Relationship Between European And Native Americans In The 1500s

Beginning in the 1500’s, France and Britain explored North America, but in the 1700s, the countries started to take over these lands. Before the Seven Years’ War, three groups, the French, the British, and the Natives, fought over the right to possess North America. Natives entered into alliances with the French and British in an attempt to maintain balance with them.

To begin with, the 15th and 16th centuries mark the commencement of European colonization and the integration of American and European culture. Countless Europeans and American Indians were influenced by one another, throughout the Columbian Exchange. Granted, the Native Americans suffered immensely, but there are more importantly numerous significant advantages to be noticed because of European migration. The Columbian Exchange led to the introduction of various products and sources of food, the merging of different groups of people, and transformations in American government and economy. Without the combination of European and American Indian culture, life today would be incredibly less progressive and different.

Upon the first colonial establishments, the Europeans viewed Native Americans as uncultured, unintelligent, and uncivilized. The first colonizers found themselves ultimately superior to the perceived rudimentary cultural and societal customs that were observed. Native Americans viewed Europeans as a strictly one sided cultural mass enforcement foreign establishment, stopping at nothing to enforce their perceived superiority in all forms of cultural and societal aspects. Differences in land use, gender roles, and societal history added to the wedging and hostility between the Native Americans and European people.

Europe, such as Spain, France, and England, have had different language, culture, political system, religion and more, which they developed by themselves in their civilization. In the late 1400s to 1500s, Europeans started the colonization and economic competitions each other between countries to get more assets since their resources and lands were limited and not enough. At that time, Spaniards and French had the same purpose for exploring the New World such as pursuing wealth, winning the economic competition, but they approached to Native Americans in different ways. The difference between these two countries when they encounter with Indians was the relationship with Native Americans.

In 1540 to 1700, the Scientific Revolution occured, events and tools created during this time period would change life forever. First, the astrolabe and the compass were both technological advances created to help navigate and explore the world. Also, at this time Asian spices were huge, but Italy and Egypt controlled the trade routes to Asia. Then, explorers started to sail the world, finding new routes and lands. Lastly, Christopher Columbus tried to sail to Asia in late 1492, but messed up on his way there and discovered the New World. European colonization changed the lives of Native Americans in the New World.

In 1550, Emporer Charles V summoned a debate to determine how Spain would deal with the Native Americans. Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda and Bartolomé de Las Casas engaged in discourse about this topic: Sepúlveda denigrated the Natives while de Las Casas defended them. Sepúlveda felt that the Native Americans were basically barbaric sub-humans, and that the Europeans were greatly superior to them. He felt that Christianity was far more altruistic than the Natives’ religions. However, Las Casas felt that the Natives should be treated equally, since he believed Jesus died for the Natives just like he died for the Europeans. He noted their sophisticated, very well-developed societies. When Europeans came into contact with Native Americans, they tried to spread Christianity and force Natives to convert to their religion. This is because people who sided with Sepúlveda felt that their religion was superior and wouldn’t ever fathom that they could adopt any of the Natives’ religions. Places in the “new world” that were under Spanish rule often were exceedingly religiously intolerant. As the Europeans gained more and more power religiously, Native American religions were silenced. As more settlers came to the new world from Europe, they brought Christianity with them, and Christianity’s popularity from Europe continued on in the new world. European contact with Native Americans deteriorated the Natives’ religions while strengthening the Europeans’

Two scholars, Erikson and William Balée believe that almost all aspects of Native American life have been perceived wrong. Although some refuse to believe this, it has been proven to be the truth. Throughout Charles C. Mann’s article from The Atlantic, “1491”, he discusses three main points: how many things that are viewed as facts about the natives are actually not true, the dispute between the high and low counters, and the importance of the role disease played in the history of the Americas. When the term “Native American” is heard, the average person tends to often relate that to a savage hunter who tries to minimize their impact on their surrounding environment. For the most part, this is not the case. In reality,

Many Europeans believed that they were superior to other cultures. They had a mindset that they were more deserving and more civilized than other peoples. This caused problems between the Europeans and other cultures. When the Europeans arrived in America, there was no hostility between the groups, but as time went on this European mentality caused many conflicts between the different cultures in the New World.

Quite simply put, Europeans viewed Africans and Native Americans as inferior to themselves. They were considered to be heathens and barbarians by the Europeans. And, at least initially, they were not Christian. It was believed that Europeans could save both Native Americans and Africans not only spiritually but also economically and socially. This type of attitude also most likely made it much easier for the Europeans to discriminate and exploit them.

From 1400 to 1700 C.E. the Europeans began explorations into the new world and made settlements in the Americas. The explorers included Columbus, Magellan, and Cortez, and they are known in this era also known as the Age of Exploration. One of the European countries to first explore was Spain; however, the Spanish were not, one would say, good house guests. The Spanish saw the natives as inferior and In need of Christianity. The settlers mistreated the natives even though the laws back in Spain declared justice in dealing with the natives. the Spanish saw the natives abundance of gold and that they were not Christian, and they felt justified in mistreating them because they thought they were helping them religiously

European explorers discovered America because of scrutinizing the land and water mass of the world by Renaissance scholars, and in the search for riches, riches, and exchanging courses to the Far East. At the point when European explorers initially reached the New World it seemed, by all accounts, to be a paradise. This credulous presumption was fleeting as the Explorers found the Native American individuals, who the Explorers accepted to be pagan savages (McCarley). The Native American culture was saturated with convention and respecting the earth. They welcomed the newcomers and helped them to survive the unforgiving winter. The explorers conveyed European diseases to the New World that the Native Americans had no immunity to. Numerous passed on because of these diseases. The explorers exploited the Native Americans' accommodation and numbness of weapons and surpassed them (Millisaw). They controlled the Native Americans, assaulted and executed their kin, and took numerous as slaves. The European explorers traveled for the benefit of monarchs. This conduct was acknowledged and supported by these monarchs, and they assumed control over the land as their own taking it from individuals they thought to be pagans. Early American literature mirrors the particular contrasts in the Native Americans and European Explorers. American literature has developed from these differing early

Before Europeans came to North America, It was populated by many different tribes of Indigenous peoples. These tribes, for the most part had their own political, economic, and military systems that were eventually changed and manipulated because of the invading nations. In the books A land so Strange and Jacksonland, we see through the eyes of Cabeza de Vaca and Andrew Jackson exactly how Indigenous people were at the very beginning, and the changes they had to undertake. Obviously the books show us the view of the Europeans rather than the Indigenous people themselves, but in certain recollections from people like John Ross we see their viewpoints and why they did certain things. From the information presented in both these books, it’s clear

Throughout the late 1400’s and the 1500’s, the world experienced many changes due to the discoveries of new lands and peoples that had been never been visited before. The new-found lands of the Americas and exploration of Africa by the Europeans led to new colonies and discoveries in both areas. It also brought different societies and cultures together that had never before communicated, causing conflict in many of these places. While the Europeans treated both the Native Americans and West Africans as inferior people, the early effects they had on the Native Americans were much worse.

Tradition is the customs or beliefs that has been pass on to generation to generation. Native American have their own tradition such as when they trade, it meant a welcome gift or a way to gain relationship. However, the European trade and their material goods had a negative impact on their lives because they slowly lost their identity. While Native Americans was adapting to the Europeans’ homes, they did not noticed that they are started to becoming them. For example, in chapter 3, All Stuff of Life, Calloway stated that; “Archaeologists excavating eighteenth-century sites in the eastern united states often find it difficult to determine whether a settlement was Indian or European on the basis of the material unearthed.” This shows that Indians

Even before the Native Americans and the Europeans had met, they were doomed to have conflict. Both groups had disparate views in how an individual’s wealth was measured and more importantly, they had crucially different beliefs in how many facets of divinity were in their religion. The idea of a communal wealth between a group of people was shared by most Native American communities, while the widespread concept of mercantilism was held by most European explorers. However, the opinion of god was what created tension between the groups. The Europeans had a monotheistic God while the natives often had many gods in their culture.