The image of the Native Americans as barbaric savages has been created and perpetuated by way of film, literature, and various other. The portrayal of Indians as the aggressor has become a very prevalent depiction of the interactions between them and the settlers in colonial times. However, what these sources fail to highlight is the aggression displayed by the settlers toward the New World Native Americans. Although colonial Native Americans were perceived as savages of low intelligence, many articles published in The Pennsylvania Gazette between 1585 and 1783 bring into question which inhabitants of the New World were more savage: the Native Americans or the colonists?
When settlers first arrived in the New World and managed to form a permanent …show more content…
In another issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette, there is a proposition to make a law restricting “lawless intruders on the Indian lands and to prevent any future settlements thereon”. The passage of a law restricting colonial expansion to prevent Native American riots against colonization had been attempted and failed previously – it was known as the Proclamation of 1763. This is a prime example of colonial mistreatment of the American natives because the colonists completely disregard the Native American claim on the land. This is further exemplified in another article which speaks of the colonists “removing those Indians who make the navigation of the Mississippi River precarious.” This disregard for Native American claims and the loss of their land was a major factor in Native American aggression against the English …show more content…
An article of legislative acts and legal proceeding published a story about John Lane and Griffith Johnson. During a scouting trip, they found Native American tracks in the snow and followed them until the encountered a group of 9 Natives near the Savage River. When the Native Americans stopped to make a fire, Lane and Johnson opened fire, killing two while the others escaped. Lane then proceeded to scalp the man he shot after the other Natives failed to shoot him. This article highlights the aggressive nature in which colonial citizens treated the Native American because Land and Johnson attacked the small group of Natives without provocation – though it can be concluded that Lane had a vendetta against Native Americans because he was captured and kept as a prisoner prior to the attack. Another issue with these sources it they only portray Native Americans as beasts that savagely separate a man’s scalp from his body but as proven by the aforementioned article, it was not uncommon for a white settler to scalp a Native American after they kill them.
Colonists took great pride in victory over the Native Americans in battles. This is exemplified by an excerpt from a letter to Henry Bouquet published in The Pennsylvania Gazette. The writer boasts of the “Victory over the Savage Enemy,” indicating the Native Americans allied with the French. However, there is good reason
When settlers first arrived in the New World and managed to form a permanent …show more content…
In another issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette, there is a proposition to make a law restricting “lawless intruders on the Indian lands and to prevent any future settlements thereon”. The passage of a law restricting colonial expansion to prevent Native American riots against colonization had been attempted and failed previously – it was known as the Proclamation of 1763. This is a prime example of colonial mistreatment of the American natives because the colonists completely disregard the Native American claim on the land. This is further exemplified in another article which speaks of the colonists “removing those Indians who make the navigation of the Mississippi River precarious.” This disregard for Native American claims and the loss of their land was a major factor in Native American aggression against the English …show more content…
An article of legislative acts and legal proceeding published a story about John Lane and Griffith Johnson. During a scouting trip, they found Native American tracks in the snow and followed them until the encountered a group of 9 Natives near the Savage River. When the Native Americans stopped to make a fire, Lane and Johnson opened fire, killing two while the others escaped. Lane then proceeded to scalp the man he shot after the other Natives failed to shoot him. This article highlights the aggressive nature in which colonial citizens treated the Native American because Land and Johnson attacked the small group of Natives without provocation – though it can be concluded that Lane had a vendetta against Native Americans because he was captured and kept as a prisoner prior to the attack. Another issue with these sources it they only portray Native Americans as beasts that savagely separate a man’s scalp from his body but as proven by the aforementioned article, it was not uncommon for a white settler to scalp a Native American after they kill them.
Colonists took great pride in victory over the Native Americans in battles. This is exemplified by an excerpt from a letter to Henry Bouquet published in The Pennsylvania Gazette. The writer boasts of the “Victory over the Savage Enemy,” indicating the Native Americans allied with the French. However, there is good reason