Rhode Island Colony Summary

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Analysis #2 The seventeenth century brought new emerging colonies all along the east coast of the New World. Each colony had its own way of governing, as well as an approach to handle the Native Americans, who were regarded either as a beneficial asset to have or an unnecessary obstacle to overcome. Two of these colonies, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, had contradictory views on the Indians who inhabited the land before them. The government in Rhode Island was set on the idea of uniting all under one king, both Indians and colonists, and doing whatever it took to do so. On the other hand, the inhabitants of Pennsylvania dealt their Indians more or less as equals. Pennsylvania prospered as a direct result of treating the Indians with respect…show more content…
He pointed out about arriving to see the Indians, who “received [them] in a friendly manner” (60). These Indians did not receive them as a threat, so they offered their houses as meeting places for their worship. After talking about setting up his mill, Townsend illustrates how “Proprietor [Penn] treated the Indians with extraordinary humanity” (60). The Indians never took advantage of him, and merely returned the favor. The Indians who came to Pennsylvania were “exasperated by the hard treatment” (60) of the other colonies who never even made an effort towards peaceful relations, and greatly appreciated the Pennsylvanians. Townsend further talks about how Pennsylvania grew more and more, and newcomers were still plentiful and prosperous. Indians contributed to the trade and took part in the reason behind Pennsylvania’s…show more content…
Easton fully details how the Indians were subject from one thing to the next. The Indians had their firearms taken away, then sold back to them by the English. They were slowly drained of their money and land, and had Christianity forced upon them. Eventually, prosecutions took place and the courts were forced to hear the Indians’ testimonies. They testified that at first, “when the English first came the king’s father was a great man” (58), referring to Massasoit. However, he was followed by a series of cruel rulers. The English constantly ripped them off in trades and “led them into drunkenness” (58), causing some Indians to get violent and to give the English more reason to persecute them. This cycle of injustice towards the Indians led to Rhode Island’s slow demise. They chose to dominate the Indians instead of working with
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