After reading an excerpt on the English treatment of both the Irish and Native Americans, from “The Tempest in the Wilderness,” and watching the video on Cahokia – “City of the Sun,” answer the following questions and respond to another student’s post.
Remember: Your initial postings should be at least 250 words and responses to others should be at least 100 words. Please avoid posting short responses to others such as, “Great post”, “I agree,” or “Me too.” Instead, think in terms of commenting on specific areas of others’ posts.
1. Based on the reading, explain British attitudes and methods used in subjecting both the Irish and Native Americans?
2. What does this account tell you about the act of colonization and how Europeans used their own ideas of what it means to be “civilized” as a justification for violence?
3. What does the video tell you about some ancient Native tribes and their ingenuity?
https://youtu.be/GAXBA2Pt9wE
https://youtu.be/AN8FuohtCxc
https://youtu.be/1tt3avl1aJs
Then respond to this classmate’s standing:
the reading provided a deeper insight about the history of the process of slavery’s development in the new world by providing some background of British treatment of Irish settlers and the generalized rhetoric used to dehumanize them as a group of people. in its opening paragraph John Winthrop, declares that the Americas are a gift from god. and furthered this notion by continuing that it is the “‘puritan duty in the wilderness…” to tame the lands and create a city that the world could appreciate as a religious mecca. Winthorp goes on to encourage the migration to the new world adding that their presence would make use of the otherwise wasted bounty that the new land provided. This inferior/superior mindset would go on to justify the harsh treatment of both groups by the British, as both Irish and native Americans were regarded as savage, uncivilized and less than human. the article continues on making connections of a play entitled the tempest, in which it is explained that many of the origins of slavery in the Americas began with the treatment of Irish settlers who similarly to native Americans practiced nomadic lifestyle routines. Their lack of societal structure was painted as uncivilized. and it was through these types of societal comparisons that the British fed propaganda of the need to educate the savage inhabitants of the land. later it is revealed that these individuals were then seen as assets for sources of income, as gifts, as means of labor, or even entertainment purposes. it wasn’t until some time later after the introduction of women into slave lives to quell dissent and provide extra labor that the image of slavery we know today was developed. the progression of indentured servitude was not immediate. but progressed with the opportunity of profit to the British empire
this account brings to light the fact that colonization and religion was used as a scapegoat. prejudice already existed in the minds of the British as they had already established their claim of superiority over the Irish because of their devoutness to their faith, the appearance of their clothing, their nomadic lifestyle, their lack of a government and the continued expansion of Christianity. violence was used it was justified as the “god given right” of the British to tame the savage nature of native inhabitants. although it is well documented that slaves were used as a source of revenue, this was still justified in the eyes of god by the British through the caste system that labeled them as less than human and in need of education and religion.
the video presentation provided information on the largest manmade sight north of Mexico as well as insight on to how monumental of a task it was to complete. it gave knowledge about the complexities of early native American society in the Missisisspian tribal area, explaining that the mound was located in the center of the city, surrounded by smaller villages. where it was surrounded by plazas for congregating and celebrations, fields of agriculture and trade. It was interesting to see the societal structure of how decisions were the responsibility of the chief who made choices that kept the relative peace in the region. personally I have always found the ingenuity of native peoples fascinating but learning some of the information from the video presentation reminds me that part of the reason I appreciate the creativeness of native people is the efficiency of their routines. no roads, schools, hospitals, jails, courts, or laws do not hinder a cultures ability to build meaningful lasting connections to people and the world. a phrase I have always appreciated is “ancient knowledge” much of the food, medicines, and ideas we see today come from simple ideas or plans. religion and education had nothing to do with native tribes ability to thrive. but their arrival almost destined them to struggle for countless generations to this day.
