Zinn presents the major historical facts of the first 250 years of American history starting from when Christopher Columbus's Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria landed in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. It was there that Europeans and Native Americans first came into contact; the Arawak natives came out to greet the whites, and the whites were only interested in finding the gold. "They ... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they owned...They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane... They would make fine servants... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want" (Zinn 1).…
First and foremost, before the colonist arrived the Indians had the strongest connection to this land; they understood and had an intense love for nature and respect for the life that the earth produced. Throughout Standing Bear’s essay, it’s clear that to him the white…
Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, known to non-Indians as “the prophet” were two remarkable Shawnee brothers. They concluded that the time had come to stem this onrushing tide. They decided that the time to act was now, so they gathered followers, urging them to give up textile clothing for traditional buckskin garments, arguing eloquently for the Indian’s to not acknowledge the White man’s “ownership” of land, and urging that no Indian should cede land to whites unless all indians agreed.…
Not only did the Europeans come to rule the land and perhaps take over Indians; but they never wanted to compromise with the Indians which made it extremely hard for either of the cultures to truly see eye-to-eye. To me, the Indians seemed as if they were willing to work out some negotiations even if it was “unjust” to their culture. However, the Europeans showed no signs of compromise with the Indians. The Europeans were immigrants to the land yet wanted all their rulings to control the land. It would be very hard for me to picture the two getting along for quite a while.…
All through the historical backdrop of the New World, there has been strife between indigenous populaces and approaching pioneers that usurp the land and assets. The uncovered histories and ficticious belief surrounding the Trail of Tears and the victory of the Incas and other local societies reminds us as readers that genocide and ethnic purifying leaves a sign of an awesome misfortune on American…
Have you ever imagined life as a Native American in the time period of the Columbian Exchange? Did life change drastically for thousands of people? What events went on as more and more new things were exposed into the lives of the Native Americans? Daniel K. Richter turns the gaze of early American history around and forces the reader to consider stories of North America during the period of European settlement rather than just the European colonization of North America in his novel, Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America. Richter, being an American Historian focuses both his research and teaching on colonial North America and on Native American history dating back before 1800. Through Richter’s writing he reintegrated Indians into the history of North America by expressing their side of the event and/or time in history as well as the side of the first-hand settlers in America. Richter states in the novel, “Perhaps the strangest lesson of all was that in the new nation Whites were the ones entitled to be called “Americans.” Indians bizarrely became something else” (p.2). Through the detailed writing in the novel it is not possible to dismiss the formative role of the Native Americans in the history of colonial and early America.…
When English colonists first arrived to the New World, the Native American Indians were curious yet kind to these “white men”. However, as time passed the colonists’ hunger for more land grew stronger. They began to take advantage of the Indians by signing treaties that were not completely understood by the natives. Consequently, a brave Indian took upon the initiative to protect their properties. Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee, began his quest to put a stop to American greed by uniting the molested tribes to defend their lands.…
For native American Indians, this new opportunity for settlers proved even more costly, almost the entire culture was destroyed by either disease, famine, or murder. Many Natives believe that this culture war has never ended, even in today’s modern society. As History showed us, once these settlers colonized the Eastern portion of the New World, the Native were either killed, or had to move to the west, eventually living in their own settlements, known today as “Tribal Reservations”. Even today we as American’s believe that since we protect these Native American lands we were justified in our historical and in our own way oppressive actions.…
Naturally, once these people came into a new a land they sought to create a similar societal structure and place themselves at the top. Heckewelder's account of the first encounter between the Lenni Lenape clan and the Dutch shows that the Dutch's sinister motive is evident from the start. After introducing alcohol to the clan (whether with the intent to be courteous or to get them drunk), the Dutch worm their way into the grace of the clan with gifts (Heckewelder 70). Next, the Dutch return after some time and ask for as much land as they could cover with the hide of a bullock so that they can sustain themselves (Heckewelder 70). The clan agrees to this modest request and the Dutch return the favor with a trick by cutting the hide "up to a long rope... so that by the time the whole was cut up, it made a great heap... It was drawn out into circular form, and being closed at its ends, encompassed a large piece of ground," (Heckewelder 71). The Dutch evidently believe that if they did not trick the Native Americans out of their land then the Dutch would lose their opportunity to be "high and eminent in power," and so confirm their status over the Native Americans (Winthrop 166). Sadly, De Las Casas provides a more chilling account of the Europeans' creation of a societal divide between the Native Americans and themselves. Similarly to the Dutch in Heckewelder's piece, "the Spaniards did not content themselves with what the Indians gave them of their own free will" (De Las Casas 39). Instead, the Spanish "attacked the towns and spared neither the children nor the aged, nor pregnant women nor women in childbed" (De Las Casas 40). Not satisfied with the order of things, the Spanish continue and "took infants from their mothers' breasts, snatching them by the legs and pitching them headfirst against the crags or snatched them by the arms and threw them into the rivers,…
The author who wrote the article is the son of the woman who started the Association of American Indian Affairs (AAIA). They emphasized that his mother was a white female, a white woman leading the AAIA. The AAIA was a white-based organization that developed around the same time the Congress for American Indians was formed by the First Nations of America. I am not sure whom the author is speaking about but they say the AAIA want Indian tribes to place mechanisms to prohibit discrimination, guarantee civil right, protect, religious freedom, and require free elections. This is the problem with the Europeans who came to this land and took over. They come to a land where they never been before and start making the rules, as if they owned the land.…
The Whites felt like the Indians didn’t have any guidance. Indian women made their food, nurse, and raised the children. It was stated in the story, “If we could examine the manners of different nations with impartiality, we should find no people so rude, as to be without any rules of politeness; nor any so polite, as not to have some remains of rudeness.” That’s where the differences took…
Most of the beginning of American history seems like a race of conquest between the Spaniards and Europeans with Native Americans caught in the crossfire. A seemingly peaceful group of people, the Native Americans were under constant attack from the moment settlers arrived into their territory. Historians can pull from first-hand accounts and primary sources to piece together the history of this nation. One Spainard exploratory mission wrecked off the coast of Florida with about 400 men (OTP S1-6, OTP 22). After long battles and shipwrecks, the expedition was cut short and only four men survived, one an African slave and Spanish explorer named Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca. De Vaca wrote a narrative explaining his encounters with Native Americans who had never seen white or black people before. De Vaca described the Indians as “war like people…and protect themselves from their enemies as they would have if they had been raised in Italy and in continuous war” (OTP S1-6). He explains in his narrative…
Although often viewed as inferior, savage and helpless, many historians are starting to discover the intelligence and wisdom the Indians had and shared with the colonists that came to America so long ago. As the settlers slowly began to create a new world on the already inhabited North America, they were plagued with starvation due to a severe drought in the area. Due to the dry lands and the settlers expectations to “rely on Indians for food and tribute,” (Norton 17) they were disappointed to find that the Indians were not so keen to handing out food and help to the strangers that have just come onto their land and begun to settle in such a time of severe weather and starvation. As time goes on, both the Indians and the Englishmen realize they both have what the other needs; tools from the white men and crops, land and knowledge from the Indians. As a result, the chief of Tsenacomoco, Powhatan, and colonist, Captain John Smith on an ideally peaceful, mutualistic relationship to ensure the survival of both civilizations. This agreement will leave the groups in cahoots for 100 of years leading to some disastrous scenarios and betrayals.…
At the start of the seventeenth century, Native Americans greeted European settlers with much excitement. They regarded settlers as strange, but were interested to learn about the new tools and weapons Europeans brought with them. The native people were more than accommodating to the settlers, but as time passed, Europeans took advantage of their generosity. “Once these newcomers disembarked and began to feel their way across the continent, they forever altered the course and pace of native development.” Native Americans and Europeans faced many conflicts due to their vast differences in language, religion and culture. European settlers’ inability to understand and respect Native Americans lead to many struggles that would eventually erupt into violent warfare.…
In my opinion, Rock and Roll should be viewed as an emergence of black and white culture rather than an example of division. Rock and roll has influence from country, western, rhythm, blues and many other types of music and served as a large role in breaking down racial barriers. The Rock and Roll genre surfaced both black and white artist who are still respected and appreciated among listeners today. Helen Kolawole took a strong stance in her article “He wasn't my king” claiming that Elvis- and by extension the other white rock and rollers of the 1950s’ “Cloud the true picture of rock and roll.” Where I do believe that there is clear evidence of black musicians being underrated to the early rock and rollers, I believe that it is due to cultural segregation in the time period. Fifty years have passed since the emergence of Rock and Roll and I believe that blacks have just as much recognition in the rock and roll genre as whites.…