Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America

John Smith, from book 3, chapter 2 of his book, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles, wrote about his adventures in the new land of the Indians where he experienced new people, a new governance system and a new culture (Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England & the Summer Isles 43). Smith, who was an English soldier, explorer and author, ventured into a new and unfamiliar territory where he experienced many unknown and unusual conditions and his writings depict his initial experience with the natives of this new and hostile land. He referred to the indigenous people as “savages” based on their hostile nature and brutal behavior towards him and his men. Initially the native chief, Powhatan, wanted to torture and Kill Captain Smith but he

When the colonists came to America, they classified the Native Americans as complete brutal savages. But was that a correct assumption? The Native Americans lived a life that was a complete opposite from the way that the Europeans were accustomed to. The Native Americans believed that the land was shared by everyone and not one person could own it. The Native Americans also had a polytheistic religion which completely went against the beliefs of the colonists. The colonists viewed the Native Americans as savages and barbarians because their ways of living were different.

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

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.

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.

The colonists, by saying that the Native Americans were primitive and savage because of their differing and seemingly illogical attitudes, were able to do things that they could never have done to people they believed to be equals. Whether this was a conscious or subconscious method on the part of the

The Salisbury Essay’s main purpose for being written was to show the reader how the certain patterns of the early Natives of North America shaped the continent into what it is today. Before the contact of Europeans, the Natives were a very intelligent and organize group of individuals that started trading goods and riches before the Europeans ever thought they could be able to. Archaeologists believe that the first main group of Natives that started all of the beginning patterns of the Natives and even 10 thousand years before Columbus landed was the Cahokia Indians.

Washington and Knox believed that "Uncivilized characteristics in Indian life existed because Native people knew no better...their `inferiority' was cultural, not racial." Therefore, they saw no reason why the Indians couldn't become civilized, and went to work trying to make them such. To most white Americans, someone who acted "civilized" meant that they were submerged in the contemporary American culture of their time. To be civilized was to speak, dress, act, and worship as they did.

Many prominent historians argue a clash between culture and religious philosophy was the primary cause of conflict between European settlers in North America and Native Americans. However, a closer analysis of American history suggests otherwise. While a clash in cultures and religious differences did exist, the European domination of Native Americans was primarily fueled by European economic motivations, a desire for valuable natural resources and a craving to expand the American colonial system. Due to this, the conflict was inevitable.

The social interactions that the New England and Chesapeake colonies had between Indians and their own people were very different due to alternate motives. Documents A and H each show the steps taken in order to achieve social unity. It is obvious that the two colonies didn’t have the best relationship with the Indians, but both colonies had different approaches when it came to mending relationships. Bacon’s Rebellion was a revolt against Governor Berkeley of Virginia in 1676 that started due to Berkeley's resistance of not fighting against the Indians because of the fur trade. This showed that the Chesapeake colony would rather take a better economy as opposed to stable social interactions,

Every colonist that came to America had their own perceptions of its inhabitants. The majority of these people believed the Native Americans were savages because their culture differed from the colonists. To the colonists, everything needed to be proper. The way they dressed, whether or not they went to church, or how they raised their children needed to be up to code. If not, their fellow colonists looked differently at them. The natives were entirely different. Their goal was simply to survive, and they were conducting survival the best way they knew how to. The differences between the two cultures led to many severe problems. Mary Rowlandson and Benjamin Franklin had two entirely different views of the Native Americans, based upon their encounters with them.

Many works written at the time of settling America, depict Native Americans poorly. They are referred to as savages and are driven from the lands owned by their forefathers. In Benjamin Franklin's "Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America", the reader is shown a new viewpoint of Native Americans. Franklin writes "If a white man, in traveling through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I treat you;" (247), by saying

?savagery? (Takaki, 44). The natives were then considered to be an unimprovable race. They were incapable of being changed, their traits were inherent and their descent caused them to be this way. The thinking of the Americans was that the Indians had to removed off their lands. One of the leaders in this movement was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a man who pushed for the advancement of his

American Indians shaped their critique of modern America through their exposure to and experience with “civilized,”