Colonial Effect on Native Americans free essay sample

During the colonial era European emigrants had a dramatic influence on the native people living on the North American continent. Previous to the arrival of the colonists the native people had enjoyed their own culture, customs and way of life. Many lived in smaller settlements spread far apart across the American continents. In their culture the men hunted for game while the women played the role of farmers. The men in comparison to the English aristocracy worked harder and the women could own land. Personal possessions were limited to only what could be carried due to a nomadic lifestyle. Throughout the hundreds of years that the native people had been around they had become accustomed to their lifestyle; however that was all about to change. Making the journey across the ocean was not just the Europeans but their own unique culture that was shockingly different from that of the natives. According to European Christian views man was given by god, the right to rule over everything in the world. We will write a custom essay sample on Colonial Effect on Native Americans or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This right, to the settlers, also included the Indians because the bible says nothing about them. To the settlers the Indians were obviously subpar and therefore could be dealt with however they pleased. Christian and Amerindian views are so unrelated that they are hardly comparable. To the Indian Christians worshipped their deity by eating him instead of making sacrifices to him. While to the Christians the Aztecs seemed to be devil worshippers who engaged in cannibalism, human sacrifice had skull racks and decorated their temples with snake motifs. Because of their â€Å"god given dominance† the settlers believed that they could force upon the Indians the Christian religion. The the action of forcing upon the Indians Christianity caused a substantial social and cultural upheaval. In European culture the men would farm, hunt and gather to provide for the family and when the settlers arrived in the Americas they proceeded to force the Indians to change their way of life. To the Indians farming was for the women and therefore to be forced to farm by the settlers made the Indians feel that they had been reduced in status. Many battles were fought by the settlers against the Indians because the Indians did not want to change their lifestyle. Many Indians and settlers alike died fighting each other when if the English and Spanish had just let the Indians alone there would have been no bloodshed. The Indians used guerilla style warfare to attack the settlers by killing women and children, burning crops and destroying villages. The English had finally had enough, and decided to wage war with the Amerindians. The native inhabitants of America felt great change in their lives as the settlers arrived because the settlers imposed on them their culture and religious views. They treated the Indians like dogs and made them work as slaves for the â€Å"dominant† white race. So in all, the time of the English and Spanish colonization native inhabitants watched as their lives were turned upside down.