Native Americans And American History Essay - 969 Words

Native Americans, or Indians, as they were mistakenly called, have been the â€Å"pathetic footnotes to the main course of American history† (Axtell 981). But James Axtell, the author of Colonial America without the Indians: Counterfactual Reflections, would beg to differ. He says that instead, Indians played a key role in making America great. James Murray gives another term to describe America’s greatness: America’s â€Å"exceptionalism.† Throughout his article Axtell makes many points as to why Indians played a vital role in â€Å"American Exceptionalism†. He even says that America wouldn’t have been colonized nearly as soon if the Indians were gone, because Columbus would know he was not in the Indies and move on. So because they simply existed in the first place, Axtell says they were significant in the history of our country. Furthermore, he says Indians specifically played a vital role in the exceptionality of America’s early ec onomy, culture, and historical events and places. I never thought about how much the Indians contributed to the economy of early colonial America. However, without the Native Americans â€Å"There would have been no maize or Indian corn, the staple crop grown throughout the colonial period to feed people and sometimes fatten livestock for export† (Axtell 988). I believe Mr. Axtell raises an excellent point in this statement. Without the Indians to teach the early settlers, they would never have survived the harsh winters, and would have starved and died out veryShow MoreRelatedNative American History : Native Americans1099 Words   |  5 Pages Native Americans A few thousands of years before the famous and high recognized explore Christopher Columbus’ ships landed in the Bahamas, a distinctive group of people discovered America. The ancestors of modern Native Americans who hiked over a â€Å"land bridge† from Asia more than 12,000 years ago. 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Almost every battle that has taken place has been documented. When stories of past battles are retold, only one side of the tale gets told, the victor’s side. In history, the ones who have been defeated never get to present their perspective of the tragic quarrels. Most never even lived to tell the stories, but the ones who do survive are not thought of as important accounts in history.Read MoreNative Americans And American History1036 Words   |  5 PagesNative Americans do not experience enough social, political, and economic equality today because their stereotypes are portrayed in media, they do not have enough government representation, and they are not as well off as most Americans. Education plays a big part in how Native Americans are represented. Many schools, according to â€Å"The Coddling of the American Mind,† are overprotective of their students, thus censoring and limiting some important topics that students are required to learn. ThisRead MoreAmerican History: Native Americans 829 Words   |  3 PagesHave you ever wondered what it would be like to be Native American during the European invasion? In American history Native Americans were treated unfairly. The American government mistreated the Natives by lying to them and treating them as foreigners. After years of fighting for freedom the Natives did not achieve their goal for freedom. The Trail of Tears, being the most tragic event in American history, was due to the Removal Act in the 1830s, the misguidance of President Andrew Jackson, theRead MoreNative Americans And American History1396 Words   |  6 PagesNative Americans have remained a prominent aspect of American history; not jus t a history of the people, but a history of the land and the extensive traditions that shadowed it, like footprints in the sand. However, when the Europeans staggered over with indifference towards the natives and their unusual customs, a conflict erupted that dates back hundreds of years and continues into the present. As the United States grew further more intolerant of the natives, the daring judgment to either assimilateRead MoreThe American Of Native American History Essay2006 Words   |  9 PagesLong before Europeans landed on the east coast of the American continent, native peoples were living and thriving across the land. This is historical fact that is taught in schools across the country. However, much of the rest of Native American history that we are exposed to in schools really does not reflect truth. While the broad lessons capture parts of the story, the reality is that much of the history is distorted and paints an inaccurate picture of the tribes and how they were treated by settlersRead MoreHistory Of Native Americans1353 Words   |  6 Pagesstarting the California Gold Rush and more than 25,000 Mexicans returned to California to stake their claims. Americans detested their appearance and the Mexicans along with other outsiders were threatened and violently assaulted. One important point that should be stressed, is that throughout this entire fight for these lands, neither nation thought to consider the Indians/Native Americans residing in these areas. In this case, they are the Comanche and the Pueblo Indians. They are completely disregardedRead MoreNative Americans History1879 Words   |  7 PagesWhen asking a child, educated or not, what they ideas are when they hear the term Native American where does they mind venture to? More than likely do they not consider the former House of Representative, Charles D. Curtis or professor pitcher Joba Chamberlain. But they also do not think of a Native American as being an average person, a boy/girl like themselves. What children believe to be Native American are descriptions such as, feather headdresses, tomahawks, and long braided hair or scalpedRead MoreNative American History And History785 Words   |  4 PagesAs we speak and history verifies the very fact of the long-standing planning practices o f American Indian that had enabled them to survive through every hurdle placed in the way. Although many Native American societies didn’t have a written language, many tribes were advanced enough and had written history or organized spiritual ceremonies and practices. Many tribes were destroyed and others moved far away from their ancestral home. Since the origin, and till now, American Indians have been able