Once upon a time, there was a world that had living humans on it who all cared about one another, no matter what color was painted onto their skin or what they believed occurred at the end of their road. This is a world that may exist, just not in our world is known as Earth. In 1492, Christopher Columbus, a Spanish voyager who fantasized about spreading the religion of his god, Christianity; discovering and mining gold; becoming known around the world as one who was indeed glorious. In hopes of discovering a shorter passage to and from India Columbus sailed the ocean blue and reached the “New World”. He and his ship crew were greeted by Native Americans, or “Native Indians” as Columbus called them since he believed he had reached India. The Natives were good people who invited them into their community, causing no type of harm to any of them whatsoever. Little did the Natives know that their whole lives were about to change… As the Europeans had never previously encountered or dealt with people so different than them, they saw the Natives as “uncivilized” so they treated them with no respect. As they welcomed the strangers from the other side of the world, the Europeans used them to their benefit as they stole everything from them. The Europeans stripped the Natives of their livelihood by robbing them of their goods, religion, lives, and overall home environment. This new discovery of land resulted in the Columbian Exchange which is repeated interactions, adaptations, and voyages between large civilizations across the Atlantic ocean, touching several continents where life was thriving. For years to come, the Natives will be oppressed and taken advantage of by the Europeans but they aren’t alone because as the Europeans make the Americas “more suitable for life” , they will begin to bring over more of their people, along with Africans. From this point on, the world will learn about the contact between Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans as they challenged the worldviews of each group on its own and the three civilizations as a whole. The contact between the three civilizations would result in agricultural, cultural, social, and political interactions which will stimulate economic growth, reshaped labor and agricultural systems, and develop better and wider communication expand social networks. The relationships among Europeans, Natives and Africans changed over the course from 1600-1800 due to the Europeans heavy influence on other races lifestyles because they began plantation-based agriculture, ways to extract precious metals, and forcing enslaved Natives and Africans to do so; killing many due to new diseases and goods they brought from the “Old World”, and lack of proper nutrition and living conditions; and transform their beliefs and worldviews on basic social and cultural issues such as religion, gender roles, and family.
Europeans had a heavy influence on both the Native Americans and Africans lifestyles because they began plantation-based agriculture, ways to extract precious metals and participate in political affairs as they forced enslaved Natives and Africans to do so. Throughout history, you can easily see that Europeans are people who have the urge to oppress whoever they want, whenever they want. They created the Transatlantic slave trade, this is where Europeans went on ships from Europe to Africa, crossing the Atlantic. Then, Africans were captured and transported to the Americas where they would be sold, bought, and traded throughout the continent. Lastly, Europeans would round back to Europe as they returned home with mostly agricultural products and goods which were produced by the slaves. As more slaves reached the Americas, the Europeans desired more gold and riches so they created mines in which the slaves would work in for hours on end. As gold mining is a very dangerous employment, many slaves did die and this further led to the need for more and more slaves. The increased exchange with Europeans and the enormous amount of wealth it obtained resulted in the enabling of many states being able to cultivate traditions employing expensive and luxurious materials. The overall growth of the Transatlantic economy created a new labor market and a wide exchange of goods from the “New World” of the Americas to and from Europe would be shared and contribute to the rest of the growing world. The institution of slavery existed in Africa long before the arrival of Europeans and was widespread at the period of economic contact. The entire existence and presence of slavery and colonial wars impacted the stimulation and growth of ideas on race in the Atlantic system. The stimulation led to the emergence of racial stereotyping of those non-white and those who are cross-racial among Europeans. Many conflicts within and from Europe continued to develop into larger, more tense issues that spread to North America. Since several European colonies, such as the British, French, Dutch, and Spanish colonies were involved with the Natives as they were allies and traders; these colonies also armed the Natives with weapons in return for their work, these tensions led to political instability. Later in 1650, Holland indeed does become the dominant slave trading country and as they kept ruining lives, their lives improved as they were very well off. Issues between the European and Native social and economic values caused huge shifts for both cultures people identified with. Areas that were hit hardest by endemic warfare and slave raids suffered from general population decline. By the time of 1789, the English Privy Council discovered that approximately half of the slaves exported from Africa die before even touching land onto the Americas which shows that the enslavement and forceful moving of people was one of the worst possible things the Europeans could do. The numbers of slaves imported across the Atlantic Ocean steadily increased, from approximately 5,000 slaves a year in the sixteenth century to over 100,000 slaves a year by the end of the eighteenth century. Overall, the Transatlantic slave trade developed lasting effects on the African cultural, landscape, and population.
Europeans killed many Natives due to new diseases and goods they brought from Europe, and lack of proper nutrition and living conditions. The movement of people between regions resulted in racially mixed populations, and a caste (social) system which became defined by a mixture of European settlers, Africans, and Native Americans. Continuing contact with Europeans increased the flow of trade goods but, along with this came diseases also flowing into Native communities; resulting in the stimulation of cultural and demographic transformation. The Transatlantic system of trading was made up of slaves from Africa mostly, crops produced by slaves, and goods for slave communities on plantations in the Americas. Slavery is one of the worst ideas ever created and pursued because millions died due to being overworked, malnutrition, sexually assaulted, and due to suicide. During 1619, the Dutch began the slave trade between Africa and Americas. They used large ships to carry Africans on, they were not given food nor a place to dispose of bodily fluids and such. Natives and Africans were then forced to face challenges of life, simply living and surviving became such a tough action for innocent people. Many of them indeed did pass away due to the society that had declared every single one of them to be private property and was organized to maintain their subservient status simply due to the color of their skin. Europeans developed their own oppressing belief of white superiority in order to justify and explain their actions of dehumanization of Africans and American Indians. The European attempted to change and exploit Natives and Africans beliefs, ideas, and worldviews on basic cultural and social issues such as religion, gender roles, family, and relationship with the natural environment led to resistance and conflict. Throughout the second half of the 18th century, several Native tribes and groups repeatedly adjusted their alliances with Europeans, other tribes, and the new United States government. The population growth of Europeans in the Americas caused numerous Native nations to shift alliances due to the expanding competition of European powers. The Europeans claimed to provide “protection” and “civilization” for those Natives and Africans who were enslaved; yet, they did the exact opposite as they almost completely destroyed their indigenous populations and cultures. Many indigenous people who indeed did resist ended up being murdered in cold blood, and others fled into the most inaccessible regions of their continent. Everything Europeans transferred from their homeland to the Americas such as diseases, seeds, weeds, and animals resulted in an irreversible transformation the original biological and social landscape and environment of the Americas. As ships continued their rave of endless voyages to and from the Americas, they brought their home with them as they brought over their goods and livestock which included horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. Over time, new crops were introduced to the Americas, including wheat, rice, barley, oats, coffee, sugar cane, citrus fruits, melons and Kentucky bluegrass. The diseases brought to this continent by the Europeans as Natives had no immunity to new infectious diseases, including smallpox, measles, bubonic plague, and influenza which were indeed the largest killers. Other diseases that killed a smaller percentage of the Native population included chicken pox, pneumonic plague, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhus, tuberculosis, and whooping cough. There was a huge drop in resources as well due to such a large population decrease in the Great Basin and Plains led to not enough individuals to grow goods such as food. Thus, further resulting in the development of mobile lifestyles which meant that people were not defined to just one place, or better yet, not one home in which they stayed at everyday. Also, in the eyes of the government and of most Europeans, non-whites did not have the power nor authority to decide things for themselves and could be purchased, sold, traded, tortured, educated, raped, and killed if their owners wanted to do so to them. Basically, non-white peoples had no rights like the United States has in place for all people in the country-whether or not they are a legal citizen. All the most cruelest events and actions to have happened to Natives and Africans through history, the stripping of their dignity in their forced daily labor, the murdering of their family, the brainwashing of cultures such as art, music, and religion. Slavery accomplished dehumanizing ones who were nothing but innocent from the start. Europeans attempted to transform African and Native beliefs and worldviews on basic social and cultural issues such as religion, gender roles, and the family. With the allowance of slaves resulted in slave owners, usually white men raping their slaves, Native or African women, and children. Further resulting in women becoming pregnant and producing babies of mixed races. This led to a caste system defined by an intermixture among Spanish settlers, Africans, and Native Americans such as mestizos and mulattos. A number of European colonies, such as Spanish, Dutch, and French attracted those who accepted intermarriage and cross-racial families, while English colonies attracted those who saw it as a disgrace and rarely intermarried with Natives or Africans;resulting in a rigid racial hierarchy and a social caste system. Once the British defeated the French, cross-racial conflicts continued to rise as Natives desired to continue trading with Europeans and resist the encroachment of British colonists on their natural environment. For example, following the French and Indian War, Pontiac organized an alliance of Indians to rebel against the English victors. Pontiac’s Rebellion resulted in the British Proclamation Line of 1763 which prohibited colonists from moving into the coveted Ohio Valley. Also, another example is the Paxton Boys, where Indians were slaughtered in Pennsylvania in protest of protection of Indians and pacifism regarding the frontier conflict. This shows that the Natives were indeed unhappy about how differently they have been treated due to the amount of melanin visible to the eye, this is something no one has control over. Examining the colonial war for independence, you can see numerous Native tribes who attempted to forge alliances with one another and with European powers to protect their interests such as cultural aspects, limit migration of white settlers, and be able to have power their own tribal lands. Chief Little Turtle and the Western Confederacy created treaties which would maintain some of their lands, but in future years to come, these lands would be taken as the westward migration of settlers (War of 1812) as Americans overcame the region. Thus, resulting in questions about boundaries, borders, and policies which make conflicts among peoples and nations worse. This also led to issues of a cross and multiracial national identity due to migration within North America and the competition for resources. As Europeans established new and more settlements westward such as California during the 1780s, the American Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance for admitting new states. It also promoted public education, the protection of private property, and the restriction of slavery for all in the Northwestern Territory. This was a huge leap forward for all Natives and Africans as through time, they began to be treated more fairly and as an equal, although there were still tension-there was real progress.
The overseas expansion and sustained contacts by Europeans with African Americans and Native American Indians dramatically altered European views of social, political, and economic relationships among and between white and nonwhite peoples. Native and African American labor was used to support and participate in plantation-based agriculture and the extraction of precious metals and other resources. Also, the arrival of Europeans had triggered humongous demographic and social changes on all sides of the Atlantic area as families of Natives and Africans were killed by disease, separated for slavery, and taken advantage of. As Europeans repeatedly attempted to change the beliefs and worldviews of the Natives, many fought back while others did not want to be murdered and did what they had to. The Europeans, Natives, and Africans each established their own ideas on basic cultural and social issues such as religion, gender roles, and the family, and the relationship of people with the natural environment (land ownership). These actions nonetheless, led to tension and conflicts, such as the Pueblo Revolt, due to the Europeans attempting to modify the ideas of the Natives and Africans no matter how hard they fought to shelter their originality. The relationships among Europeans, Natives, and Africans changed over the course from 1600-1800 due to the Europeans heavy influence on other races lifestyles because they began plantation-based agriculture, ways to extract precious metals, and forcing enslaved Natives and Africans to do so; killed many due to new diseases and goods they brought from the “Old World”, and lack of proper nutrition and living conditions; and transform their beliefs and worldviews on basic social and cultural issues such as religion, gender roles, and family.
