Final pt 2
- 1. Jonathan Covarrubias<br />History 140<br />Final Essay pt. 2: American Frontiers<br />Frontiers have been a part of history for ages, and In order to distinguish dominance and power over certain land, borders separating tribes, states and nations have been established. And for that reason the struggle to survive has contributed to the building blocks and essence of how the separation of lands shares a common ground throughout the Americas.<br />I begin first with a young loan Native American by the name of Squanto, whom if remembered from grade school, was the Native that rescued the pilgrims from the wilderness and showed them how to plant corn, and introduced them to friendly natives. Although it is not known when Squanto was born, his death was, and it was in the year 1622. He lived in Plymouth bay and was part of the patuxet tribe and he spoke a dialect of Algonquian which was common among the surrounding region for the purpose of communication with other natives. Squanto was a hunter of game, as well as a fisher. The tribe of Squanto had many traditions, one which included the most important, the transition of boy to man, which also came with proving yourself to be worthy amongst your fellow tribe. In order to prepare the men for the worst, which would later include European contact of New England, an official of new Netherlands reported that as a test of manhood, men would be left out in the forest during winter time, and return at spring a true test of strength. Aside from tests of strength, the men of the tribe contributed to making political judgments as well as decisions, and the band (group) with most villages would be the primary political unit. It was led by the leader, or sachem that was picked by members of a group that was higher and more prestige amongst the rest. All decisions were discussed at meetings with the sachem along with all the adult males. In 1605-1606, French began to visit more frequently, they were looking primarily for furs, but began visiting annually to trade with natives, and to establish trades as far south as cape cod, they had great success and had strong ties with large bands. The English on the other hand were looking for resources such as fish and sassafras, which did not require the cooperation of the natives. They would later think in terms of saving native land for Englishmen to farm on, which would later lead to conflict. In 1614, Thomas Hunt, John smith’s officer, brought along Squanto, and about 20 other natives after John left him in charge to bring the rest of their catch of fish and bring them to Spain, immediately making English enemies amongst all the natives. <br />Diego Vasicuio, a man who avoided trouble at all cost primarily by avoiding direct contact with Spanish imperial system whenever he could, and would confront it only when needed, but later his strategy would not succeed leading him to trouble. From the first colonial period, the Spanish tried attempting to convert the native people of Peru to the beliefs of Catholicism, in order to get rid of indigenous belief. This was a plot by the Spanish made to control the indigenous population, by forcing natives to attend mass and catechism classes, and as a result it would change to social and political structure of Native societies. Diego and many other people like him were the main contributors in the prolongment of these traditional religious beliefs. In 1671 Diego in an effort to protect his idol or god Sorimana, a parish priest determined to get rid of entirely the cult of sorimana would confront Diego, after many times protecting his beliefs by hiding his idol when inspectors would come during visitas. At 90 years old, Diego managed to survive the disease, as well as great epidemics that would whip 15 million natives off the planet, and he also managed to do it while living in the same colony. This long and complex story of whose religion is right and whose is wrong is a perfect example of what goes on even nowadays. Diego would later confess to being the cult leader of sorimana and later ask for forgiveness under catholic tradition; he would then later continue his practice. The native practice of his religion was a free practice that any person has a right to live by. They simply would prey to their god for assistance, primarily the help of cultivating food. Their questions, practices and beliefs are a part of them that gives faith and hope towards getting out of poverty, and who can blame them for seeking guidance to a higher power.<br />Beatriz de Padilla, in the year of 1650 was accused of having caused dreadful and mysterious things to happen to two of her lovers. The first charge said she had poisoned her first lover through the excersiezed of magic. She began her early life as a slave, but would later inherit her mother’s status. During the time she was arrested, she was a housekeeper and mistress to a lord mayor by the name of Don Diego. In her testimony she revealed that at an early age she whipped young native women and was sent away as punishment, but later would return home. She was accused of poisoning priest Diego Ortiz in his bath. It was said that before the Beatriz and Ortiz were in a relationship he was in perfect health, and would later be seen talking to him and having no control of what he was doing. She denied these accusations claiming that the loss of her previous love had deeply affected her. Some of the accusations made towards Beatriz seemed a bit over the top but in the readings there were logical explanations as to why he was sick, and how they failed to mention that Ortiz had been suffering from an illness that he often complained about and Beatriz believed that that was the reason he had died. In the readings it mentions that everyone was so questionable on why she had such high importance males as her lovers, when she herself was a slave, and housekeepers, accusing her of using “magic spells and potions of love” which she would claim that the only charms and potions she imposed were between her legs. An outspoken woman such as Beatriz is a common thing in history. People especially in these times had a difficult time believing that people of opposite social classes, rich and poor could have a relationship, and more commonly would oppose of such things because according to their standards, it’s not right. These stories and others like it are contributing factors to colonial life later in the Americas.<br />Christobal Bequer, a non conformist who lived the life of doing what he pleased buried in Lima one day in January of 1753 in a monastery. During September of 1714, Christobals brother Pedro stabbed police guard don Pedro de Torres in a merchant shop, where it was said by witnesses that Chrostobals brother Pedro was riding up and down the shops as if planning an attack, and later after the murder took off so fast that he nearly trampled pedestrians. Christobal and his brother Pedro would later seek refuge in the Bethlehemite monastery in Lima, where they would later have to escape to the mountains at which time Pedro, and Christobals brother would die of unknown cause. Christobal would later become a priest just a few months later after the murder. As time went on he continued moving up higher and traveling further from what had happen. As time went on he would further move up and far away from his home and in the end would end up evading everything entirely where he would later die and be buried in a monastery.<br />Isabel Moctezuma, one of a few illegitimate daughters of Moctezuma, married her cousin Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor. At the fall of the Aztec capital on August 13th of 1521, Isabel escaped with Cuauhtémoc along the lake of tecvovo in a large canoe. They were in pursuit and later caught by the Spanish brigantine where later they would be seperated and Cuauhtémoc would be tortured but the Spaniards, and later be tried, convicted and hung by Cortes leader and conqueror for the Spanish. Isabella would receive later a grant by Cortes on June 26th, 1526 the revenues and income from the town of Tacuba, and this crown would later entitle the Spaniards to great inheritance through Spanish law which would also grant them inheritance to any rights of Indian Inheritance. We see this in history often, where marriage is forced upon all for the purpose of someone gaining something. Whether it is money, land or power, these stories tell about the suffrage of others in respects to the gain and benefit of greedy people. This is something we commonly have seen in history and will continue to see as long as we live.<br />In the the book: Unredeemed Captive throughout the communities of Deerfield and Kahnawake tribes, labor is split amongst the men hunting, the women staying home and cooking, pretty basic compared to colonial life, the Natives of the unredeemed captive were very humble and curious people and shared similar political ideas. Culture was very prominent, along with stories told through art that men and women made. Stories of past lives, along with symbolic meaning behind every design and pattern that was either crafted on or made a part of regalia. The stereotypical native has always been that they are savages, and because of the way they live and what they believe in is different, outsiders begin to disapprove because of ways that they may have been brought up are not the same. In the book, people gain correct perspective of the really normal life that natives live specifically by adapting to native way of life. Stories like these help create better insight and correct assumptions rather than stereotypes’. Just like in any other culture there is good and bad and violence within their own regions. Bringing out in the open exposes culture as it really is as appose to what people think.<br />In conclusion, as small and insignificant as these stories may be, they all accumulate and compare to stories just like these through all regions, and for that reason it makes it easier to understand and compare early colonial life to more modern colonial life. Each individual reading gives insight on specific details of what was going on at the time. History is best described as an abundance of stories recorded throughout time, and we learned this even better in the discussion of big history, where you get a more expansive explanation to what history is on a large scale based on many different aspects.<br />Bibliography<br />Sweet, David & Nash, gary. Struggle & Survival in Colonial America. University of California Press, Berkely, Los Angles, London, 1981<br />Demos, John. The Unredeemed Captive. U.S: by Vintage Books, 1993.<br />\" Colonial History of the United States.\" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_america>.<br />\" Squanto.\" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto>.<br />