This week explores the concept of "conquest" and early globalization. During the 16th century, many Native societies of the Americas experienced various forms of conquest and colonialism. Conquests, though, were sometimes ambivalent and not so clear cut.
At the same time, the foundation of the U.S. is not only built on conquest, but the exchange of ideas and goods.
Points of entry:
The account of Cabeza de Vaca, an early Spanish explorer kidnapped and sold into slavery for 7 years provides a fascinating window into the more "ambiguous" conquests that occurred during this period. See the link below for this account:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/one/cabeza.htm
Questions for discussion:
Do you think the early interactions between Europeans and Native societies were conquests or more complex interactions? Why or why not?
What do you think are the more important foundations for what would become the U.S.--ideas or goods?
I feel that the early interactions between the Europeans, mainly the Spanish, and the Native societies were conquests and not complex interactions. I believe that once settlements were established in the Northern Atlantic coast, primarily the French, more complex interactions occurred. This is because the colonists realized that they could not make enemies of the Natives in order to get what they wanted from them-fur through complex trading. It was during this time that the interactions were much more complicated and not one sided, however, this is much later in regards to the first interactions. Those interactions of the Spanish with Cortez and other conquistadors were violent and savage. During these conquests whole peoples were killed or subjected to slavery. The conquistadores believed that they were justified in killing, plundering, and enslaving Natives because they tried to spread Christianity.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the foundation of the United States is not through goods but ideas. There are certain beliefs that have shaped America since it's foundation. Several of these beliefs include the belief that the United States is a special and unique place, that the United States is a place of religious and other types of freedom, and this land was destined to be ours. This last idea is one of the largest ideas that has shaped America. Beginning with the settlers believing that God had given them the land because of their "superiority" over the natives, through advanced technology to disease, to the political language that is still used today which implies a god given right to act and do the things we do. These are foundational ideas and beliefs that have shaped America into the country it is today. Goods, such as fur and maize would not and could not have the same impact that a simple idea can have on a foundation and formation of a country.
The interactions between Europeans and Native societies are complex based on the wide range of the relationships established between the two as well as the type of conquest and colonialism. The early conquests to the New World, like the Spanish, were violent and motivated by greed. However, the French and the Dutch, for example, were dependent on the Native societies for the production of fur. There was also no concept of an inferior race to 17th century Europeans. So, when the French culture and religion was adopted by the Native people, they were permitted to equality with colonists. Cruelty, greed, equality, and dependency make up the complicated relationships and interactions that Europeans had with Native Societies.
ReplyDeleteEven though the exchange of ideas is what keeps this country unique it is not the foundation. The exchange of goods is the primary reason that the exchange of ideas occurred. The reason why America was seen as unique was its rich land and abundance of crops and various goods that were not available in other parts of the world. Using the two examples stated above, this demand for goods forced the interaction between the French and the Iroquois and as a result they were exposed to the ideas of the French, including religion and culture. The Spanish conquests were driven by exchange of goods, not ideas. Even though this was not a peaceful exchange, the Spanish came to find a large quantity of silver that had a great affect on the trade market. So, the need for goods brought the colonists to America, the complex interactions with the Native societies led to the exchange of ideas.
Early interactions between Europeans and Natives weren’t quite conquests. I like to believe that they were more “interactions.” I say this because both sides, Natives and Europeans gained knowledge from one another. If the situation was an actual conquest I imagine that the Europeans would have just taken over the desired land instead of working with the people. Maybe, in the beginning the relationship between the two groups were more conquest like, but soon enough the relationships changed and they learned to understand (or try to understand) one another. I don’t think it took long for both sides to realize that they were both people and they both had something to offer; the Natives and their knowledge of the world they lived in, and the Europeans with their weapons.
ReplyDeleteI think in a material world, goods appear to come off more important than ideas. But i believe that ideas are more important to form foundations of the U.S. The concept that one idea could change the way one person, and many others, think could ultimately change the world. It only takes one idea to spark action and that is what is more important. Goods come in a close second, but I don’t think a person could build a country off of that. What happens when the sources run low or the goods are not in demand? If we were to rely only on goods, we could find ourselves in a lot of trouble very quickly.
The interactions between the Europeans and the Natives, to me, would be considered more of just interactions than conquests. Both sides had no idea what would happen if they interacted with each other. They both had ideas that their ways would be the most desired, but once they got together, they realized that they were too different from one another. Before they came face to face, they each felt like they were going to take over the other. When they came face to face, those assumptions ceased because both were so different from each other that they felt that it was too much trouble to try and merge into one so they decided to have their differences and try to live civilly.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the foundation the U.S. is based upon are the ideas from many sources. Many people had ideas about what they wanted and were so determined to get it that eventually, the U.S. bloomed into what it is known for. The goods that are produced are all from the ideas those people had and they help us today brainstorm for greater goods and more efficient ways of producing them.
The Europeans reached the New World with the intent of conquest and economic exploitation, but despite this straightforward goal, some complex interactions did ensue. The Spanish and English freely massacred the Native Americans, plundering their villages,enslaving their people and enforcing their moral values upon them. From this, it can be seen that the "interactions" were one sided, with the Natives experiencing the blunt of European "progress." But there was, to some measure a deeper level of interaction between the natives and the Europeans. Some natives assimilated into European culture, adopting the Christian faith, becoming taxpaying subjects to the crown, and following a new code of conduct. The Europeans would go on to adopt native crops such as potatoes and corn along with the gold and silver that they pillaged from native mines. The French establishment of trade with the Northern tribes along the Saint Lawrence River was far from conquest. In some cases, the French had to follow native trade protocols, defeating the European belief that their own institutions would dominate wherever they went. In short, the Europeans intended to conquer the region, but ended up developing additional interactions with the natives.
ReplyDeleteThe most important foundation for the future establishment of America was the Puritan work ethic. The Puritans were happy to occupy lands between the French and Spanish colonies despite having less fertile land and less access to products such as furs. They believed that land needing great effort and care was character building and forestalled the deterioration of society from idleness and excess. It would be this mentality that would see the American people through hardship and give them the initiative to reach the west coast in search of new territories.
I feel that the interaction between the Europeans and Natives, was different depending on the European country. The English and the Spanish, did not seem to care about forming a relationship or bond with the Natives. They were strictly in America to get what they wanted, and would use the Natives to reach that goal. They used the Natives for local foods and resources, while killing them freely to get their land. Therefore their interaction was a conquest. The French however had a more complex relationship with the Natives, since they were trade partners. The French had a reliance on the Natives, to collect furs for trade for them; while the Natives depended on the French for new technologies. Although there was disputes between the French and different Native Tribes, and certain groups, like the Jesuits, that wanted to convert the Catholicism, they were for the most part trading partners.The traders, established a close bond with the Natives accepting their ways and culture, to better their trading; and vice versa for the natives.
ReplyDeleteAmerican, in my opinion, was built on ideas, more than goods. At the time, people came to the Americas as a way to find wealth, it seemed as the land of opportunity; that anyone who traveled to the new world, could find new land, resources and wealth. This idea still holds true in the US, and is referred to as the American Dream. There was also a lot of new cultures coming to this one land, creating a mixing pot effect of different customs, religions, and ideas. This is why the Americas are so diverse culture. It is hard to pick one particular concept that can define the growth of the Americas, more than the idea of opportunity, because the land is so diverse. However I can say that the Americas were built on ideas, ideas that people brought from their homeland to influence a new existence in a new land.
I think the early interactions between Europeans and Native societies were conquests. It is important to look at the European motives for exploring and conquering the New World. The Europeans were looking for riches - Gold, Silver, etc. I do not think they were motivated by looking for interaction with the natives except to the extent that the church wanted to convert the heathens to Christianity. It was their intention to conquer these new lands.
ReplyDeleteI think both goods and ideas were important foundations for what would become the United States. First off, you have to differentiate between the motives behind the founding of colonies by the European powers (which was primarily to exploit the resources of the new continent) and the reason for individuals to emmigrate to the colonies (which was often prompted by religious or political ideals). Therefore I think you can say it was both, but that the Europeans and the new Americans saw it from a different perspective.
(Posted by Kipp):
ReplyDeleteI believe that it really depends on whether your talking about the Spanish, French or English interactions with the native people. If you are talking about the Spanish than yes they are definately conquests. The Spanish came in with the idea of conquest in their minds. They were well armored, they had superior weapons and they had every intent of conquering the Natives. The French came in with the idea to do more trades and get more resources from the natives they really came in a more peaceful way. The English were more of the settlers than anything else. They established lands that was theirs and they talked to the native people in order to arrange this properly.
I believe that America is based more upon ideas than goods. America was essentially built upon the ideas of men. If anything the goods were a bonus prize for them but America was not build through trade it was built from an idea.
I think that the early interactions between Native and European societies were more of a conquest for the Europeans. The first to explore the New World were the Spanish and they just came in and took over the Natives to be able to get a hold on the goods and trade they could establish for the home country. As the rest of the Europeans came along, like the French and English, the interactions between them and the Natives became more complex. The French created a market with them (for their fur), but still tried to conquer them by playing tribes against each other. As more Europeans arrived in the Americas the relationships between them and the Natives became more and more complex.
ReplyDeleteI think that the United States was able to be founded because of goods more than ideas. The English wanted to settle in the Americas after they heard all the wonders the Spanish conquistadors found in the New World. They wanted in on the gold and crops that were being shipped in large amounts to the Spanish crown. People came to settle in the Americas to be able to be part of the high trade going on in this time. Only after acquiring the goods most desirable in the New World did our founding ideas started emerging. I think that both goods and ideas come hand in hand but in the beginning the goods played a bigger role on our foundation.
The arrival of the Spanish and their methods of colonizing were much more of a conquest than complex interactions. In the early colonization of Mexico and the Aztecs, the Spanish were brutal in their treatment of the Natives and were focused on exploiting the land rather than negotiating a fairer deal with the Natives. They came with a militant approach of armies and weaponry, prepared to battle. The French on the other hand were alot more negotiable and relied on the Natives skill and knowledge to take full advantage of the fur trade, this took alot more co-operation, especially as the Natives began to rely on French tools. The English more or less, slowly forced or emigrated themselves into the land, rather than murdering thousands of Indians to achieve their goals. However, I think the English in a way, made a conquest, just more subtly.
ReplyDeleteI think the main idea that came from colonization to make America what it is today is capitalism. The vast amount of goods available in The Americas made the idea possible. I think the America today reflects what the European capitalists had in mind when they first arrived, the race for money and economic ranking that was born back then is in many ways still alive today.
I think the interactions between the early societies can be considered conquests because the Europeans came in with a concrete goal. The feelings between the two cultures were not of mutual respect but of fear and a feeling of supremacy and oppression by way of mystical powers. It can also be considered a conquest because of the actions that followed the conquest. The natives were not treated as equals therefore continuing the oppressive feelings. They were made to feel that their native beliefs were not good enough, in a way, and were sometimes forced to convert.
ReplyDeleteI think both foundations are equal because a country needs ideas to rule politically and to progress and mature as a civilized country and community. But goods are also needed to help the country's economy because with a well thought out economy the country can't help its citizens get what they need, especially since the US is such a vast country.
In my opinion early interactions between colonist and Native Americans were more conquest than complex interactions. At first they might have been complex interactions, but with time colonist realized that Native Americans were no threat to them, and could easily conquer them and take their goods, as oppose to trading. Cortez is a primary example of this, he used his power of the Natives mistaking him as a god and used it to kill them and take over their city.
ReplyDeleteI think that the important foundation that came of the U.S was the importance of goods. I believe this because Britain came to the Americas in order to find goods in order to better their economy. They were able to accomplish this and once they broke off the British thrown this idea remained. As you can see today the United States economy is run by capitalism.
The interactions between Native Americans and colonizing Europeans was initially a series of such complex interactions and exchanging of goods until each other figured the other out and thats when the Europeans made their move realizing the potential of their firepower superiority and their ability to take the Americas by force which led to a extreme amount of blood shed that has lasted the last four hundred years.
ReplyDeleteI think ideas were the main factor shaping America such as the idea of Religious Freedom and the search for a better life what ever that may be such as with many of the English settlers that came to Virginia where as opposed to England they would have no chance at bettering their economic status.
The interactions between the Natives and Europeans were conquests. There was really nothing complex about their interactions. It didn't matter who interacted with who at anytime. The English, French, Spanish and Dutch all did the same thing; conquered the Natives. The Europeans wanted the land and they definitely were going to take it by a means of conquering. What conquering means is to take the lifestyle of a people, turn it inside-out and completely convert it into your own lifestyle. That is exactly what the Europeans did because not only did they want land, they found an advantage in the people (Natives) already living on the land. The Europeans educated the Natives, preached the Natives, Gave them their tools, foods, and showed them a whole new lifestyle. Some Europeans achieved the conquest through bloodshed and other through formed companionships. But nonetheless the Europeans took land and converted most Natives into their own European culture and thus, achieved a conquest.
ReplyDeleteThe important foundation of the U.S. is the idea of freedom. Freedom is a natural want and need for humans. Aside from the ironic and contradictory event known as the slave trade, the fact that our whole country is free and free to express ourselves is what makes us a great and powerful country. When we the people want something done or they feel something is not right, the people can speak up and have a democracy. At least I believe so.