Ned Blackhawk, Violence over the Land does a great job at depicting how the Early american west was created and all of the violence that the native people endured over many years. For as long as I can remember the American west was all about shooting and gun fights due to how most people in history portray it. However Ned Blackhawk does a great job bringing many hard aspects of the Early American West to light. Blackhawk brings a unique perspective to light discussing how many different empires from the Spanish to American’s bringing hardships, death and diseases to the Indian groups living on the land hinting at the title “Violence over the Land”. He discussed how over time the native population has had a very pauperized life. This book has …show more content…
Firstly, Blackhawk discusses the rise of the Spanish nations and how it was one of the first things to effect the Native Indians from trade to needing warfare supplies like rifles and ammunition.However this did not last long as Blackhawk goes into depth about how slavery has played a very large role into their economies. This also ties into another main concept in this book and it is about how the Indians have played a major role no matter what is was in the rise and fall of each of these nations. In the text (The Last Years of the Ute-Comanche Alliance pg.45-46) Blackhawk discussed how New Mexican’s started to take native Indians as slaves. Which is the start of many major hardships they encounter over this period of time. As the book continues and the rise and fall of the Spanish nation happened the Americans come into the equation and this is generally where the “Violence over the Land” starts to take place.The first major sign of Violence in this land was one of the largest and most powerful alliances between the Utes and Comanches. Eventually this violence was a part of their society and it states in the text that the Comanches “always traveled in militarized bands, constantly prepared to defend themselves as well as to attack weaker neighbors.” Violence with these groups was eventually a part of who they are not only representing social status but honor. Over the years as time progress the spanish empire eventually fall and then the American Explores came
Ashlee Flaviani Professor Ball June 11, 2016 Hist 1302 Research paper rough draft : Sand Creek Massacre Sand Creek was a “small village of about 800 Cheyenne Indians along southeast Colorado” (ushistory.com), the struggle was violent as the need for native land grew more essential. The need for land became such a necessity that logical compromise was no longer an option. Native Americans grew progressively violent when territory became the main question. “By the end of the Civil War the two sides had slipped down a downward spiral of vicious battles until the 1890s” (ushistory.com).
Identifying the common comparisons in the reviews allows the reader to analyze the structure and arguments in the monograph. A strength that three of the reviews recognize is the depth of research that Hamalainen provides on the Comanche. Recognizing the text’s detailed research, Flores states that its precise history makes it the leading text on the Comanche. Minor writes that Hamalainen’s thesis allows detailed research into the three eras of the Comanche. The rise, peak, and fall of the Comanche, Minor claims allow the readers with a comprehensive understanding of the expanse of the Comanche’s power in the southwest.
One of the lasting impact the Spanish settlements had; the settlers created a bad relationship with the natives. The natives had several purposes to contemn the settlers. One reason being, in document c, that it states that the natives inculpated the settlers, or more specifically priests, for transporting disease from Spain to the native’s motherland. Corresponding to the natives, the settlers also have their motives for resenting the natives. For instance, the Apache and Comanches tribes had slaughtered several innocent settlers and soldiers, as well as raiding a couple of missions around San Antonio and La Bahia (doc b).
Environment and Development There were many new world crops for the Spanish to cultivate, one being maize. This became a staple in their society. A century after Columbus had crossed the ocean; New Spain had become a strong empire. The access to furs had a strong influence on the New French way of life.
A War of Self In his novel, A Separate Peace, Knowles uses the story of Gene Forrester to examine a dark aspect of human nature. Gene Forrester, the novel’s protagonist, fights an inner battle of jealousy and hatred towards his best friend, Phineas. Phineas, an athlete, charismatic charmer, and fearless boy is someone that Gene wishes he could be. Gene creates an enemy out of Phineas in his mind because of the “competition” that is their friendship.
The author gives insight on how many ways the Spaniards used their power to assist in the downfall of the Aztecs. The reason why the Spaniards became victorious, was because the Spaniards were looked upon as if they were gods because of their outer appearance. The Aztecs broke bread and welcomed the Spaniards with gifts and parties. The Aztecs triggered their relationship with the Spaniards by holding a ritual for the arrival of the god which included a human sacrifice. The Spaniards didn’t agree with the rituals and began to despise the Aztecs.
In the 16th Century, Spain became one of the European forces to reckon with. To expand even further globally, Spanish conquistadors were sent abroad to discover lands, riches, and North America and its civilizations. When the Spanish and Native American groups met one another, they judged each other, as they were both unfamiliar with the people that stood before them. The Native American and Spanish views and opinions of one another are more similar than different because when meeting and getting to know each other, neither the Spaniards nor the Native Americans saw the other group of people as human. Both groups of people thought of one another as barbaric monsters and were confused and amazed by each other’s cultures.
In addition, the Europeans killed many Native Americans and took over their land. Yet, the Europeans created a trading system which inflicted conflict within their own groups. The Spanish saw the French as a threat which lead to the creation of a
Former UCLA History Professor and author, Roger D. McGrath, in his article, “The Myth of Violence in the Old West,” (Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes: Violence on the Frontier, 1984) asserts there is no connection between the violence of the Old West and violence today. Firstly, McGrath begins his article by introducing the main claim. Then introduces Bodie an infamous town known for its crime, located on the trans-Sierra frontier. He then discusses the low rate of larcenous crime found through the FBI index; which the information shows that individuals weren’t the targets and crime was thwarted by citizens. The explanation of the law larceny rate could be due to the fact more citizens were armed, therefore criminals were threatened
This power imbalance and these payments are key in the subjugation of the natives. Furthermore, the paternalism of the Spanish toward the Indigenous peoples is obvious: “Captain [Cortes] stared at him [Cuauhtemoc]…then patted him on the head” (p.117). Post-conquest, and still today, “difficult relations” between the descendants of the Indigenous peoples and the “others” (p.117) still exist. The European view of the natives “as idolatrous savages” or, on the contrary, as “models of natural virtue” (p.175) demonstrate the versatile and often contradictory views held. Similarly, the Aztecs at times saw the Spaniards as gods, and other times as gold-hungry savages who “fingered it like monkeys” (p.51).
All God’s Children: the Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence by Fox Butterfield explains the story of Willie Bosket and his family. Butterfield explains why he feels that Willie Bosket is the most violent criminal in the history of the New York Correctional system. Willie has committed more than two thousand crimes and of those crimes he has been convicted of two murders. He is currently serving three consecutive life sentences with 70 years of solitary confinement in a special cell created just for him. In a interview, Butterfield says “He's kept in a kind of Plexiglas cage.
Hostilities between the Native Americans and the white man were now more apparent than ever. Raids carried out by both sides took place often. These raids resulted in the destruction and burning of housing and supplies and often led to a loss of numerouos lives. These happenings occurred around the same time that Jules Verne’s novel, Around The World In 80 Days, took place.
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. We all know this catchy tune right? But what we don’t know, is what Columbus thought when he arrived in the North America or what he though of the Native Americans he met. In fact, we don’t know much about all the explorers after Columbus and what they thought. Each explore had their own view of the Native Americans, and three great examples are Columbus, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda and Bartolomé de Las Casas
Perhaps the most significant myth in American culture is that of the American frontier generated by the European encounters with the American West. The most noticeable part of the frontier myth is the mythic struggle between modern civilization and wilderness. Frontier is defined as “the meeting point between savagery and civilization”. Turner believes that the American frontier is closely related to American civilization and that frontier
The 20th century labelled, “the most violent century in human history” (golding). To explain the violence of the 20th century if one must look at all events of the intentionally harm done to others. This includes the violence caused by the two hundred and fifty-six wars inluding World War One and two, The Vietnam War, The Cold War which where almost 108 milion human lives have persihed and others haunted by the gruesome details that occurred during these events. One must also look at the the violence caused by seven genocides including the Holocaust, Armenian Genocide and Rwandan Genocide which killed eighteen million people.