Dbq Native Americans

When the English set their sights on the colonization of the New World, they expected to be arriving in a vast wilderness, untouched by any man. They were quite surprised to discover that there were, in fact, many tribes of people spread throughout the “new” land. At first, these Natives were not a problem. They were actually a blessing to the English settlers. However, within a few years the relationship between the British and the Native Americans started to sour, turning from friendliness and a certain degree of codependence to suspicion, until all-out warfare eventually broke out between the two peoples.
As the first Englishmen settled in the New World and discovered it was populated with other men quite unlike themselves, their relationship with said peoples began as one of mutual friendship and curiosity. While the Native Americans were at first cautious of and curious about the Europeans, they also immediately showed the white men

hospitality and friendliness.

In document 2 Mr. Barlowe recalls how one Native “came running out to meet us very cheerfully and friendly,” and how they even carried the white men “on their backs to the dry ground.” The Indians took them into their homes, washed their clothing and feet, and “entertained [them] with all love and kindness” (doc 2). The English also showed great hospitality to the Natives as their relationship developed, leaving their homes “open to the savages, who were always friendly entertained at the tables of the English,” and even having them “commonly lodged in their bedchambers” (doc 10). The two often traded, as well, each intrigued by the treasures the other had to offer, as discussed in documents 2 and 10. The early settlers even had trade laws to protect Indians, decreeing that “no man shall…take away

anything from any Indian coming to trade…upon pain of death” (doc 9). Their punishment for attacking an Indian was even worse than that for attacking a female colonist! Though they did consider them savages, the English also admired the Natives’ culture. Arthur Barlowe wrote of how “no people in the world carry more respect for their King,” and that they were “faithful, void of all guile and treason” (doc 2). The settlers even commended the Natives’ reverence of their sun god, though they saw it as heathenism, saying “no Christian will keep their oath better” than a Native would when sworn upon the sun (doc 5).
However, this seemingly perfect relationship between the Native Americans and the English settlers could not last. Suspicions and distrust started to grow on both sides for various reasons. The Natives began to fear the white men when they realized that in every Indian town the English visited “people began to die very fast” – but never the Europeans (doc 3). As the Natives had no knowledge of the European diseases that were the real causes of the deaths, rumors about the English began to circulate, including prophecies that there were more of them to come to “kill…and take their places” (doc 2). The Europeans did indeed come with intentions to conquer “heathen and barbarous lands,” and anywhere not “inhabited by Christian people” by “subduing and possessing,” not that they shared those ambitions openly (doc 1). Document 1 displays the Europeans’ clear belief in their superiority to these heathen people. The Native Americans began to suspect such intentions, but were still trusting, as shown in document 5 when Werowance tells his people that the English “take but a little waste ground” in response to their worries. Such trust led to the Indians being taken advantage of, and the chief Powhatan, knowing he would rather not fight with the Europeans, acknowledged his people’s concerns openly with John Smith. He tells the captain how he would rather “laugh and be merry” with the English than “be forced to flee from you all” (doc 7). He tried to repair their previously amiable relationship by asking Smith “what will it avail you to take by force [that which] you may quickly have by love” (doc 7)? This is clearly a turning point in the relationship between the Native Americans and Europeans, as the Indians are recognizing the English’s power but also the fact that they are not being treated very well by them anymore. The Europeans unwittingly continued to walk the fine line of how far they could push the Natives before there is retribution. Unfortunately, they ended up pushing a little too hard.
Eventually, the tenuous balance of their relationship collapsed and gave way to fighting, death, and even all-out war. It began with the Natives launching a surprise attack on the colonists and killing over 300 of them. According to a report of the incident, the Indians “basely and barbarously murdered, not sparing either age or sex” (doc 10). In many instances they even used the Europeans’ own weapons against them, and knew where to find them as they had been consistently welcomed into the English settlement as friends. That was the spark that set off what would become a war between the two peoples. The colonists saw this as justification for retribution in every way possible, saying they are now “set at liberty by the treacherous violence of the savages” (doc 10). They vowed to “invade the country, and destroy them who sought to destroy us” (doc 10). The settlers were not content with one singular counter attack; they instead were going to take over the Natives’ villages and possess all game in the wilderness, effectively starving their new enemies. The Europeans also were now able to realize their original intentions regarding the Native Americans – conquest. They believed it was easier than “civilizing them by fair means,” and now can take that easier route as they are now enemies of the Natives (doc 10). While the Indians were the first to attack both on the first day of the English’s arrival and then again after the friendship had been forged, the settlers took their retribution to an irreparable place. Therefore both sides had a role in the disintegration of and eventual permanent burial of their once-positive relationship.
The relationship between the Native Americans and the English was quite complex. As it developed the complexities increased. The Natives knew more about how to survive in New England than the English, which made them valuable to the settlers. However, the Europeans had much more advanced weaponry and expansionist ambitions, making them a large threat to the Natives. At first, this power balance played out as a friendship that both sides benefitted from. For various reasons, however, the relationship started to sour, leading to the balance of power tipping to whomever was willing to pull the trigger first. Some people on both sides attempted to save the relationship, out of fear or rationality, while others were hoping to gain the upper hand by displaying dominance first. Eventually, the tensions escalated to a point of no return, and the once-amicable relationship between the English and Natives was forever scarred.