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Native Americans originally lived throughout North America. By Puritan settlers in the area they named New England, and by the Spanish explorers and missionaries, the Native Americans experienced difference attempts of the Europeans trying to converting them to Christianity. The relationship between Native Americans and Puritans as well as Native Americans and the Spaniards were both poor due to the violence and force shown on the natives.
The English colonies in North America were first established by the Puritans who came to the "New World" seeking freedom of religion and an escape from persecution by the Church of England and from the English monarchy. Their arrival was met by the indigenous people of America and, as time went by, their relationship turned from friendly to bitter. The Puritans began to force on the natives their religious views, trying to convert them, and when the response wasn't as they hoped, called the Indians savages and the differences between the two turned violent.
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This article surveys three arguments of "Indian-Hating". Throughout this article the arguments are interpreted by Hershel Parker. In short, the article discusses reasons for "Indian-Hating". Such analyzes are the Native American view of spiritual reality versus Christianity. This ties in with the Puritans and their decision to convert the Native Americans. It shows that many groups of people believe that there is only one way to God and this causes a kind of dysfunction in the relationship between the two cultures.
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The Metaphysics of Indian-Hating
Hershel Parker
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A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowlandson
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This narrative by Mary Rowlandson shows her theological beliefs as well as condemns the Native Americans, called Indians in her narrative, as being barbaric. Mary Rowlandson's captivity occurs after a tribal leader was provoked by the killing of three other natives. In retribution, the tribal leader Metacomet, also known as King Philip, organized an attack on Plymouth Colony and then Massachusetts Bay in an attempt to remove the settlers from the land. Mary Rowlandson's narrative reinforces the belief of the Puritans that Indians were savages, barbaric, and unable to be converted to Christianity. Though she did things many would consider barbaric as well, Mary Rowlandson was seen as brave and her belief in God, unmeasurable. The contradiction did nothing to bridge the gap between the two cultures.
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"Then Began He to Rant and Threaten": Indian Malice and Individual Liberty in Mary Rowlandson's Captivity Narrative
Pamela Lougheed
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Discovering Common Ground: A Note on William Carlos Williams and Valery Larbaud
Neil E. Baldwin
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Discovering Common Ground: A Note on William Carlos Williams and Valery Larbaud by Neil E. Baldwin is about a conversation held by William Carlos Williams, an American, and Valery Larbaud in Paris. William Carlos Williams talks about how he feels the Puritans "raped the virgin land they found" (page 295) and how it was the Indians, the "original natives" (page 295) who suffered. Through this essay, the analysis of Williams is evident. The Puritans tried to force upon the natives their religious views which would have destroyed the native's culture yet, even though as a whole the conversion failed, the Native American's way of life still managed to be destroyed simply from the diseases brought by the Europeans and the violence that sprung up among them.
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To sum it up, the relationship between the Puritans and the Native Americans remained atrocious and the violence continued. The Puritans believed that their way was the right path of God. In addition, they believed of land ownership, whereas the Native Americans did not believe that any one man could own land. This caused additional problems since the settlers were moving in on land that was fruitful and was once used by the Native Americans. The Native Americans began to raid the settlers and a new genre was created by the captives who were set free. The literature reinforced that Native Americans were "savages" and that there was no way to convert them. The Puritans were not the only group who came into contact with the Native Americans, however. Spain, though the "discovery" of the Americas was accidental, sent missionaries to convert the natives as well as explorers to find gold and increase the wealth of Spain.
The Spanish "discovered" the Americas purely on accident. Once there, they discovered the new lands had potential for vast amounts of wealth for the Spanish crown. The arrival of the Spaniards was a disaster for the Native Americans even though the Spanish could never fully decide on what to do with the Native Americans. Some believed that they were introducing Christianity to the Native Americans as well as "civilization" while others believed that the Native Americans had rights to their land and should not be exploited. Later, Queen Isabella declared that the Native Americans were subjects to her crown and therefore were allowed the protection and rights of the citizens of Spain. In addition to the protection though, the conquistadors were allowed to collect tribute as well as labor from the Native Americans. This was taken full advantage of, while the protection part was largely ignored.
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Raising Empires like Children: Race, Nation, and Religious Education
Karen Sanchez-Eppler
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This article mentioned a conversion of a Native American to Christianity. The witness of this made it sound so sweet and soft and beautiful. However, though there were some conversions, many wrote back of the "success" of converting the natives to make the Americas sound more appealing. This was hurtful towards the relationship because new arrivals soon discovered that it was not all success and the cultures once again clashed.
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In Cabeza de Vaca's excerpt from his journal The journey of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and his companions from Florida to the Pacific, there is mentioned, multiple times, of their run ins with the natives of that region. As the journey goes on, Cabeza de Vaca comes to rely on the Native Americans for their sense of direction so that other Spaniards could be found. Once men of their own culture were found, Cabeza de Vaca discussed that in order to convert the natives to Christianity, using force may not be the best way. Instead, if the Native Americans are treated well and respectfully, trust will be gained and they will willingly convert to Christianity. Cabeza de Vaca was one of the few who believed this was the best way to convert the Native Americans. Perhaps if there were more who believed this, conversion of the Native Americans would not have been as difficult and might almost definitely not have been as violent.
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a sculpture of how Cabeza de Vaca appeared to the Native Americans
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Native Americans and American Identities in the Early Republic
Timothy Sweet
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This article discusses Native American identity within the American identity. In this, it is mentioned that Native Americans were "forced out of American life and into American history". This can be followed back to the relationship the Native Americans had with the Europeans who settled in the Americas. The differences of culture and religion and of land ownership played a big part in the negative relationship the two cultures had.
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The arrival of settlers, explorers, and missionaries proved disastrous for the natives of America. Many of the Europeans believed that force was the best way to convert them, though perhaps if the Native Americans had been treated with kindness, a less violent, more successful conversion to Christianity by the Native Americans could have been achieved. Because of the lack of understanding dealing with converting the Native Americans to Christianity and the infringement on their lands by the Europeans, the relationship between the Europeans and Indians was violent, distrustful, and ended very badly for the Native Americans.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.