reading and answering questions.

Running header: NATIVES AND EUROPEANS 1

NATIVES AND EUROPEANS 4

Natives and Europeans

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Natives and Europeans

Daniel K. Richer is a leading historian of the Native experience in British America and also a professor at the University of Pennsylvania; he looked at the Europeans from the west of the Indian country perspective. Because of the European experience, the result becomes vital to understand, and it is also important in its way since it I a reflection that is powerful on the nature of writing the history of an indigenous population. The book explains initial moments between the contact of native Americans and Europeans in the 16th century. The writer, Richter uses his intense critical perceptions to rebuild the contours of the communities that are indigenous.he goes ahead and examines changes in native’s material culture as a result of trading with the Europeans, and also close attention is paid to the demographic shocks which are s a result of the introduction of devastating pathogens.

Question One

Three examples of the impact of perspective that have a different impact on historical understanding include the following. Firstly, the impact of perspective on trade. Most of the trade activities followed the river lines; hence, they crisscrossed the continent. The Indians participated in trade with the Europeans. They exchanged a variety of good; for instance, they exchanged corn for the meet. They also had access to particularly valuable quarries where they took stones that were to make various stone tools and weapons which could be exchanged later with the Europeans. There was also long-distance trade that majored on exotic products such as marine shells and beads. The impact of perspective, in this case, is that Indians developed good relations with Americans through trade since they were able to trade with one another. Secondly, by the year 1492, Mississippian cities were declining because they were experiencing little ice age that greatly impacted agricultural activity negatively because of the change in the climate. It made the residents unable to grow and survive on crops as they used to do. Many people who depended on crops did not sustain themselves effectively, and thus, it led to poverty as a result. Thus the impact of perspective in this context is that the little ice age negatively affected these persons. Thirdly, it led to the loss in faith among the religious leaders for they pretended that they could control the forces that altered the growth of crops. People of Mississippi lost faith in these religious leaders; thus, they did not have a good relationship with them.

Question Two

Native people, according to Richter, came into contact with European things that they appreciated them. Firstly, native people came into contact with copper that was a very valued material that was fashioned, and it simplified an individual who had it as privileged, and their social status was viewed as high. Copper used to make a lot of items such as Jewellery, cutting implements, weapons, and iron goods that were exchanged with the native people. Secondly, the native people got in touch with beads from the Europeans. These beads were used for various purposes, such as making ornaments such as necklaces and bracelets. The beads were also used for various artworks. The natives exchanged several items for them to get beads since they valued them greatly. Thirdly, the native people got woolen blankets and that they replaced animal skin. The Europeans introduced these clothes and blankets to the native people who valued them.

Question Three

Native and European land had different views of land use, natives viewed land as a resource which could not in itself be owned any more than could the air or sea while the Europeans viewed land as a commodity that was itself inherently and irrevocable owned with all its resources. Also, natives often planted one type of crop on their lands while Europeans planted two to three types of plants on their farms. The impact of European settlement affected land in the following ways; the natives adopted the use of plow and sickle, unlike their use of a digging stick. Additionally, they adapted the growth of numerous crops on the farm to prevent specialized weeds and pests that attacked specific crops. Lastly, it led to the dependence of European trade(Sabo & Richter, 2010).