Question

When the Europeans made contact with the lenape indians, the life of the lenape changed. How did their lives changed?

Answer 1

The Lenape Indians used to take from nature only things that will suffice their basic needs. Need for food, clothing and shelter. When the Europeans arrived, the Lenape Indians learned to hunt and trap animals for their fur and trade the furs to the Europeans.

The Lenape Indians used to live in the Northeeastern Woodlands along the Hudson River valley. The Lenape Indians were christened by the Europeans as Delaware Indians because their settlements were near the Delaware River. When the Europeans arrived, they brought diseases such as smallpox, measles, and common colds that infected the Lenape Indians and lead to numerous deaths. The diminishing number of the Lenape Indians in the Delaware River made it easier for the Europeans to claim ownership on the land and drive the Indians away. 

The Lenape Indians settled along the Susquehanna River and when settlers arrives and war broke out, majority of them relocated to Ohio River Valley. They were finally driven to settle along the White River in present-day Indiana.