Stereotypes Of Natives In America Before Columbus

For years students have been taught that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean in 1492 and discovered America. We also learned that William Bradford was the first govenor of Plymouth. Although these stories told are very fact-based there is a huge part of information not mentioned in the stories told that have been taught to studentsfor years and years. Why is it that the natives that were in America before Columbus and Bradford never also a big part of the story? Columbus was the explorer who led his three ships the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria of the Spainish Port of Parlos to find a new world. He has been credited for discovering America, but there were already people living in America at the time and those people are called the

The Natives were smart people who were skilled in algiculture, hunting, and fishing. They adapted to this lifestyle prior to Columbus and Columbus' men. The Natives developed a decent life for themselves in America. The Natives provided their own food, cloths, and established their own religion. The Natives' custom was to be naked, but as time passed women made their own clothings from leaves and animal hides to cover themselves and their families. They were also very religious. They believed in the spirirts of nature. They believed that people should live in harmony with nature and that nature should be treated with great respect. Columbus was biased towards the Natives when he arrived in America. Columbus considered himself better than the Natives at first glance because of their appearences. When Columbus first met the Natives he wrote: "They all go around as naked as their mother bore them; and also the women." Columbus was clothed differently, more rich than most Natives. Which made his mentality towards the Natives arrogant, as a result of this he made the Natives his slaves and put them to work. At first arrival Columbus' was a hero who found a new place to look for gold and treasure, but his ego and

Bradford was a leader of the Plymouth settlement who traveled on the mayflower to America. He served as governor for 30 years. Like Columbus and his men the first contact between the pilgrims and the Native Americans caused conflict. There was a miniture war between the pilgrams ad the natives. The pilgrams were victorious and their victory had much to do with their equipment. The pilgrams had guns and protective clothing but the Natives didn't. Unlike Columbus, Bradford and the Natives both signed a peace treaty. Afterwards Bradford learned from the Native Americans. Bradford had a distasetful view of the Indians because of things he'd heard about them from other explorers. Bradford's view of the Natives changed after his own personal encouter with them. The Native Americans taught him farming techniques and how to survive in the colony. After the war and the peace treaty the Pilgrams had much to be thankful for, but at the first Thanksgiving only 53 pilgrims were alive to celebrate do to disease caused by unfortunate weather