HURON

The Huron, or Wendat, were a confederacy of four tribes in Ontario, Quebec and nearby states, formed perhaps a little after 1450. Hurons were farmers who also fished and hunted. They lived in Iroquoian longhouses, and were fairly healthy.

The Huron had a long time enemy in the Iroquois, and when Europeans arrived in the New World, the French sided with the Huron and the British sided with the Iroquois. In the early 1600s, Iroquois began expanding north into Huron lands, mainly in order to monopolize fur trade, which had been declining. The Huron were eventually decimated by smallpox and especially by the Iroquois, however, some northern lands were reclaimed.

Crucial to the Hurons was the development of agriculture, which allowed them to field large armies to keep the Iroquois at bay, who for the most part actually had a smaller population. Like the Iroquois, the Hurons made use of throwing axes, and charge tactics. They would often throw axes from behind a wall-like shield, which could be used to advance right up to an enemy fortification in order to dig underneath. The Hurons were Midewiwin, the Northeastern native religion.

NORMANDY

The land in Northern France was originally occupied by Gauls, and after being invaded and abandoned by Rome, received an influx of Germans, Saxons and Scandinavians. Viking leader Rollo, after conquering much of upper France, received the land in exchange for his loyalty. This became known as Normandy, for the large number of northern ethnic inhabitants.

Rollo's descendant, William Duke of Normandy, succeeded in conquering England and became the new king of England, for a while as a vassal of France. This replaced the royal family of England, and forced French linguistic characteristics into the English language, transforming it from old English into middle English. Other relatives grabbed land in Sicily, Southern Italy, Crusader States (modern-day Lebanon), and the Canary Islands. Normandy also eventually set its sights on Ireland and Wales. At this point, Normandy begins to be known as England, and the Plantagenet wars begin. Until most of the French territory was lost, French lands were still considered home as opposed to British ones.

As rivalry developed, Normandy was soon taken by France. Though England held onto it during the Plantagenet wars, it became a somewhat integral part of France. When France and England began colonizing the Americas, Normandy also took part in the colonization, especially in Quebec and French Louisiana. In World War II, Normandy was the landing point for American soldiers, resulting in an allied victory.

French Normandy, for the most part, has a thriving economy and rich culture. It would be wise to maintain a good economy and really focus on holding onto territories on the French mainland.