Summary Of The European And The Indian By Axtell

Beginning in the sixteenth century, Europeans made the voyage to a “new world” in order to achieve dreams of opportunity and riches. In this other world the Europeans came upon another people, which naturally led to a cultural exchange between different groups of people. Although we commonly refer to European and Indian relations as being between just two very different groups of people, it is important to recognize this is not entirely true. Although the settlers of the new world are singularly referred to as Europeans, each group of people came from a different nation and with different motives and expectations of the new world. Similarly, the Indians were neither a united group nor necessarily friendly with each other. Due to the

“My people are few. They resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain...There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now but a mournful memory.” (Chief Seattle, Chief Seattle’s Speech). Lethal Encounters Englishmen and Indians in Colonial Virginia by Alfred Cave is a book that extensively describe Britain’s and Spain’s initial colonization of America. The book mainly focuses on the facts and primary entries of Native Americans and pioneers, and their initial thoughts thoughts about each other. Albert Caves book, Lethal Encounters Englishmen and Indians in Colonial Virginia, discussed many issues between those indigenous to America and the pioneers, including; racism, imperialism, culture clash, religion, and war.

Axtell’s article on who invented scalping was an extremely captivating and intriguing read. Axell subtly introduces us to two concepts/beliefs: the traditional belief that it was the Native Americans that had first used scalping methods- especially as a means of protecting their continent from the European colonisers, BUT, also then moves on to consider the shifted and more recent viewpoint that it was, in fact, the Europeans, or more specifically the ‘White Man’, that had introduced scalping to these Native Indians and had even encouraged and persuaded them to adopt it.

Another important section of this chapter was simply called “Texas”. The author provides the context of the Great Plains in 1720 including the French-Spanish rivalry and the corresponding rivalry between the Pawnee and Wichita Indians and the Apache and Pueblo Indians. The Spanish colonies were populated mostly with unarmed missionaries, while the French-controlled regions

Today, in American history textbooks, the significant aspects of how America begins is display, however the details that assist in the making of America are not. With this in mind, Fredrick J. Fausz, an Associate Professor of history and director of the Honors Program at St. Mary's College of Mary, decided to display a component of the time, through the article, “Middlemen in Peace and War: Virginia’s Earliest Indian Interpreters, 1608-1632”. In summary, the article conveyed the importance of three significant interpreters, Thomas Savage, Henry Spelmen, and Robert Poole and their interactions between the Indians and Englishmen during the crucial time of war and peace with the Powhatans and other tribes. Fausz’s motivation in writing the article is to argue for the interpreter’s importance and how they interpreted not only the language, but experienced the benefits and detriments of being surrounded by the Indians and English.

1.The native americans used scalping to their advantage during the course of the french and indian war. Scalping be an extreme significance of theirs,because they were able to earn money off of it from europeans, therefore they soon realized that they should,take as many scalps as they could”(BrayIII,1998p.2), order to make the largest possible profit off of this technique. Not only was the custom used for economic advancements during the war, it also served a great purpose to them as far as its importance to their religion and culture. Hence, this relates to the theme of culture and society, because the native americans used this a a form of celebration and expression, when someone was scalped it was seen as a trophy and symbolized power

The early 1800s was an era of progressive action in regards to the Native populations of the United States - growing populations of western-bound individuals required that the already-present Natives be formally addressed. As Meriwether Lewis among others documented what the far-west was really like, Thomas Jefferson spoke of the ideals he held concerning the junction between Indians and Americans. Upon comparing Lewis’s discoveries and Jefferson’s wishes, we are able to discuss several things: the inconsistencies in Jefferson’s expectations versus reality, the two men’s thoughts on the potential for Native assimilation into American society, and the success (or lack thereof) of such assimilation.

Throughout the course of history there have been numerous accounts regarding Native American and European interaction. From first contact to Indian removal, the interaction was somewhat of a roller coaster ride, leading from times of peace to mini wars and rebellions staged by the Native American tribes. The first part of this essay will briefly discuss the pre-Columbian Indian civilizations in North America and provide simple awareness of their cultures, while the second part of this essay will explore all major Native American contact leading up to, and through, the American Revolution while emphasizing the impact of Spanish, French, and English explorers and colonies on Native American culture and vice versa. The third, and final, part of this essay will explore Native American interaction after the American Revolution with emphasis on westward expansion and the Jacksonian Era leading into Indian removal. Furthermore, this essay will attempt to provide insight into aspects of Native American/European interaction that are often ignored such as: gender relations between European men and Native American women, slavery and captivity of native peoples, trade between Native Americans and European colonists, and the effects of religion on Native American tribes.

Within the Native culture and the Colonial cultures in North America, there are confusion, misjudging, assumptions and conflicts among the two.

      Colonial North America was a multifaceted melting pot of diversities. The amalgamation of different ethnicities, races, cultures and religious organizations created a circumstance in which the identities of the English, Native Americans, Africans and Germans were far from static. The interactions between these four groups helped to build the history of North America, and as such it is pertinent to understand the evolution of their identities. While old world traditions and increased interaction with cultural outsiders predominantly shaped the identities of English colonizers, religious appropriation and reinterpretation

This analysis will take a look at the works of three early American writers and how each of their arguments were conceived to match their individual viewpoints. The three writings we will be taking a look at examine how each author in said writings develops an argument based on the text. We will also be examine how each author’s argument is a reflection on Early American culture. We will be reflecting on writings of Benjamin Franklin, Christopher Columbus, and The Native Narrative. Each have a unique perspective on the newly formed American culture and solid arguments to push these ideals.

When the first colonists landed in the territories of the new world, they encountered a people and a culture that no European before them had ever seen. As the first of the settlers attempted to survive in a truly foreign part of the world, their written accounts would soon become popular with those curious of this “new” world, and those who already lived and survived in this seemingly inhospitable environment, Native American Indian. Through these personal accounts, the Native Indian soon became cemented in the American narrative, playing an important role in much of the literature of the era. As one would expect though, the representation of the Native Americans and their relationship with European Americans varies in the written works of the people of the time, with the defining difference in these works being the motives behind the writing. These differences and similarities can be seen in two similar works from two rather different authors, John Smith, and Mary Rowlandson.

Assimilation of the native Indians occurred in different phases. The United States in the early years adopted an Indian policy that they used to build good relations with the bordering tribes which helped politically and in trading with the natives. However, they reserved to stop the good relationships in order for them to acquire more land as the moved west to expand their territory. (Keller,1983)

The long history between Native American and Europeans are a strained and bloody one. For the time of Columbus’s subsequent visits to the new world, native culture has

As is illustrated in King Philip’s Herds: Indians, Colonists, and the Problem of Livestock in Early New England by Virginia DeJohn Anderson, the culture of the Native Americans was heavily influenced by their interactions with the European colonists, in more ways