Interactions Between Settlers And Native Americans

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In colonial times, the earliest interactions between the Native Americans and the European settlers lead to different relationships between the two groups. But more often than not, the relationship wound up being negative, especially for the Native Americans. Two areas with negative relationships were the American southwest, controlled by the Spanish, and the Chesapeake Bay area, controlled by the English. In the southwest, as the settlers came into contact with the Native Americans, they became convinced that their every aspect was superior to the Native Americans. The main reason the Spaniards even bothered to interact with the Native Americans was to achieve their main goal in America, to find gold and other valuables. In some areas where they found valuables, they first tried to cheat the Native Americans out of their treasure. The Native Americans gave up some valuables out of generosity and a slight apprehension, for they wondered if the “white men” who rode on “deer” (horses) were gods. Soon enough, they saw through the Spaniards and saw them for what they really were, greedy, selfish men with nothing but a greedy desire for riches. They attempted to drive them away by attacking them. Unfortunately, the Spaniards had weaponry that was far more advanced to the weapons of the natives and were able to not only fend off the attack, but also destroyed the natives when they retaliated. In areas where there were no significant amounts of valuables, the Spaniards used their religion as an excuse to try to dominate the Native Americans. The Spaniards were Catholic Christians. They looked down upon the Native Americans’ “inferior” religion. They attempted to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism in order to “save their souls”. They refused to acknowledge the native religion as a religion worthy of respect and told themselves that the Native Americans would be
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