The Tuscarora people lived in the eastern areas of North Carolina in the 17th century. As European settlers moved into their homelands, tensions between these groups rose. European settlers moved onto native lands without apology. Soon Tuscarora women and children were being abducted and sold into slavery by the settlers. Tuscarora hunting parties were attacked and killed or sold into slavery. In 1710, prior to the outbreak of the Tuscarora War, the Tuscarora people made a plea to the governor of Pennsylvania. Desperate for peace, the Tuscarora begged for sanctuary in Pennsylvania. The speakers for the tribe talked of women and children unable to gather food and play in the forest for fear of being captured. They talked of not being able to hunt freely to support their families. They talked, above all, of a desire for peace between the settlers and themselves, even if it required leaving their homelands. However, the governor of Pennsylvania was reluctant to give them sanctuary. Among other issues, the governor feared an alliance between the Tuscarora and the Pennsylvania Iroquois. He feared increasing the Native American presence in Pennsylvania would upset the settlers already there. Ultimately, the Tuscarora had to make the best of their hard life in North Carolina. The harassment from settlers did not stop, and in 1711, war broke out between the settlers and the Tuscarora.

Which of the following represents the most likely view European settlers had of the events leading up to the Tuscarora War?

"The natives were peaceful so we should not exploit them, enslave them, and take their land."
"The natives gave us many chances to find a peaceful solution and we just would not listen."
"The natives were not legal owners of the land and we were justified in our treatment of them."
"The natives have behaved justly and fairly by sharing their land and their family resources with us."