Many people believe that slavery of the Native Americans was a result of the Europeans colonizing the New World, but it was not. The indigenous people, long before the settlers arrived were enslaving each other. However, the native people did not exploit slavery on a large scale. Instead, they used the captured slaves to replenish their tribe’s fallen warriors or to replace people who have died of disease. When the Europeans arrived to inhabit America, Native American the slave trade changed significantly.
Many of the Native Americans suffered from disease, starvation and death because of the forced relocation to the west. A change in climate and environment did not assist with the relocation of this society that had first existed on the American soil. This tragic incident is most remembered as the “The Trail of Tears”. Furthermore, the lack of compensation, by the government, to the Native Americans destroyed, the already diminishing, numbers of their eastern tribes. Many Americans opposed the removal of the Native Americans and argued that they too had been civilized and should be allowed to remain on the homelands, specifically Davey Crocket.
Some Native communities became dependent of trade and began to live near European settlements, and their resettlement made them expose to the epidemics which killed many Aboriginal people who had no natural immunity. Moreover, alliances between Aboriginal people and Europeans often led to economic competition and sometimes caused wars. (e.g., Iroquois fought against Huron people to displace them in the trade with French). In addition, the custom of trading brandy for furs was a destructive aspect. Alcohol abuse contributed to violence in Aboriginal communities, to society disharmony and to the deterioration of an originally healthy Aboriginal population.
Narrative Frameworks and Erasure: Early U.S. – Indian Policy The invasion of New England in the early 17th century by European settlers saw a delicate balance struck between Native Americans and New English settlers. The settlers depended on Native Americans for their survival, and in turn Native Americans sought to investigate and contain the new element in their territory. In time, settlers seeking to expand westward used violence and brought disease that decimated native populations. European settlers claimed the land it as their God-given right, and declared themselves the first civilized people to occupy the land. The invocation of divine will is an example of one of the many ways in which Europeans sought to change the story about their relationship with Native Americans during America’s early history.
Europeans Vs. Aboriginals : The contact that changes everything Throughout the 1600s to 1900s Native people’s culture has been greatly harmed due to the fact of European contact. Taking over land by killing off food supply thus forcing Aboriginals to sign treaties to destroying their culture by enforcing assimilation. Ever since the Europeans came to Canada they have been nothing good for the First Nations living on the Land. In the 19th Century, government policy changed from government-to-government relations with Aboriginal Nations to attempts to integrate and assimilate. This change was due to a number of factors: the decline of the fur trade; an end to most of the armed conflict between the various new arrivals; and, the desire for more land and resources for the settlers.
The Victorian period, up until the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, was therefore a time of religious confusion, but also, as we will see, of great charity, as well as of birth of new beliefs. What role did religion play in the lives of citizens of this period and their society? The Victorian era was marked by the immense influence of the Church of England in religion, of course, but also in politics- being linked to the government meant it had its hand in certain social decisions, such as the oppression of dissenters. This naturally caused friction amongst people of other faith, especially the Catholics who had previously been stripped of many of their civil rights, which were only returned to them in 1827 by Parliament. They had a long wait until 1840 to see the tax-supported status of the Anglican Church be removed, making them equal once again.
Before the Europeans colonized the Americas, there were people that lived on the land. The Native Americans that inhabited these lands were not warned of the Europeans’ arrival, nor did they know that there were civilizations past the rocky shores of the Americas. To the colonists, the Americas were undiscovered lands that they intended to call their own. However, the Native Americans proved to be an obstacle in their plan. The Europeans looked down on the Native Americans and referred to them as “savages” because their society did not match their own.
The arrival of Columbus and other Europeans wreaked havoc and caused many detrimental effects on the lives of the present population during the sixteenth century. The arrival of the Europeans in various ways caused the death of thousands of indigenous people dwelling within the Caribbean. “One was the importation from Europe and Africa diseases such as small pox, measles, dysentery, influenza, leprosy, yellow fever, typhoid, elephantiasis, against which the American Indian had no immunity”1. Small pox (fig.3) and measles was the most effective of these newly introduced diseases. The indigenous persons though lived sacred spiritual lives, as they practiced nature worship, ancestry worship as well as protective magic.
Due to Quanah Parkers near death experience and his healing by the Carrizo Coahuilatesan Indians he believed the peyote medicine was sacred and given to the people by the creator. Peyote religion is believed to be one of the first truly American religions based on Christianity. Quanah Parker was most notorious for his teachings about spirituality of the Native American church. One of his famous teachings was” The white man goes into his church and talks about Jesus, the Indian go into their tipi and talk with Jesus.” In the era of Quanah Parker many tribes adopted the peyote religion, but it was never the traditional religion of Native Americans. Peyote religion was created on the vision of Jesus by Quanah Parke (Lone star internet).
With the trading of the Columbian Exchange, diseases were increasing and affecting both the Americas and Europe. The Europeans brought multiple new diseases to the Native American population, smallpox being a major known disease. Wiping out two-thirds of the Native American population, they weren’t used to the infectious disease being brought with domesticated animals. With the impact of diseases not being as effective on Europe as it was for the Americas, Europe could withstand it. Also demographically, the start of sugar plantations and silver mines was another major effect on the Native Americans.