Puritan settlement and cross-cultural exchanges in colonial America

Colonial America: Questions

Puritans

Unlike previous European settlers who came to the New World primarily to make a profit, the Puritans arrived with a commitment to create a new society and genuinely 'settle' on the land. They had no plans to return to England, given that they had been cast out of the Old World because of their religious beliefs. Unlike the settlers at Jamestown, they came prepared to work hard, and did not hope to simply make a quick profit and return to England rich, having done little labor. They believed in the value of hard work as part of their religious philosophy. They believed God had quite literally 'chosen' them to know the truth, which sustained them during times of suffering. During the first years, however, like previous colonists, they did struggle to stay alive. The winter was harsh, and they were forced to adapt their crops and agriculture to the new territory of America.

However, "the Puritans arrived in New England well prepared to start their colony. They brought large amounts of tools and livestock with them. Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans faced little resistance from local American Indians. Trade with the Plymouth colony helped them too. In addition, the region around Boston had a fairly healthful climate" ("The Pilgrims and Puritans come to America to avoid religious persecution," Holt Social Studies, 2012). Trade, fishing, and craftsmanship were the main ways in which the colonists survived and created a new economy in contrast to the 'cash crop' economy of the South. "The often harsh climate and rocky soil meant that few New England farms could grow cash crops. Most farming families grew crops and raised animals for their own use" ("The Pilgrims and Puritans come to America to avoid religious persecution," Holt Social Studies, 2012).

Q2. Cross-cultural exchanges in the New World

The 17th century culture of North America was a battleground for the competing interests of the French, Spanish, Dutch, and English. One common trait was shared amongst all of them: "Few Europeans considered Native Americans their equals, because of differences in religion, agricultural practice, housing, dress, and other characteristics that -- to Europeans -- indicated Native American inferiority. However, the French, Spanish, and Dutch sought profit through trade and exploitation of New World resources" and were willing to deal with the Native Americans to achieve their desired ends of making a profit (Pearson 2013). Some of the earliest Spanish settlers did make efforts to convert the natives, but their lack of success, combined with the high death toll of the Indians when exposed to European diseases only confirmed their perceptions that the Native Americans were inferior to themselves.

The French, in contrast, took a more positive view of the natives and were able to develop economically advantageous relationships with many tribes. "The French exploited existing inter-tribal alliances and rivalries to establish trade relationships with the Huron, Montagnais, and Algonquins along the St. Lawrence River and further inland toward the Great Lakes (Pearson 2013). However, the Indians also benefited from the relationship, given that they were able to acquire "textiles, weapons, and metal goods" which they could not make themselves and gave them advantages over their rivals who did not have a similar relationship with the French (Pearson 2013). A few did convert, mostly the Huron, probably to gain further advantages in trading for weapons with the French. The Dutch engaged in similar efforts, creating a firm alliance with the warlike Iroquois "the most powerful Native American empire in 17th-century North America" (Pearson 2013). "The Iroquois quickly signed an alliance and trade treaty with the English. However, they also maintained friendly relations with the French and welcomed Jesuit missionaries into their midst. The Iroquois were generally successful at playing the French and English off one another until the English drove the French out of North America at the end of the French and Indian War (1763)" (Pearson 2013). These interactions created deep divisions between the native tribes, based upon their alliances and relative closeness to the Europeans, as well as their possession of European firepower and horses. In contrast, African-Americans had far less leverage as slaves. In particular, slaves laboring to harvest cash crops of the South were isolated from developing American society and created their own culture, in contrast to the smaller numbers of house servants in the North.

Q4. Robinson Crusoe

In terms of taking advantage of the opportunities of the New World, the divisions between the races are the most notable: Africans were brought to the Americas by force, and required to labor as slaves. For them, the New World was a prison, not a place of great promise. However, even white men of the lower classes often suffered as unpaid indentured servants, exchanging their unpaid labor for passage to America. These men and women were treated very poorly. "Only about 40% of indentured servants lived to complete the terms of their contracts. Female servants were often the subject of harassment from their masters" ("5b. Indentured servants," The Southern Colonies, U.S. History). Women could not exercise influence over the government -- they could not vote, and when they married, their property and life became their husband's (The Pilgrims and Puritans come to America to avoid religious persecution," Holt Social Studies, 2012). Even in more liberal New England, there was no religious tolerance, and individuals of different ethnicities (such as Native Americans) were regarded as wholly 'other.' Because Native American culture was simply different than that of European culture, it was regarded as innately inferior.