"Arrivals....There Goes the Neighborhood"

Over the past couple of weeks, we've been reading and going over stories that have to do with Native Americans and the effects that European explorers had on them surrounding this idea.  These stories include "Museum Indians", "A Journey Through Texas", "History Of Virginia", "Plymouth Plantation", and Columbus's Journal.  As Europeans began arriving in American during 1492, they learned that another group of peoples was already living there, the Native Americans.

When the Europeans first arrived in America, they treated the Indians like they were savages.  Since Indians believes in many spirits, and were not monotheistic, they were viewed as primitive.  This can be seen in Columbus's journal and the way that he referred to them as "barbarians."  They treated Native Americans like this because they were a thing from the Europeans past, and thus not worthy to be their "neighbors."  Native Americans only used what was needed, while Europeans went out of their way to make the most profit.  The Europeans also tried to changed the Indians' beliefs because they felt that it was their duty to the God, but as seen in the stories and writings that we read, Native Americans didn't bend, making Europeans feel even more so that Indians were nothing more than "savages", and eventually escalating to the point where Europeans began to kill Indians over land and wealth.

Native Americans really never stood a chance against the European spread and the European belief in "manifest destiny" due to their advanced technology, such as guns, and their was nothing they could do to stop the spread of Europeans due to their greed of wealth.  Overall, I feel that while the European settlers treatment was horrifying, it was a necessary evil in making the world is is today, and I feel that it is a great world.