What Is The Thesis Of Under One Roof Together By William Apess

Under One Roof, Together

William Apess’ Eulogy exemplifies the horror bestowed upon Native Americans by colonial settlers down to minutiae, even to quote a “tender-hearted Christian” man upon the sight of King Philip’s remains. The man says, “what a dirty creature he looks like” (302). His assertions throughout such an impressive oration on injustice speak not of sovereignty but of redemption; unlike Drew Lopenzina’s argument that Apess sets out to establish a peaceful, separate nation, I argue that Apess wants rather to make well with the nation that took root in his people’s land. Apess, himself a Christian, has no need to call his brethren to relocate and seek refuge in themselves, but rather converge with the settlers. I will establish this

He does this in order to appeal to the average colonial, and in doing so, appeal to their empathy. Apess wishes to secure peace among Indians and colonials, as was in the beginning of the settlement of Europeans in America.

Apess eloquently describes the early relationships between the Native Americans and European settlers to establish a foothold for which he sets a seemingly positive bond from the tribes in America and the settlers who came to possess their native land. As Apess States, “a benevolent chief bid the Pilgrims welcome to his shores and … ceded his land to them for the small sum of eighty dollars” (285). Immediately upon entering the New World (or Old, depending on your lens), the Pilgrims were met with not animosity, but well meaning. However, the Pilgrims met respect with apathy, and set boundaries with the Indians. Apess uses this textual evidence to support the idea that whilst the Pilgrims were met with open arms, they did not reciprocate in the slightest. After another plethora of land sales, Apess is able to clearly expose the contradictory nature of the Pilgrims. Philip is charged over three times the amount of money he was given for all the land he sold to