Conflict and Cooperation: Native Americans and European Settlers in Early America
The early history of the settlement of what would eventually become the United States has many competing narratives. Many people view the relationship between Native Americans and European settlers as fundamentally combative. While at times the relationship between the colonists and the Native Americans was certainly one of conflict, this period was also full of significant curiosity, education and cooperation that went on between both groups. Many times, each group was inquisitive about the other and knowledge was exchanged. The Native Americans were often portrayed as brutal savages, but current literature shows that this was not often the case. The apparent viciousness of the European settlers towards the native peoples, particularly in terms of cultural destruction and land acquisition, is also more complicated than it initially seems. Though the eventually dominance of the Europeans over the Native Americans lead to increased conflict, one cannot discount the importance that shared learning and cooperation had for both the settlers and the Native Americans. This sense of curiosity and collaboration is, in the end, more important and interesting than the simple narrative of brutal conflict between the Europeans and the Native Americans.
The suggestion that the natives were vicious and unaccommodating towards settlers is still widespread, and the Indian Massacre of 1622, which occurred in Virginia, is often cited as an example of such brutality. However, in many circumstances the idea that Native Americans were intrinsically combative is at best overly simplistic and at worst highly prejudiced. Upon early encounters with Native Americans, Europeans were truly impressed by their hospitality. Kupperman describes how Arthur Barlow, on a voyage to Roanoke in 1584, describes how when their party stumbled upon an Indian village, the newcomers were invited to an elaborate meal, even though their arrival had not been expected.
English writers in the early 17th Century often expounded on the friendliness, honesty, and general good nature of the Native Americans, although they were still highly suspicious of them.
The story of Squanto (whose real name was Tisquantum) also illustrates the complexities between the Native Americans and the Europeans. Squanto had been raised near present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts where the Puritans had originally settled in 1620, but then captured by the British with the intention of selling him into slavery in Spain.
Squanto, however, escaped to England where he learned to speak English. He then returned to America, where he served as an interpreter between the Europeans and the Native Americans. He is credited with teaching English settlers how to plant Indian corn.
Since spoke English, he was often relied upon assist negotiations between the English and the Native Americans, though it is also known that he used this ability to wield power and influence among the local Indian tribes.
His complex existence is a testament to the fact that relationships between Europeans and Americans were nuanced rather than immediately combative.
On many other instances Native Americans cooperated and exchanged knowledge with colonists. At times the relationship between the Europeans and the Native Americans was simply one of curiosity. Kupperman writes, "The first response on all sides was curiosity; the Americans and the English were drawn to early meetings because they wanted to understand something about the different people they met."
The native peoples were often impressed with European tools and technology, and were interested trading partners. Native Americans were not only a source of goods for trade, but they provided skills that cannot be easily economically classified. Piker writes that some Indians in Georgia provided services as navigators in the early 1700s, guiding colonists down rivers to help track down runaway slaves. During this same time period, some Native Americans were also enlisted by the English as mercenaries against competing Spanish settlers.
Conversely, many also believe that the European settlers were also violent and uncompromising, destroying native culture and taking land and resources at their convenience. Though abuse of native peoples has been documented, this was not necessarily the case in all situations. Initially, European writers often praised the qualities of the native peoples. They were often said to be good-natured and trustworthy.
Kupperman points out that, most importantly, they were seen as dignified; their chief men were seen as "grave and wise."
Besides respect for the natives' dignity, the Europeans had intense curiosity about their lifestyle and habits. This is evident in the materials that were often published about the Native Americans overseas, as descriptions of the Americans was popular reading back in Europe.
Many...
Conflict Policy Conflict of Interest Statement The Hangout is committed to high standards to prepare young adults from economically disadvantaged areas with education and skills necessary to achieve success and enrichment in life. It is essential that members and the general public uphold this commitment with the highest quality of confidence. Even the smallest appearance of a conflict of interest, or a potential conflict of interest, should be avoided. In order to
There is no doubt that Macquaries used its knowledge of the internal workings of Alinta to make decisions about whether or not to involve its own finances. Qantas and Geoff Dixon attempt to avoid Alinta's problems by keeping Dixon away from the actual buyout dealings. However, the sizeable payout and other financial perks given to Dixon, especially in light of the other corporate abuses going on, seems suspect at best.
Ethically, this may not be quite as questionable, but when matters of public health are concerned, and whenever the stakes of the decision-making are great, it is wise both to avoid apparent as well as actual conflicts of interests. Should NIH scientists (compared to scientists in the private sector) be held to a higher degree of regulation of conflict of interest? The NIH is a body of the federal government. The
Conflict of Interest Acquisition of Government Allies, Inc. ECG is anticipating an acquisition of Government Allies, Inc., and plans are being developed for ECG to have an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the near future which is likely to provide an extensive growth opportunity for ECG. Following due diligence activities on the planned acquisition, it comes to light that a senior ECG executive has a potential conflict of interest in the acquisition
The CSRLThe Corporate Sponsored Research & Licensing (CSRL) serves as the primary interface between the hospital and the private sector. It is responsible for negotiating and executing agreements to access materials, funding, and resources at MGH. It also reviews all consulting agreements by MGH staff and serves as an in-house resource on all facets of relations with industry.One of the main debates is about the goal of the group. A
Innocence Presumed Innocence The notion of presumed innocence is meant to ensure that a fail trial is received by all who are accused of crimes in the United States' criminal justice system. If there was a presumption of guilt, or even if there was not a presumption of innocence, the accused would be treated as criminals before having a trial by their peers. In other words, truly innocent people would end up
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now