Settlementand colonization in the early America
TheEuropean cultural exchange with the North America is believed to havestretched back to the arrival of Leif Ericsson at the Newfoundland,which was around the year 1000.The European settlement took some timeto spread till the first voyage made by Columbus around 1492.Thenative inhabitants of America were the Red Indians who lived in theregion many years before coming of the white settlers in the region(week 1 dox, 2).The European writers constructed images of thisregion that played a crucial role towards the settlement of thewhites in the region and the colonization of the Indians present atthat time in America.
Thewriters depicted America as the golden western arena thissignificantly lured the adventurers to go to this region since theysaw some shining opportunities for the pelf and pelts. The writerswere responsible for the colonial ambitions of the rival powers fromtheir homeland. The authors might have written a lot about Americanterritories with other motives such as the need to spread the gospel,but slowly one thing led to the other.
Thewhite settlements became numerous with time and the need to colonizethe newly acquired territory rose due to trade and the constantattacks from the Red Indians. The Red Indians felt that other peoplehave invaded their land and started making permanent settlementssomething that they did not take lightly.
America,which was a new world to the settlers, had a lot to offer this wasas a result of the image of America according to the European writersat that time. There was an adequate amount of information writtenabout the golden western arena due to the early periods of settlementand exploration which was still taking place as the settlers tried toacquaint themselves better with their new environments.
TheEuropeans writers did a lot of description of America, the plants andanimals present, the native inhabitants of the region and alsosomething that was of great interest to them was the offshorefisheries that would be a constant supply of food to them in the newworld. All these resources were ideal for settlers to come andinhabit America. There was a stiff competition that arose since thenumbers of the settlers were increasing rapidly and also the nativeinhabitants also used them as their source of lively hood. Thesettlers thought it right to colonize the Red Indians so that theycould be in total control of all the available resources. Thesettlement led to colonization.
TheEuropean writers also created images of the trade that took place inthe new world and the commodities of traded that were available. Theywrote about the wars, captivities, and the treaties signed. Theyprovided enough information for the people who had a desire to sailand live in America. The writers were involved in the creation of theinstruments of law and government. The personal journals of thewriters kept the history of the colonies established by the settlersin America (Bailyn). A large number of their finding was printed inEngland their country of origin which was read by people and greatlyattracted more settlers to America.
Thefirst permanent settlement by the settlers from England was as aresult of mercantile but not as a result of religious motives as ithas always been thought. The Virginia Company in its aims ofpromoting the Jamestown (1607) settlement was in charge of providinggoods that were necessary for the British trade and were also toattract numerous English settlers who were in great need of land andhomes in the new land. These led to the rise in the number ofsettlers and the demand for more land. William Bradford in his worksdiscussed more of the colonization of Indians by the settlers as theylooked for more resources and land.
Thesettlers colonized the Indians and as a result, they became defiant.The Indians who had been counted by the company for cheap laborrefused the incentives and slavery that they had been subjected toand wanted to be free people under their rule (Nash, 200).Colonization had turned out to be real in the region. Slaves werestarting to be acquired from the Dutch traders, and forced labor hadbecome the order of the day in America. The Indians realized thatthey had lost their freedom to the settlers and decided to raid themand get the settlers move away from their land. Mary Rowlandson wasone of the authors who wrote about the attacks by the Indians.
Theseimages as depicted by the early European writers still do exist up todate. American has attracted many people from all parts of the worldin search of quality education, employment, and business activities.Many authors from across the globe have written many great thingsabout the country, creating a lot of desire for people to visitAmerica.
Thenatural resources in the country such as rivers have made peopletravel long distances to come and enjoy the scenic environment in thecountry. The environmental factors and the people of America havealso been another magnet pulling people to the country. The greatdifference between now and then is that though the early settlementsexist the issue of colonization and enslavement of people subjectingthem to forced labor does not exist anymore(Loomba). People are freeto work for anyone, and better treatment and payment has been thepolicy that governs the workers and employers in the countrydemocracy, and equity highly adheres.
Workcited
Bailyn,Bernard. Voyagers to the West: APassage in the Peopling of America on the Eve of the
Revolution.Vintage, 2011.
Loomba,Ania. Colonialism/postcolonialism.Routledge, 2015.
Nash,Gary B. "Theimage of the Indian in the southern colonial mind."The William and Mary
Quarterly:A Magazine of Early American History (1972): 198-230.
Week1 document, explorationand coloniespage 2