Relationship Between Native Americans And Europeans

In the 17th century, the Native Americans had been living peacefully in their own little world, until suddenly, the British come upon this land. Little did the British know, tribes of natives already lived there. The countenance of the Native Americans did not go over very well. There was tension between the English and the Native Americans. For example, they fought over the land of the “New World”. As expected, the Natives were fearful and angry when foreigners showed up and proposed new religious beliefs. The British and the Native Americans’ relationship changed due to those coming over for religious freedom and economic prosperity.

The moment when Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas was the beginning of the interactions between American Indians and European colonists. These very first interactions were mostly positive due to the the generosity of the Indians but turned violent when the Europeans began to mistreat, kidnap, enslave, and kill the American Indians. Actions taken by the American Indians and European Colonists, especially actions of violence, during the 1600s caused the relationship between the two parties to be negative and conflicting in New England and Chesapeake.

From the very first interaction, the social and political relations between the Native Americans and the Europeans had begun with much tension. Many Europeans came to the Americas with the intention of discovery. However, when it became apparent that these new lands were inhibited the motives changed, and then the natives were colonized, abused, and in many cases killed. From then and throughout the impending periods of time, the relations between the natives and the Europeans had a few points of mutual peacefulness, but were overall negative.

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

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.

European families always put the males first, whereas African and Native American cultures saw the woman as the symbol of family bond. The children were said to be descended through the mother’s side more than the father. Religion was somewhat similar between the Native American and African cultures where the Europeans strongly disagreed with. Africans believed that there was a center power and Native Americans believed there were several deities, where they both believed that focused on nature and the its forces. They both believed that objects (usually scared to them) held sprites of the dad and spirits that can be evil or good. On the other hand, Europeans believed that there was a single deity with written scriptures which was all run through

During the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Europeans started to come over to the new world, they discovered a society of Indians that was strikingly different to their own. To understand how different, one must first compare and contrast some of the very important differences between them, such as how the Europeans considered the Indians to be extremely primitive and basic, while, considering themselves civilized. The Europeans considered that they were model societies, and they thought that the Indians society and culture should be changed to be very similar to their own.

There was a broad diversity on the view of the world between the Native Americans and Europeans. Together, they created the story of the clash of people, religion, ideas, and cultures.

Native Americans lived on the North American continent centuries before the arrival of Europeans. These native groups developed and preserved cultural traditions. Many European explorers traveled to the New World around the 1500s in search for God, gold, and glory. This brought them into contact with the Native Americans, and led to a complete change in their lifestyle. Europeans brought the Natives diseases, forced them to relocate, and altered their cultures. All in all, the Europeans left a devastating impact on the Native Americans.

The interactions between Europeans and Native Americans have not always been positive. There are numerous difference that interactions between the two groups. Europeans were known as a group that during the 16th and 17th century, made a great deal of change with their religious views. They were once without religion, but were known to turn to sects like Christianity and Puritanism. The Native Americans were a group known to be without religion. These people did not believe it one God and a book to follow. They believed in various higher beings that oversaw things like hunting, crops and sacrifices. These spirits didn’t represent a sense of hope or something to look forward as did being a Christian. William Bradford and Mary White Rowlandson were two religious people who came from England to the new world in order to seek new opportunities in their religious pilgrimage. Upon their arrival to Massachusetts, they lived in settlements were next to Native establishments. Both women told stories of the horrors that the Natives put upon them.

The only reason the Europeans and Native Americans met when they did was Spain was looking for a more direct route to India. The King and Queen of Spain funded Christopher Columbus’s journey to the new world. When arriving to what we know as the Caribbean he believed it was an actual country not just an island because of the sheer size of it. After sailing the coast he soon found out it was an island. When arriving he called these natives Indians because he believed he was in India.

Native Americans have played an important role in the United States for over thousands of years. The Native Americans once lived on their land with little disturbance, having made their own meals and lived in a traditional culture up until Columbus had discovered their land. From their first arrival into the Native land, the Spanish mistreated and disrespected the Indians by trying to enforce their way of life and their beliefs upon them.

European settlements in North America varied in their attitude towards Native Americans, even as time went on European view of Native Americans changed. Each European state had different goals when first coming to North American i.e. different political and economical goals. While some of the settlements had some similarities i.e. the French and Dutch having similar relationships with the Native Americans other like the Spanish differed greatly. The Spanish came of America for several different reasons like search of precious metals i.e. gold Hernan Cortez and Francisco Pizarro, short cut to India (Christopher Columbus), and to convert Native Americans (Serra Junipero). These goals led to their Negative attitude towards Native Americans. The

While both land uses of the Europeans & Native Americans was similar in the fact that they knew that there were set boundaries. By this I mean both obviously treated the land as territory to some extent since the Native Americans had their territory so only their tribe and possibly closely allied tribes could use it. Similarly the Europeans had divided the land into their own territories (i.e. Dutch colonies, English Colonies, ect... ). However, the Europeans had made the land much more private (i.e. private parks, private properties within the lands for governors ect...) While Native Americans had again allowed anyone within their tribe to use the land and their close allies to some extent. Looking at an environmental standpoint, the Europeans

I choose week 6’s reading for this response. One part of this reading really leaves a deep memory in me. The part where the Europeans took over and banished the Indians, eventually. Through out the pervious readings, I thought the Europeans and Indians have a different relationship in the NW area. I thought the Europeans would never treat Indians like they do in the East coast. But eventually, and unfortunately, they did.