In the article “The Treatment of the Indians in Plymouth Colony” written by David Busnell, focuses on the issues the Indians face with the English colonists around the 1600’s. Bushnell frequently discusses the negotiations of land and trade of goods between the Indians and English Colonists. Most importantly, he specifies how the trade and negotiations came about and how they were settled.
The content in the article shows the controversial relationship of the English colonists and Indians through a series of confusing purchases of land, what both groups of people valued as currency and their representation in the colony. Bushnell’s purpose was to show how the Indians were treated by the English colonists during their coexistence. The Indians …show more content…
Of course, not all colonists in Plymouth shared the goals of obtaining lands from the Indians which is why authority in Plymouth set out to stop these actions beforehand. As stated, “the Plymouth authorities were more zealous than most colonial governments to prevent such abuses” (Busnell, 1953, pg 199). Bushnell uses primary sources such as William Hubbard in his “A Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians”. Like the protection of the Indians Hubbard states “it was ordered that such lands might not be purchased even if the Indians agreed to sell.2” (Hubbard, 1677). This source supports the protection that some of the English Colonist provided to the Indians when selling land. Bushnell’s methodology is opiniative due to his introduction of what could have occurred in history. Bushnell begins with, “Thanksgiving might never have become a holi- day if the Indians of southeastern Massachusetts had chosen to pounce upon the Pilgrim settlement in the dreary winter of 1621” (Bushnell 1953, pg 193). He finds his opinions within the pondering questions of what could have happened in …show more content…
Because of the different values both the Indians and the English colonists held, it is not as convincing to believe Indians gained trade that was useful to them or if the English colonists payed fairly due to no factual or even theoretical evidence. Bushnell states, “and one consequence of this relation was that the trade and tended to merge together. The best examples of the process are to be found among the sachems themselves” (Bushnell, 1953, pg 202). Since their processes of trade were only to be based off the memory of the sachems it limits the article to prove whether these trades actually
The content in the article shows the controversial relationship of the English colonists and Indians through a series of confusing purchases of land, what both groups of people valued as currency and their representation in the colony. Bushnell’s purpose was to show how the Indians were treated by the English colonists during their coexistence. The Indians …show more content…
Of course, not all colonists in Plymouth shared the goals of obtaining lands from the Indians which is why authority in Plymouth set out to stop these actions beforehand. As stated, “the Plymouth authorities were more zealous than most colonial governments to prevent such abuses” (Busnell, 1953, pg 199). Bushnell uses primary sources such as William Hubbard in his “A Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians”. Like the protection of the Indians Hubbard states “it was ordered that such lands might not be purchased even if the Indians agreed to sell.2” (Hubbard, 1677). This source supports the protection that some of the English Colonist provided to the Indians when selling land. Bushnell’s methodology is opiniative due to his introduction of what could have occurred in history. Bushnell begins with, “Thanksgiving might never have become a holi- day if the Indians of southeastern Massachusetts had chosen to pounce upon the Pilgrim settlement in the dreary winter of 1621” (Bushnell 1953, pg 193). He finds his opinions within the pondering questions of what could have happened in …show more content…
Because of the different values both the Indians and the English colonists held, it is not as convincing to believe Indians gained trade that was useful to them or if the English colonists payed fairly due to no factual or even theoretical evidence. Bushnell states, “and one consequence of this relation was that the trade and tended to merge together. The best examples of the process are to be found among the sachems themselves” (Bushnell, 1953, pg 202). Since their processes of trade were only to be based off the memory of the sachems it limits the article to prove whether these trades actually