New Amsterdam
Early settlers only wanted to trade furs, expecting to be fed and housed by the West India Company
The Company turned to Puritan settlers to start farms (“patroonships”) and bring families
Administration was inept or corrupt. Many were fired for losing money or stealing
The Company hired Walloons, English, French, Irish, Swedish, Danish, German, and other workers
Slaves could own land, testify in court, bear arms, and attend church
Some slaves received “half-freedom” to run their own farms later in life
Intercourse with “heathens, blacks, or other persons” was banned
Liquor sales rivaled fur sales in the early city. Most crimes were the result of drunkenness and a majority male population
The female minority was described as “utterly chaste and shamefully promiscuous” and “exceedingly addicted to whoring”
Leaders allowed in settlers from more restrictive Puritan towns in Massachusetts, as well as Quakers
Lenapes
Disease and settlers depleted the Lenape people by 90 percent
Mohawks and Mahicans took advantage of the weak Lenape, demanding wampum for tribute
Pequot War (1637): New England colonies took control of wampum production on Long Island
Dutch and New England forces wiped out almost all Lenapes by 1645 by raiding villages
Meanwhile, the Dutch faced competition from Spain and Portugal, putting pressure on profits
Friday, February 15, 2008
Natives & Newcomers Ch. 3
How much different are Indian/European interactions between the 1500s and 1700s
Problems in studies:
Most documents are from European invaders, not natives
Centuries of bias and ethnocentrism
“We have come to see with virtually new eyes that the Indians discovered Columbus and his world as surely and as importantly as he did them and theirs.” (15)
European concepts of “Others”
Long history of travel and trade (e.g. Marco Polo)
Sketchy sources mixed with superstition and myth
Greek and Roman gods
Biblical narratives
Indians became heathens and sinners
Compared Indians to “savage” Europeans (e.g. The Irish)
Though mostly peaceful, Europeans often used a show of force to prove equality or superiority
Indian concepts of “Others”
Most Indian groups explored little
Envisioned “Others” as equals or gods
Animals, plants also had spiritual characteristics
Humans must interact peacefully with the world around them. Spirits would help or hurt them.
All encounters began with gift-giving
Prophesies suggested men of white would arrive, or that tribes would be destroyed
Awkward
Europeans “drank blood and ate wood”
Indians kept bits of colored cloth, broken materials out of curiosity
Indians argued new land claims and name changes
Humans or animals?
Children were given up to Europeans
-Political marriages
-Children learned languages faster
-The official seal of trade or peace agreements
Americans were also kidnapped out of curiosity:
Freak shows
Pseudo-intellectual exhibits
To impress leaders (and get more money from them)
Fame
Amusement
To charge admission
Women and children easier to catch
Most die
Some returned able to speak pidgin tongues
Problems in studies:
Most documents are from European invaders, not natives
Centuries of bias and ethnocentrism
“We have come to see with virtually new eyes that the Indians discovered Columbus and his world as surely and as importantly as he did them and theirs.” (15)
European concepts of “Others”
Long history of travel and trade (e.g. Marco Polo)
Sketchy sources mixed with superstition and myth
Greek and Roman gods
Biblical narratives
Indians became heathens and sinners
Compared Indians to “savage” Europeans (e.g. The Irish)
Though mostly peaceful, Europeans often used a show of force to prove equality or superiority
Indian concepts of “Others”
Most Indian groups explored little
Envisioned “Others” as equals or gods
Animals, plants also had spiritual characteristics
Humans must interact peacefully with the world around them. Spirits would help or hurt them.
All encounters began with gift-giving
Prophesies suggested men of white would arrive, or that tribes would be destroyed
Awkward
Europeans “drank blood and ate wood”
Indians kept bits of colored cloth, broken materials out of curiosity
Indians argued new land claims and name changes
Humans or animals?
Children were given up to Europeans
-Political marriages
-Children learned languages faster
-The official seal of trade or peace agreements
Americans were also kidnapped out of curiosity:
Freak shows
Pseudo-intellectual exhibits
To impress leaders (and get more money from them)
Fame
Amusement
To charge admission
Women and children easier to catch
Most die
Some returned able to speak pidgin tongues
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Natives & Newcomers Ch. 2 notes
Communication Breakdown
Whites needed to communicate
For trade
To find gold
To find land routes
To hunt wild animals
To convert natives to Christianity
“We come in peace”
Over 200 Indian languages
Many were similar, but with widely varied dialects
European languages were similarly related
How could Indians/Europeans recognize singular or different languages?
Related ideas using:
--Imitation
--Music
--Symbols
--Gifts/food
--Facial expressions/body language
--Sign language
Thinking they thought that . . .
Early European explorers impressed their own ideas of what they wanted the Indians to say over what they actually said
The Europeans are gods (p. 50)
The Europeans are in Asia
The natives will show them where gold is
The Indians have no religion or laws (p. 51)
The Europeans are free to take all the land they want (p. 52)
First words
“I don't understand”
“Friend”
“Chief”
Jargon: specific words used for specific purposes.
Pidgin: simplified words put together for basic communication.
Simplified words from Indian and European languages were used together for trading and politics
Whites needed to communicate
For trade
To find gold
To find land routes
To hunt wild animals
To convert natives to Christianity
“We come in peace”
Over 200 Indian languages
Many were similar, but with widely varied dialects
European languages were similarly related
How could Indians/Europeans recognize singular or different languages?
Related ideas using:
--Imitation
--Music
--Symbols
--Gifts/food
--Facial expressions/body language
--Sign language
Thinking they thought that . . .
Early European explorers impressed their own ideas of what they wanted the Indians to say over what they actually said
The Europeans are gods (p. 50)
The Europeans are in Asia
The natives will show them where gold is
The Indians have no religion or laws (p. 51)
The Europeans are free to take all the land they want (p. 52)
First words
“I don't understand”
“Friend”
“Chief”
Jargon: specific words used for specific purposes.
Pidgin: simplified words put together for basic communication.
Simplified words from Indian and European languages were used together for trading and politics
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Natives and Newcomers, Chapter 1
Fun Facts from Chapter 1
Some Americans thought Europeans were gods because they weren't interested in having sex with their women
Some Europeans compared Americans to the Irish because the Irish were the most uncivilized people they could think of
Americans tried showing respect for Europeans by carrying them on piggyback
Pipe smoking parties lasted about three days
Americans who had never seen swords before often grabbed them by the wrong end
Europeans remixed Indian war dances with fiddles
Imagining the “Other”
“Other”
Different from “us”
Similar to other “others”
What to compare “them” to?
Marco Polo and the East
Africa and the Canary Islands
Classical mythology
Biblical literature
Past and modern “barbarians”
“While Europeans found “others” to be different and usually inferior, the “others” the Indians knew tended to be similar or superior.” (19)
Interaction
N. Europeans may have been fishing off the coast of Newfoundland for over 1000 years
Religious beliefs lead to desires for different goods
Pirates worked privately or for government organizations
Both native Americans and Europeans traded objects of lesser value in their society for objects of greater value
The arrival of European fur traders did not create internal trade systems, transportation routes, or trade alliances. They simply turned regional economies into globalized ones
Interdependence
Kidnapping and forced acculturation occurred at the same time as voluntary cultural exchange
Interdependence led to the destruction of distinct “Indian” and “European” identities
If you want to be on good terms with anyone, give them a gift
Water transportation is the most conducive to trade
Demands for goods traded between Indians and Europeans were often created by 3rd parties 1000s of miles away
Most exchanges were completed by experts in trade, facilitating the efficiency and economy of suppliers and customers
All people are inherently greedy, corrupt, curious, and racist
Governments and companies reform themselves to improve their competitive edge
When learning a language, it's best to know the words for:
Greetings
Finding things and locating leaders
Buying/selling
Getting directions
Getting laid and swearing
Some Americans thought Europeans were gods because they weren't interested in having sex with their women
Some Europeans compared Americans to the Irish because the Irish were the most uncivilized people they could think of
Americans tried showing respect for Europeans by carrying them on piggyback
Pipe smoking parties lasted about three days
Americans who had never seen swords before often grabbed them by the wrong end
Europeans remixed Indian war dances with fiddles
Imagining the “Other”
“Other”
Different from “us”
Similar to other “others”
What to compare “them” to?
Marco Polo and the East
Africa and the Canary Islands
Classical mythology
Biblical literature
Past and modern “barbarians”
“While Europeans found “others” to be different and usually inferior, the “others” the Indians knew tended to be similar or superior.” (19)
Interaction
N. Europeans may have been fishing off the coast of Newfoundland for over 1000 years
Religious beliefs lead to desires for different goods
Pirates worked privately or for government organizations
Both native Americans and Europeans traded objects of lesser value in their society for objects of greater value
The arrival of European fur traders did not create internal trade systems, transportation routes, or trade alliances. They simply turned regional economies into globalized ones
Interdependence
Kidnapping and forced acculturation occurred at the same time as voluntary cultural exchange
Interdependence led to the destruction of distinct “Indian” and “European” identities
If you want to be on good terms with anyone, give them a gift
Water transportation is the most conducive to trade
Demands for goods traded between Indians and Europeans were often created by 3rd parties 1000s of miles away
Most exchanges were completed by experts in trade, facilitating the efficiency and economy of suppliers and customers
All people are inherently greedy, corrupt, curious, and racist
Governments and companies reform themselves to improve their competitive edge
When learning a language, it's best to know the words for:
Greetings
Finding things and locating leaders
Buying/selling
Getting directions
Getting laid and swearing
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Maritime Revolution notes
Polynesians settled west into the Pacific
Little is known; few records
Descendants live in places as far apart as New Guinea, Hawaii, and Easter Island
Malayo-Indonesians settled east into the Indian Ocean
Descendants live in places as far apart as Madagascar and China
Evidence that colonies were planned, not discovered by accident
Why were these groups better at seafaring?
Technology was simple but effective
Zheng He (1371-1435)
Chinese Muslim explorer under the Ming Dynasty
The early Ming Dynasty wanted to “re-establish China's predominance and prestige abroad”
Zheng He travelled to important ports in the Indian Ocean
Explored the coasts of the Middle East and Africa
Brought lavish gifts to foreign rulers
Created demand for Chinese goods
Stimulated interest in the Chinese empire
Atlantic Exploration
Vikings attacked ships and shores throughout northern Europe
Warmer temperatures made navigation easier
Settled Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland before 1000 CE
Mansa Muhammed of Mali reportedly died trying to cross the Atlantic in the 1300s
Amerindian voyagers settled the Caribbean Sea (Cuba, Jamaica) by 1000 CE
Why Explore? (Spain)
Iberian rulers (Spain and Portugal)
Money. Trade between port cities and foreign lands
Religion. Competition between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism
Curiosity.
Ferdinand and Isabella, 1492
January 2: Kicked out the last Moorish (Muslim) king of Granada
March 30: Ordered all Jews out of Iberia unless they become Catholic. Many leave for Ottoman Empire
August 3: All Jews officially expelled. Christopher Columbus begins his voyage
October 12: Columbus lands in West Indies
Why Explore? (Portugal)
Wanted to protect strong fishing economy
History of anti-Muslim warfare
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Muslims
In 15th century, Morocco was politically weak
Henry the Navigator wanted to:
Make Africans Christian
Join up with Christian leaders already in Africa
Start an awesome Crusade against the Ottomans
Henry also started an important navigation school, bringing together centuries of technology and knowledge
European Navigation
Ships: caravel, possibly from the Arab qârib or Roman cara bella
Cartography (maps)
Technology: instruments such as the astrolabe
Exploration made profit through the trade of slaves and gold
Eventually Portugal landed on the eastern tip of Brazil
Little is known; few records
Descendants live in places as far apart as New Guinea, Hawaii, and Easter Island
Malayo-Indonesians settled east into the Indian Ocean
Descendants live in places as far apart as Madagascar and China
Evidence that colonies were planned, not discovered by accident
Why were these groups better at seafaring?
Technology was simple but effective
Zheng He (1371-1435)
Chinese Muslim explorer under the Ming Dynasty
The early Ming Dynasty wanted to “re-establish China's predominance and prestige abroad”
Zheng He travelled to important ports in the Indian Ocean
Explored the coasts of the Middle East and Africa
Brought lavish gifts to foreign rulers
Created demand for Chinese goods
Stimulated interest in the Chinese empire
Atlantic Exploration
Vikings attacked ships and shores throughout northern Europe
Warmer temperatures made navigation easier
Settled Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland before 1000 CE
Mansa Muhammed of Mali reportedly died trying to cross the Atlantic in the 1300s
Amerindian voyagers settled the Caribbean Sea (Cuba, Jamaica) by 1000 CE
Why Explore? (Spain)
Iberian rulers (Spain and Portugal)
Money. Trade between port cities and foreign lands
Religion. Competition between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism
Curiosity.
Ferdinand and Isabella, 1492
January 2: Kicked out the last Moorish (Muslim) king of Granada
March 30: Ordered all Jews out of Iberia unless they become Catholic. Many leave for Ottoman Empire
August 3: All Jews officially expelled. Christopher Columbus begins his voyage
October 12: Columbus lands in West Indies
Why Explore? (Portugal)
Wanted to protect strong fishing economy
History of anti-Muslim warfare
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Muslims
In 15th century, Morocco was politically weak
Henry the Navigator wanted to:
Make Africans Christian
Join up with Christian leaders already in Africa
Start an awesome Crusade against the Ottomans
Henry also started an important navigation school, bringing together centuries of technology and knowledge
European Navigation
Ships: caravel, possibly from the Arab qârib or Roman cara bella
Cartography (maps)
Technology: instruments such as the astrolabe
Exploration made profit through the trade of slaves and gold
Eventually Portugal landed on the eastern tip of Brazil
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