English Laws and the Native American Experience

English Laws and the Native American Experience. . , The Duke of York's Laws for the Colony of New York were compiled under the direction of the first English governor in 1664. The Duke's laws imposed restrictions on "Indians," prohibiting them from having guns and liquor, or trading in furs. But there also were laws that looked like they protected Native Americans, such as the one requiring approval from the English governor to ensure "satisfaction and payment" when colonists were buying land from Native Americans., The laws, however, which were supposed to safeguard the natives' property rights, actually worked to further hurt Native Americans. Because they believed they were protected, they sold their land more readily, and sometimes received only trinkets for properties because no minimum price was required., Many natives did not understand they were giving up all rights to the land when they sold it: for generations, various tribes living on Long Island had agreements with each other to use the land for hunting and fishing, despite which tribe claimed ownership., Historians note that the natives were duped, not grasping the difference between the agreements they historically made with other tribes, and those that the colonists had drawn up. As a result, their rights to fish, hunt, and dwell on the property as they had for generations were wiped away.