One of the topics discussed on Thursday of this week was the interactions of between the native tribes and the American Government. It is quite sad to see that in the span time from the founding of America to as early as 1831 the American view on the native tribes changed so harshly from one point of view to another. Changing from recognizing them as Nations to as wards in about 50 years. I find the parallel to the Pilgrims intriguing. Wampanoag tribe members met with the pilgrims in 1621. The Leader of the Pilgrims Edward Winslow and the Sanchem of the Wampanoag tribe Massasoit were friends after Winslow helped nurse Massasoit from an illness back to health.
While both men lived the colonists and the Wampanoag had mostly close ties; however, that did not last. When they died very shortly after the first war with natives occurred. King Philip’s war was declared in 1676 after tensions escalated and the colonists hung three Wampanoag tribe members for murder. This war shows that very early on the Puritans and the Colonists truly felt that they had lordship over their allies that their leader did not show initially. It is a shocking that in the span of a single generation ideas and values can seemingly change so wildly.
–Ian Nieland
Jake June 16, 2018
I also find it hard to believe that within one generation views can change so much. Native Americans should not have had to go through that trouble. If any nation should be a ward of the other it should be the United States, as we came here second.
A lot of the natives had great expectations for the new settlers and I’m assuming they wanted peace. The way that people changed and got greedy is sad. Throughout the generation we basically see the U.S. decide that the native people are not people and they don’t deserve their land and their rights.