Civilization Of Native Americans In The Film Notes Of Virginia

Based on the material from the film, the competition for land becomes an important factor in the animosity between whites and Native people. Subsequently, the images of native people in the public changed over time as that competition increased. In 1781 when Thomas Jefferson wrote Notes of Virginia, slavery was so rampant that many American believed that it was the natural place for black people. However, in Notes of Virginia, Jefferson described how Native American’s by nature were brave warriors who instinctually protected their land and were a free group of people. Thomas Jefferson believed that Native American was not that different from Europeans Americans. This belief mirrored the original perception of Native Americans, which was that they were white, but that the sun had darkened their skin. Furthermore. “European enlightened thinkers, who held that a change in environment, as well as education, could change individuals for the better, influenced Jefferson his peer’s opinions on Native Americans. Thomas Jefferson believed that culture, not race was the reason for Native Americans behavior. However, unlike Jefferson, Individuals who had come in contact with Native American, most often had an adverse opinion of Native Americas. These individuals saw Native Americans as savages that …show more content…
In order to avoid war, the united states decided to “civilize the Native American. This civilization of the Native Americans was done so by theChristian Religion, and by changing the Native Americans from hunters to farmers. This also was done so in the hopes that by teaching the native Americans about agriculture, that they could be confined to a small area, which would allow for the settlers to have control of a large area of land, which would be open to