Essay on Colonists Living Among Natives in the New World

Colonists Living Among Natives in the New World When the Europeans invaded the New World in 1492 they brought along their culture and way of life. The Europeans were not prepared to encounter a previously developed culture, which was home to the Indians. The negative stereotype of the Indians as viscous savages and barbarians was immediately formed by the Europeans beginning as early as Christopher Columbus discovery of the New World. These negative stereotypes made Europeans believe that Indians were hardly human and believed that no civilized person would choose to become an Indian (Axtell, Invasion 302). When in fact the opposite became true. Despite the European view of Indians as savages, there were many English and French†¦show more content†¦Another European group that experienced the Indian way of life was the French fur traders. They took hundreds of young men into the pays den haut for months, even years at a time (Axtell, Invasion 303). In order for them to be successful trading partners with the Indians, the f ur traders adopted many aspects of native culture (303). To learn about the Indian culture, the fur traders wore Indian clothing such as, breechclouts, leggings, and moccasins. They learned to speak local dialects, eat native food, follow council protocol, and forged alliances with headmen (Axtell, European 277). These adaptations of the fur traders helped them to be accepted into the Indian culture. The majority of people who joined the Indian way of life were the English and French colonists who were captured by the Indians. Most of the colonists were captured for adoption into the Indian families, as opposed to the expected sale, ransom, torture or enslavement (Axtell, Invasion 304). One of the most interesting facts that does not support the idea of Indians as barbarians, is that most Indians chose their captives very carefully in order to cultivate them into Indian life. The Indians often kept their captive who they adopted, within the family and raised them as a member of the family, turning them into a white Indian. Although at first the Indians took many of the colonists against their will asShow MoreRelatedClash of Cultures1027 Words   |  5 Pagesof Cultures Native Americans and Colonist had sophisticated differences with so many factors, adding West Africans to the new world would contribute to even more catastrophic events to the three cultural groups during the changeover, the a chronologic and historical event leads to what is known today as the â€Å"Clash of Cultures.† Native Americans and Colonist at Jamestown Jamestown, sits in the fort of Virginia where Colonist first set foot and settled to the new world. For thousands ofRead MoreThe Colonization Of America, Australia And Antarctica1054 Words   |  5 Pageslittle of the world surrounding them. Outside of Europe and the Mediterranean, little was known, with rumors and imagination filling the gaps. They had no real concept of the size or shape of Africa and Asia and had no clue of America, Australia and Antarctica. Europeans began their explorations of the world starting in the late 1400s, with Columbus’ discovery of the Americas. Here, he discovered that this land was already inhabited and had been civilized for centuries by a native people. TheseRead MoreThe Battle Of The Settlers By John Smith1474 Words   |  6 Pageswhat he believed was best for the colony. In a desperate effort to save the settlers, Smith made a courageous attempt to trade with the local Native Americans for food. On December 10, 1607, Smith and a small g roup of men sailed up the James River only to be attacked by a Native American tribe when they entered the forest. In the short, bloody battle, two Native American warriors were killed as well as the colonial explorers. Smith was captured and taken as prisoner to chief Powhatan. â€Å"†¦a large stoneRead MoreThe And New England Colonies956 Words   |  4 PagesChesapeake and New England colonies were in the process of being founded. As a result, these two settlements did nothing without referencing their actions to God. Due to this heavy focus on God as the reason behind every aspect of their lives, chaos began to sprout soon after the settlers began settling and started living their new lives in the colonies. Since the colonist believed that God dictated their entire lives; they never felt that they were in the wrong. Not once did the colonists stop to thinkRead MoreThe Meaning Of Modern Art By Terrence Malild1339 Words   |  6 Pagesand to which it will again return.† (Harries 31). However, these two views are not the only way of understanding how man and nature should interact, a third view can be found in the cinematography of Terrence Malick, particularly in the film The New World. The first view Harries presents is the Cartesian tradition, a â€Å"rationalist aesthetics† that centers art on the representation of ideals (Harries 17). Art in this tradition must attempt to represent the reality of clear and distinct ideas, whichRead MoreThe Legacy Of Christopher Columbus1390 Words   |  6 PagesChristopher Columbus. The history of the famous explorer has been rewritten many times. He was one of the first of many Europeans to land in the New World. He is an Italian explorer whose discovery of the New World— Caribbean– with his crewmen marked the beginning of decades of colonization and trans-Atlantic invasion on the American soil. Columbus sighted the New World, as he intended to sail west hoping to reach Asia through a water path from Europe in August 3, 1492 . He wanted to find a quicker directionRead MoreRelationships Among The Natives And Europeans1070 Words   |  5 PagesGrecia Loya United States History April 14, 2015 Relationships among the Natives and Europeans The stories regarding the Native Americans and European settlers all commence somewhat similar: the Natives welcome and help sustain the Europeans in the start. They become an instrumental piece to the European survival in the Americas. The relationship starts to change, however, as settlers grow independent. In some instances, when there is only personal gain to be acquired, the relationshipRead MoreMary Rowlandson And Franklin s Views On Western Society s View Of The Natives1078 Words   |  5 PagesWhen the colonists arrived to the new world, they were blind to the problems before them. They were in a time filled with thematic tribulations and conquest. They came across a group of people they never knew or seen before; they called them â€Å"Savages† or â€Å"Natives.† Various encounters with the Native Americans were documented with both negative and positive connotation. During this period of trial and error, time with the Natives seemed often terroristic and pea ceful. In various colonial texts severalRead MoreNative Americans During The Colonial Era1477 Words   |  6 Pagesproduct now has to be shared among them. This is similar to what happened to Native Americans in North America. Native Americans owned and lived in North America for several thousand years. Then, all of a sudden, European explorers came to North America and claimed the land â€Å"discovered†. Europeans started moving into the land and later, started sharing the land. Encounters between Europeans and Native Americans in the colonial era led to the exchange of diseases with Native Americans, a change in dietsRead MoreHistory1484 Words   |  4 Pagesthe various ways conquerors settled the New World, commenting on what worked, what did not work, and the consequences of those methods The Spanish official ‘s remark could mean that the primary reason for the conquest of a foreign territory is to look for lands in order to find new places to inhabit and develop . In other words , the conqueror must expand a kingdom ‘s territory by finding new places wherein some of its citizens could transfer to these new regions and establish themselves by developing