History vs Archeology
- History is supposed to be a written account of what happened before, but there is no way to determined if all that was already written is the only “history” that we have or if these are all true because it presents no actual evidences. This is when archeology comes or plays its part. It tries to confirm what historians have written and along the way they may discover artifacts which historians didn’t write about that could be added to the written history. History and archeology are two separate fields but they must complement each other so there should not be an issue of who is above each other. Archeology can contribute to history by discovering things while those that are not yet dug up by archeologist relies on what is already written on our history books.
- Jamestown settlement is located in Virginia and is considered the first place where English settlers settled. This place is headed by a native called Powhatan who first welcomed the settlers but as days went on, the English settlers, first led by Captain John Smith, started to kill the natives and put them in slave bandages until they annihilated them. The complete cause of the misunderstandings was the incapacity of the settlers to provide food for themselves since they are not agriculturally incline which may them steal food in their “neighbors” gardens. More and more settlers came together with some African slaves and the pressure between them and the native Indians became more uncontrollable because they were killing each other. The settlers under King William also tried to establish a school for the natives but was never successful because discrimination was very apparent. When the Civil War erupted, the settlers tried moving to another town and later abandoned the place.
- Pocahontas is the daughter of the local (Indian) tribal chief in Virginia who was considered by the English as the “first civilized savage” although she grew up in the their tribal culture. She was taken as a captive by the settlers and when she was about to be returned, she preferred to stay with the English and actually taken the English name of Rebecca. Later, she married an English named Thomas Rolfe and had a son. This marriage is also the first recorded between an Indian Native and a white. She was like a celebrity at that time because she was used by the English as an example of a native who voluntarily civilized herself. The family tried to return to England but Pocanhontas died along the way of unknown reasons.
- Pocanhontas is about to be married to Kocoum whom she doesn’t like and saw a vision of a man that is her destiny in the person of Captain John Smith. Thomas Rolfe saved the life of Captain John Smith from the Indians specifically Kocoum and also is a witness to the romantic relationship going on between Pocahontas. Pocanhontas is such a brave girl who wanted was able to withstood her father, the tribal chief and all her clan to support Smith and was able to stop the class between the two parties although the Governor was against this because he was finding an excuse to annihilate the tribe. Pocahontas was able to set foot on England before she died.
- With the way Pocahontas behaved towards Smith, whom she readily give her life for him, I feel that there is something between them. There is a deep relationship going on with them regardless of their age gap, because Pocahontas always see to the welfare of Smith, even if this meant going against their tribes costumes. Yes, they may have been a romance between them. This can also be seen on how Smith features her in his personal journal.
- The Native American living in Jamestown are compassionate persons however, they know how to defend what they have even if this means death but they are also opened to changes. They don’t naturally like conflicts but if they feel that they are already threatened they fight with life and death to keep their rights.
- Relationships between colonist and Americans are almost all bloody because the colonist try to step on the rights of the Native Americans. The colonist do not honor the rights of the Natives and treat them as people who are below their level. They show little respect to the natives thus causing the misunderstandings between them. The problem with the colonist is that they feel superior with the natives and wanted them to change their ways and customs and worst they treat them as second class citizens or even their slaves. However, not all Indian tribes ends with bloody encounters because there are a few chieftains who embraced the way of the colonists.
- Before, reading the articles, I view the colonist or the immigrants as an scoundrels on the Native Americans because they took they ways of life from them, however, I got to realized that America is not what it is today without the colonist. Although, I still don’t agree with their treatment of the Natives, we cannot deny the fact that they had a great contribution on what America is today specially with regards to business, trade and modernization.
