Colonialism Debate: Con Constructive 1: Advancement in Agriculture The Native Americans are in fact civilized, and this can be seen through their great strides in agricultural methodology and technology. Similar to Europeans, most Native Americans have graduated from hunting and gathering methods and have moved on to agriculture, as it is a more reliable source of food. As a result of the most recent expedition to the Americas, a group of pilgrims’ The Mayflower, a lot has been discovered about Native American agriculture. Although the Native Americans use primitive tools “made of stone, animal bone, and tortoise shell to grow crops of squash, pumpkins, gourds, sunflowers, and maize, their crops yielded far better results than Europeans’, and …show more content…
Although oral religions were prevalent among Native American religions, it can still be proved that Native Americans had a complex belief system involving gods and rituals (indians.org). In fact, “Native American religion includes an adequate level of cultural traditions and ceremonies, some of which may be in honor of an special event, and these ceremonies, much like European ceremonies, often include feasts, music, and dances (indians.org). Although most Native American religions are believed to be polytheistic, contrary to European religions, Greek and Roman beliefs were polytheistic and still considered highly advanced to this date. Many staples of what makes Catholicism or Islam a religion can be applied to what is currently known about Native American religions as a whole. Both Catholicism and religions in South America contain creation stories, and there are events in both religions held to commemorate the creation story (britannica). Native Americans also had initiation into adulthood for their followers, much like the Catholic religion has in Confirmation, the Catholic sacrament. Finally, priests, diviners, and other religious authority are included in most religions of Native America, similar to the religious authority of the Catholic Church …show more content…
Each culture has it’s own way of paying respect to their deities. It is also possible that human sacrifices serve an alternate purpose besides religion. After all, the people being sacrificed are often prisoners of war or major rulebreakers to the tribe. The killing of this faction of people in Europe is also performed as a normality. The only thing that differs is the way in which the killing is performed, which seems fitting that each culture decide that for
Everyone might have different opinion on rather imperialism is good for America or not but here are the reasons why it is good. Imperialism would be a great thing for America because imperialism has a lot of benefits and opportunities for a better lifestyle, because the expanding of nations can grow meaning more markets and businesses are being created that equals more money! Imperialism allows bigger countries to help smaller countries become successful. The ability to solve problems in counties near your own is great for making allies. A great example of trying to make allies is ideological imperialism which is a country’s ideas or views shared to other countries. Mainly to build each other up and exchange goods or raw materials. Imperialism can have economic forms which is the expansion of forms or acquire raw materials. The expanding of land and resources increases and the economic and political views are advanced. Transportation would be faster and easier due to the Panama Canal and we can get raw materials and the goods needed for our country. The Panama Canal is probably one of the greatest contrustion ever built, it has improved the United States for the better. New lands can be discovered and be turned into a great state like Hawaii and Alaska for example. A lot of people thought Alaska was just a cold and frozen place to be, but William Seward's bought it for 7.2 million dollars and now it’s a 49th state in America. Imperialism can improve your daily life as
The colonization of the Americas began in the year of 1492, when Christopher Columbus and his band of explorers arrived off the coast of the Bahamas. This new “discovery” for Europe would have drastic effects not only on the settlers themselves, but on the natives and their environment. It is without a doubt that the appearance of these explorers placed the Indians on a dangerous trajectory. Now, it is currently understood how the colonization of the American continent brought disease, war and ultimately death for many of the natives. Early exploration, conquest and settlement brought about new economies for the Europeans, new religious freedoms, and knowledge of the world and of exploration, producing great benefits for the colonists. Although the settlers did face risks and sometimes death during their conquest, they undoubtedly benefitted from this expansion. The Indians, however, were dealt a different hand. The culture that they had developed and the immense civilizations that had evolved were ultimately destroyed as the spread of epidemics, constant war, and brutal exploitation brought these prosperous and hospitable peoples to their knees.
Native Americans lost their culture once the Spanish made them a part of the mission system. Before European arrival, they were predominantly pagan and had multiple gods or spirits which they worshipped as part of their rituals for successful harvest or hunt. Through the mission system, they underwent baptism through Catholicism and learned to worship only one supreme being and
Ceremonies and rituals are critical to the Native American culture. This culture also considers these rituals as a part of their religion. When referring to religion it’s not the same as the way
The first of all, native Americans were very smart and they knew how to survive in that different kinds of environment . Because they understand how to get foods from nature and they knew using traps to hunt animals
The Native Americans, at the time of the first encounter, were still very culturally and socially primitive compared to the Europeans. They moved a lot, lived mainly of fishing and hunting, spent their time cultivating and used primitive tools and equipment in their daily activities.
There are three key patterns seen in most Native American religions they are the human relationship with nature, framing of time and space and respect for gods/ancestors. The human relationship with nature known as animism, everything is seen as part of the same reality and every object has a spirt, is a practice where there is little distinction between humans and animals. Time and space is sacred, cyclical,
The Native Americans had settled in the land years before the arrival of the Euro-Americans. Hundreds of Native American groups occupied the land, each tribe with its separate culture, language, and spiritual way-of-life. Despite the many differences, “there was also considerable interaction and dialogue among tribes about spiritual concepts. Through the common language of sign-talk, ideas could be shared and compared among Indian tribes including the spiritual concepts that are an intricate part of the Indian’s everyday experience” (Treat). The Native American culture was primarily oral. Almost all tribes believed in a cosmology or creation myth regarding how this world and the things inhabiting it came to be. Most native peoples worshiped an all-powerful, all-knowing “Master Spirit.” They also revered and placated a host of lesser spirits in hopes of receiving assistance in their daily interactions with the world around them. Often times shamans, who were believed to have supernatural powers through visions, were called upon to communicate and implore the spirits to ensure a good harvest, or victory in warfare, or healing, or interpreting dreams, or other matters of great
Jamestown is the first permanent settlement in what is now the United States, Jamestown was founded in 1607. Those first colonists are what started it all, without their bravery to explore new lands the United States may not have turned out the same. Those colonists provided the first stepping stone to expand into more and more colonies. People believe that those first English colonists are what molded and continue to mold American character today. There are three reasons that make this true. If you are not lucky enough to be born wealthy you can always work hard to become wealthy. New beginnings are often found in the New World. Also, Religious freedom was first introduced by the leaders of those beginning colonies.
Prior to the arrival of colonial settlers “all but the simplest indigenous cultures in North America had developed coherent religious systems that included cosmologies—creation myths, transmitted orally from one generation to the next, which purported to explain how those societies had come into being” (NationalHumanitiesCenter). Most Native Americans worshipped a single all-knowing all-powerful creator that would take on a variety of forms and roles. Tribal creator gods varied by region, but the Great Spirit was worshipped in several areas by many tribes. Native Americans, unlike their Christian counterparts tended to believe in multiple gods which had control on other aspects of their lives. Native ceremonial traditions varied by differing
There are many elements to take into consideration when weighing the pros and cons of imperialism. After taking an objective look at the facts, I am of the opinion that no, the U.S. did not have the right to build an empire in the Caribbean and Pacific. Building in these areas caused many conflicts such as the Spanish-American War and the Panama Canal. In the building of the Panama Canal, the overall benefits were outweighed by problems such as diseases, and the cost was exceedingly high. The idea of freedom was also a frequent topic that occurred throughout the building of the empire. These problems that occurred through the rise to world power all convey that the United States did not have the right to build an empire in the Caribbean
Why should Native Americans have to assimilate into the American Mainstream? Why Can’t it be the other way around? It is so easy for Americans to say “oh what you have is great, but here take this.” I think that instead of forcing our culture and religion onto people we need to consider first listening to Native Americans and learning about their culture. We need to have humility when it comes to learning about other cultures. Americans need to step out of their comfort zones and be willing to be challenged by different beliefs. Americans should embrace the different culture and make an effort to recognize it. Native Americans are humans and need to be treated as so. Instead of throwing our ways at Native Americans we should step into their shoes and ask questions to learn about them as individual people.
The major Native American patterns in North America seemed to be endurable, in the sense that they may have not been as technology advanced, but they were able to build their own civilization, cities, roadways and live off their agriculture.The Native Americans also must have been quick thinkers and problem solvers since western Indians were able to “perfect the techniques of desert farming” after migrating to the south & east after droughts ruined their living conditions. The Women would do most of the field work while the men would usually fish and hunt, which the Europeans found very uncivilized when they first arrived.
A common belief about Native Americans is that their culture is primitive and that they had little technological advancements. Images of spear-wielding men with feathers on their heads, running around in the forest pop into your mind when thinking about Native Americans. Images of women with tribal paint on their face, holding a basket of corn pop into your mind when thinking about Native Americans. When learning about the settlement of the Americas, the Europeans are portrayed superior in knowledge and technology compared to the “savages” that lived there. Through history we see Native Americans as primitive and technologically inferior; this was because of the Europeans quick succession in conquering them with medieval/Asian technology.
Prior to the “discovery” of the New World from the accounts of European explorers, Native Americans controlled the land. As explored in the article “1491” by Charles C. Mann, the natives achieved a complex and diverse culture. During the evolution of these people, they developed efficient agricultural methods that proved to be resilient. They can be lauded for the fact that “more than half the crops grown today were initially developed in the Americas” (Paragraph 33). While the Sumerians were inventing the wheel and writing, the Native Americans created a system that ultimately provided food for the rest of the world. Their advancements in farming fueled many people and generations to come. Another tremendous advancement in agricultural technique