryland (like the Yaocomacos and Piscataways) quickly gave way to the colonists. In many cases, the white settlers offered axes, hoes, cloth, and other trade goods for their land. The smaller tribes also wanted to escape the warlike tribes of the north, like the Susquehannocks and the Iroquois. The colonists, with their guns, offered protection some tribes couldn’t resist. Over time, some native peoples became servants for plantation owners, and others lived on early reservations. Of course, not all dealings with the natives were kind and just. The fate of other tribes, like the Nanticokes and Susquehannocks, were much different. After years of fighting between themselves and with the Iroquois, the Nanticokes were forced to scatter across the country. Many settled in New York, while others settled in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and perhaps even other parts of Maryland. The Susquehannocks had the worst fate of all native Marylanders. Between 1661 a
