There are a multitude of interpretations regarding the impact that American Indians have made on the world. From medicine, to food, and even politics the American Indians have contributed heavily to the world’s society, but they get little credit. For centuries, anthropologists have been trying to assess and explain how American Indians laid the foundation for the world we know now. In this essay, I call attention to Jack Weatherford and his interpretation of the American Indian impact.
Jack Weatherford is a cultural anthropologist who studies the impact that American Indians have made on world history. His book Indian givers: How the Indians of Americas transformed the world is an excellent example of the work that he completed. The book …show more content…
Thomas Paine, an English Quaker, followed the political example of Indians. Paine served as secretary to the commissioners to negotiate with the Iroquois. He became the first American to call for the abolition of slavery. “Noble Savage” also occupied a majority of the seventh chapter. The “noble savage” is characterized as the man of liberty living in the “natural state”. Plans to change Europe involved overthrowing the monarchy, aristocracy, and abolishing money and private property. Next, the founding fathers of the United States assembled pieces of different systems to create a new one, including those used by American Indians. Benjamin Franklin believed a new government should be modeled after the American Indians. Becoming a lifelong champion of the Indian political structure, Franklin advocated the policies to the Americans. George Washington also worked closely with the Indian political institutions. Lastly, European culture was labeled an enemy during the creek red stick revolt. Relying on traditional Indian weapons, the red sticks pursued the battle with fort Mims. After a war, Britain recognized Indians as a nation opposed to a tribe. It was also vowed that Britain would protect the rights of the …show more content…
Like all things, there are both pros and cons of this book. On a positive note, the book was extremely informative and helped the reader to connect the experiences of Indians to our history in which we learn about at an early age. Though an easy read, a substantial amount of information was given. The few negative aspects of the book included transitioning and presentation. For example, each chapter started a different topic that did not completely connect with the one previous to it. Furthermore, every section began with a story, but the stories were not always connected to the information given throughout the chapter. Overall, Weatherford’s opinion about the Indians made the text bias. He often spoke highly of Indians and not of the rest of the
Jack Weatherford is a cultural anthropologist who studies the impact that American Indians have made on world history. His book Indian givers: How the Indians of Americas transformed the world is an excellent example of the work that he completed. The book …show more content…
Thomas Paine, an English Quaker, followed the political example of Indians. Paine served as secretary to the commissioners to negotiate with the Iroquois. He became the first American to call for the abolition of slavery. “Noble Savage” also occupied a majority of the seventh chapter. The “noble savage” is characterized as the man of liberty living in the “natural state”. Plans to change Europe involved overthrowing the monarchy, aristocracy, and abolishing money and private property. Next, the founding fathers of the United States assembled pieces of different systems to create a new one, including those used by American Indians. Benjamin Franklin believed a new government should be modeled after the American Indians. Becoming a lifelong champion of the Indian political structure, Franklin advocated the policies to the Americans. George Washington also worked closely with the Indian political institutions. Lastly, European culture was labeled an enemy during the creek red stick revolt. Relying on traditional Indian weapons, the red sticks pursued the battle with fort Mims. After a war, Britain recognized Indians as a nation opposed to a tribe. It was also vowed that Britain would protect the rights of the …show more content…
Like all things, there are both pros and cons of this book. On a positive note, the book was extremely informative and helped the reader to connect the experiences of Indians to our history in which we learn about at an early age. Though an easy read, a substantial amount of information was given. The few negative aspects of the book included transitioning and presentation. For example, each chapter started a different topic that did not completely connect with the one previous to it. Furthermore, every section began with a story, but the stories were not always connected to the information given throughout the chapter. Overall, Weatherford’s opinion about the Indians made the text bias. He often spoke highly of Indians and not of the rest of the