Ethan Brown
Honors Exam #1 (Sem. 2)
Honors 10 History, Mr. Viles
Support or refute the following statement:
Essay Question :The primary cause of conflict between Native America and Europe was due to conflicting Myth narratives (and all the resulting consequences).
The conflict between the Native Americans and the Europeans was due to the misunderstanding between their cultures and religions. Much of this information has been taken
from The Earth Shall Weep by James Wilson.
from The Earth Shall Weep by James Wilson.One of the greatest causes of conflict between Europe and Native America was the fact that they both trusted in their religions very strongly, and the religions they believed in were so very different.
The Europeans were Christians. Christians think that a single god made everything over “seven days”. Christians also believe that their god is omnipresent –a god that is everywhere but is not everything. Some time after everything was created, there was a breaking of relationship between people and god, called the “Fall of Man.” Years later, their god sacrificed himself so that people could have a relationship with him again. Christians believe that wherever they go, their god goes with them.
Not the Native Americans. They believed that their gods put them where they were supposed to be. They thought that they had always been in their lands and they didn't want to move. Their ancestors were there, their gods were there. Native Americans were pantheistic. This means that they believed that their gods were in everything around them. They believed if they left their place, they left their gods.
Another problem that caused conflict was the fact that Europeans believed in linear time, which moves forward. Native Americans believed time was cyclical.
Also, the Europeans came from a civilization with an economy. Coming to the new world, they saw that the peopl
e here farmed and hunted for no personal gain. This seemed abnormal. Europeans looked at farming and hunting as occupations, not just a calling to help one another or to survive. Europeans were more interested in large farms, factories and surplus, so they could trade and earn more money for a finer existence. Native Americans were content with what they had, and didn't seek anything else than what they needed. This is what was the scholars in The Earth Shall Weep meant by saying the Native Americans weren't “Real Farmers”.
Also, the Europeans came from a civilization with an economy. Coming to the new world, they saw that the peopl
e here farmed and hunted for no personal gain. This seemed abnormal. Europeans looked at farming and hunting as occupations, not just a calling to help one another or to survive. Europeans were more interested in large farms, factories and surplus, so they could trade and earn more money for a finer existence. Native Americans were content with what they had, and didn't seek anything else than what they needed. This is what was the scholars in The Earth Shall Weep meant by saying the Native Americans weren't “Real Farmers”.The primary reason why there was conflict between the Europeans and Native Americans, was because their cultures were so immensely different. They didn't understand each other. Their religions, way of life, and ways of thinking all contradicted each other. Because of all the misunderstanding, there was conflict.
