Indians in the United States: History Paper Example

Part I: European Colonial Era

Indians are vividly known to have enjoyed their local independence and their traditional practices before the Europeans invaded. Initially, they encountered a lack of a better term, a frontier situation implying that they had close, excellent and healthy interactions with their neighbors. Later on, the situation changed all over sudden once they became aware that the discoverers and their followers from Europe had arrived in the western hemisphere.

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The background study of American Indians history was carried out in the first publication while research on social, economic and cultural practices in the twenty-first century are covered in the second edition. This background history is outlined in three phases highlighted below. The lifestyle of American Indian before the European invasions are outlined.

Part II: Tribal Experiences

The trait of tribalism had been a significant issue in the history of Indians through the four eras as studied by Roger L. Nichols in his publication. This outlines a wide range of tribes which relates some touching stories of individuals.

Europeans invasion brought about new diseases such as smallpox, influenza, measles and chicken pox to the Indians where they had no immunity. Natives in the United States possessed the land and resources and benefited from access to technology and trade since they were no longer strangers to the Europeans and this posed a serious challenge to the Indians way of living. Europeans who were invading the land wanted to possess this tribal land and resources by force thus denying the Indians any other role except that of a victim. Indians who had traded earlier with the European settlers had a significant advantage, unlike rivals who offered resistance at first.

American Indians had a fear of how they would cooperate with the invaders since they had refused to cooperate. Within four decades Indian - French fur trade had emerged, but during the colonial era, the authorities had seen their limits on muskets thus dominating the tribal people.

Part III: Facing the United States

Focuses on invasions of Indian country after the founding of the United States. Indians were reluctant to change from their cultural, traditional ways which whites were determined to make them change. As time went by the whites became more powerful thus, started taking tribal lands and resources resulting in a shift of Indians into the second phase of great history and became reservation dwellers.

Unfortunately, both parties attempted to impose their forms of government, diplomacy and economic activity. Both sides focused on how people were to live and deal with social issues thus this became the backbone of conflicts. Significant conflicts arose between the whites, and the Indians were on how people were live. Matters were; social organization, family relations, language, education, medicine, and religion practices. Individuals and groups began to leave their reservation bases and interact with others thus finding their way in a contemporary society where this defines the third phase.

It is well known that in Indians education went from adults to children, unlike the other way many other communities do.

Indians were described as to have originated from captivity narratives which projected tribal people as children of the devil or as heathen barbarians. Opinions on Native Americans varied with generations, but Europeans and white Americans described Indians as savage and dangerous enemies.

Due to higher levels of technology like metal tools, firearms and wheeled vehicles the invaders gained material advantages. Europeans appeared to have an organized political, economic and military structures compared to the Indians way. Europeans shared most basic elements of their culture through interactions that even brought about intermarriage also though they objected. Indian and European customs were modified and combined thus producing a middle ground between the races. In line with the new set of practices and ideas, the fur trade progressed to operate as a diplomatic and economic force.

Part IV: late 19th Century to Present

Eventually, as years go by and the invaders acquired more and advanced firearms and more experience in campaigning against the Indians where the battle shifted in their favor.

Some colonial leaders had considered the Indians as their partners thus giving them some attention due to their relative straightforwardness.

Discrimination was depicted in most of the social institutions like schools, hospitals, and churches until the priests decided to separate Indians and whites during religious processions which eventually ended up in separate churches. Priests managed their way in the Indian country just like the chaplain and his fellow traders.

Despite being civilized American Indians still maintained their cultures. Regardless of the struggles, American Indians have a larger and stronger population today unlike centuries before. Indians might have prevailed as the colonists started to evacuate, but eventually, a white named as Lord De La Warr brought more colonists focusing on smashing the Indian resistance completely.

The population of the natives in the pre-colonial era approximated to 112 million, but by 1650 it had declined to less than six million. Generally, the history of American Indians in the United States projects some challenges they encountered thus causing the Indian population to fall drastically.

References

Nichols, R. L. (2018). Indians in the United States and Canada: a comparative history. U of Nebraska Press.