A bit of American history


Native Americans early history

Spanish slave traders of the early 16thincluding the Pilgrims, who were heading
Century were probably the firstfor the Hudson River, got blown
Europeans to interact with the nativeoff-course and anchored in Provincetown
population of Florida.[4] The firstHarbor before they settled at
documented encounter of Europeans withpresent-day Plymouth, Massachusetts,
Native Americans of the United Statesinstead, during a harsh winter. In the
came with the first expedition of Juanautumn of 1621, they celebrated a
Ponce de León to Florida in 1513,three-day thanksgiving feast with the
although he encounted at least onenative Wampanoag people, without whom
native that spoke Spanish. In 1521, hethey would not have survived the winter
encountered the Calusa people during aof 1620.
failed colonization attempt in whichThe Great Migration continued into the
they drove off the Europeans.1630s and 40s, creating many settlements
In 1526, Lucas Vásquez de Ayllón triedin New England and the Virginia colony.
to found a colony in what is now SouthDutch colonization activities proceeded
Carolina, but for multiple reasons itin an overlapping terr Pequot War
failed after only a year. The remainingMeanwhile, Spanish and French
slaves of the colony revolted and fledcolonization were also proceeding on
into the wilderness to live among theother areas of the continent.
Cofitachiqui people.Some European settlers used Native
The next encounter came with the membersAmerican contacts to further their
of the Narváez expedition fromactivities in the fur trade; others sold
1528–1536. Álvar Núnez Cabeza deEuropean technology to the natives,
Vaca wrote a detailed account of theincluding firearms which fueled tribal
failed expedition which includeswars. Peaceful coexistence was
descriptions of several Native Americanestablished in some times and places.
cultures he encountered from Florida,For example, the careful diplomacy of
the northern Gulf Coast, Texas, possiblyWilliam Pynchon facilitated the founding
New Mexico and Arizona, and northernof what would become Springfield,
Mexico. He described the behavior,Massachusetts in a desirable farming
living situation, dress, and food of thelocation close to the native Agawam
people he encountered as he wanderedsettlement.
from village to village.Struggles for economic and territorial
An expedition in 1539 headed by Fraydominance also continued to result in
Marcos de Niza went in search of Thearmed conflict. In some cases these
Seven Cities of Gold. They were guidedlatent conflicts resulted in escalating
by another survivor of the Narváeztensions, gradually followed by
expedition, Estevanico, who encounteredescalating multi-party violence. In
the Zuni people in his wanderings.other cases sudden, relatively
Following de Niza in search of theunprovoked raids were conducted on
fabled cities was Francisco Vásquez denative and colonial settlements, which
Coronado from 140–1542. He hadmight involve arson, massacre, or
encounters with the Hopi and Zuni askidnapping for slavery.
well as several other native groups inPre-existing rivalries among both the
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, andNative American tribes and confederacies
Oklahoma.and the European nations led groups from
Also in 1539, the Hernando De Sotoboth continents to find war allies among
expedition traveled through the Southernthe others against their traditional
United States from 1539–1542. Thisenemies. When transatlantic
expedition was responsible forcivilizations clashed, better technology
introducing diseases into that region,(including firearms) and the epidemics
and also resulted in several battlesdecimating native populations gave
with various tribes. The expeditionEuropeans a substantial military
included a member of the failed Narváezadvantage.
expedition of 1528 named Juan Ortiz whoIn 1637, the Pequot War erupted in the
lived among the Tocobaga people forMassachusetts and Plymouth colonies.
twelve years before being rescued by deIndian Wars in the English colonies
Soto.would continue on and off into the
Another encounter was the failed RoanokeAmerican Revolution.
Colony led by Sir Walter Raleigh ofIn the early 1680s, Philadelphia was
England in 1584. At first, the localestablished by William Penn in the
tribes bartered with the colonists, butDelaware Valley, which was home to the
this was during a time of a severeLenni-Lenape nation. Chief Tamanend
drought, and when the local tribes grewreputably took part in a peace treaty
more reluctant to trade, relationsbetween the leaders of the Lenni-Lenape
deteriorated. The fate of the colonistsnation and the leaders of the
is still a controversy.Pennsylvania colony held under a large
By 1578 there were about 350 Europeanelm tree at Shakamaxon.
fishing vessels at Newfoundland andIn the Spanish sphere, many of the
sailors began to trade metal implementsPueblo people harbored hostility toward
(particularly knives) for the natives'the Spanish, primarily due to their
well worn pelts. The French fur tradedenigration and prohibition of the
was undertaken by Francis Grave (atraditional religion (the Spanish at the
merchant) and Chauvin (a captain) intime being staunchly and aggressively
1599 when they acquired a monopoly fromCatholic). The traditional economies of
Henry IV and their attempt to establishthe pueblos were likewise disrupted when
a colony at the mouth of the Saguenaythey were forced to labor on the
River was a direct result of theirencomiendas of the colonists. However,
desire to profit from trading native furthe Spanish had introduced new farming
pelts for European goods.implements and provided some measure of
England attempted again to colonize,security against Navajo and Apache
first in 1606 with the Popham Colony inraiding parties. As a result, they lived
present-day Maine, and again in 1607 inin relative peace with the Spanish
Jamestown, Virginia. The latter becamefollowing the founding of the Northern
the first permanent English settlementNew Mexican colony in 1598. In the
in the United States. The Popham Colony1670s, however, drought swept the
interacted with the Abeneki tribe, butregion, which not only caused famine
failed to establish cooperation.among the Pueblo, but also provoked
Jamestown's breakdown in relations withincreased attacks from neighboring
the Paspahegh and Powhatan tribeshunter-gatherer tribes — attacks
resulted in the First Anglo–Powhatanagainst which Spanish soldiers were
War, which ended with the marriage ofunable to defend. At the same time,
John Rolfe and Pocahontas.European-introduced diseases were
In 1610 a teenage Étienne Brulé wasravaging the natives, greatly decreasing
sent by Samuel de Champlain to live withtheir numbers. It has also been alleged
the Hurons for a year as a sort ofthat the introduction of these diseases
'exchange student'. Champlian, in turn,was often exacerbated when soldiers
accepted the company of a Huron youthhanded out blankets and other
named Savignon who accompanied him backhumanitarian supplies carrying European
to France. The two cultures made amicroorganisms.[citation needed]
successful rendezvous the next year andUnsatisfied with the protective powers
the young men returned to theirof the Spanish crown, the Pueblo
respective groups to report theirrevolted in 1680. In 1692, Spanish
experiences.control was reasserted, but under much
In 1620, a group of English settlers,more lenient terms.



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