The U.S. Indian Wars
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Man That Was Used Up and a painting by John Vanderlyn the Murder of Jane McCrea primarily bases this essay on relationship between Native American and white dominating culture relating to racism journey. Racism in the United States existed since the founding of the state (Vanderlyn n.p.). White people differ in their national and religious grounds, they are very different in their attitude towards other groups and the main victims of their racism have become non-white indigenous people (Indians). White has repeatedly incited the Indians scalp and of their opponents. For example, in June 1775, the British government, urging Indians to oppose the Americans, not only supplied the soldiers of all the tribes of the Great Lakes to the Gulf of axes, guns and ammunition, but also announced a reward for scalps of Americans who should bring the commanding officers in Detroit or Oswego. Particular attention was attracted by the death of Miss Jane McCrea, which was used in the propaganda war the colonists and the British (Vanderlyn n.p.). She became the subject of correspondence of British and American Burgoyne Gates. The news of the murder surrounded by an aura of romantic tragedy spread colonies and abroad and in London, in 1777, in the House of Commons, Edmund Burke took advantage of this opportunity to condemn strongly the British policy of using Indian allies (Hughes7-20).
The Man That Was Used Up is a satirical story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839 in Burton’s Gentleman's Magazine. The narrator tells the story of his encounter with the legendary hero General A. B. C. Smith. In general, there is some mystery in which, it turns out, is dedicated to all the friends of the narrator, but that is not easy to find, as interlocutors strangely avoid the subject, constantly shifting the conversation to achieve scientific progress. Probably, the story is a satire According to General Winfield Scott and, the novel raises the question of confrontation of man and machine. The narrator meets a famous Brigadier General John A. Smith, one of the most remarkable men of the era. Smith makes an indelible impression with their physical perfection: thick black hair and mustache, perfect white teeth, big shining eyes, a powerful torso, which would envy itself Apollo and so on. His voice was unusually strong, clear and melodious. Behind him enduring fame big, brave (Hughes7-20).
Intrigued by the narrator wants to know more about the general, and especially about his military exploits, the most famous of which - the campaign against Indian tribes Bugaboos and Kickapoo (Peter 172-194). His exploits all heard, but for some unknown reason, interlocutors avoid discussing general, preferring after him, admiring the latest achievements of science and invention. In addition, various circumstances constantly interfere with the author to ask about the mysterious Gen. Detail. Finally, desperate to learn something from their friends, the narrator gets an early morning visit to the General. Negro servant spends guest straight into the bedroom of his master. Here the narrator witnesses the shocking pictures - middle of the bedroom is some shapeless squeaking assembly. It turns out that this is the general. Servant puts the host: delivers his hands, feet, wig, shoulders, chest and eyes. Inserts artificial palate and instead heard a peep the most beautiful melodious voice. General stamped Indians on it no longer any living space, but scientific progress and mastery of mechanical prosthetic enabled him to become a wonderful man of his age (Hughes7-20).
Criticism General links AB C. Smith with a real prototype - General Winfield Scott, whose military career was one of the longest in the history of the United States. Member of three major wars Scott was also known for participation in the campaign resettlement Indians - Seminole and cry, as well as Black Hawk War (1832). Later, in 1852, Scott was involved in the presidential elections of the Whig party. Election he lost miserably and the party ceased to exist. Poe had personal reasons for hostility to General Scott was a close relative of his second wife's stepfather Edgar - John Allan. At the time of writing the story (1839), Scott was seen as a likely candidate for the presidency of the Whigs. According to another version, the prototype of General Smith could be Richard Mentor Johnson, vice president at Martin Van Buren (Blake 323–349).
In July 1776, English Superintendent Guy Johnson and Mohawk Joseph Brant returned to New York from England. In London, Brant took the heat and with honor. Artist George Romney painted his portrait. In addition, Brant stronger than ever, came to believe the future of the Indians from the British Crown, and not with the American colonists. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Long Island, Brant made his way through the cordons revolutionaries in Iroko, to raise against them his relatives. Together with Colonel Butler, commandant of Fort Niagara, he was able to bring to the king four of the six Iroquois nations. Oneida and Tuscarora only abandoned. War was declared on colonist’s grand council in July 1777, in which the British bombarded the Indians, just all kinds of gifts. In addition, they could not resist (Vanderlyn n.p.).
Bloody print, hold it a fateful decision was the Battle of Oriskany 6 August 1777 Anglo-Indian squad tried to stop the US General H. Herkimer that came to the rescue of the besieged Fort Stanwix. They succeeded, but at the cost of heavy losses. Particularly affected Seneca - 17 of 33 Indians who died in the battle, and 16 of the 29 injured have fallen to their share. For them, it was tantamount to defeat - Indian tradition measure success by the number of losses. However, the worst blow was the collapse of the Great Peace, which for centuries connected the Iroquois Confederacy. Oneida and Tuscarora fought on the side of Herkimer with the Iroquois, allied to the King (Peter 172-194). However, the plan to capture Fort Stanwix was part of a larger plan for the English. In June 1777, General D. Burgoyne moved from Canada in order to cut the median and southern colonies of New England. After this revolutionary propaganda just exploded. Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence accused the king that he had unleashed on the settlers merciless Indian Savages, who are fighting with everyone, without distinction of any gender, any age. In September 1777, Burgoyne gave colonists Battle of Freeman Farm. At this time, the Americans were negotiating with the Oneida and Tuscarora in Albany. General F. Schuyler turned to him for help and received consent; however, after a campaign of Herkimer, soldiers joined the army of General Horatio Gates and provided invaluable services (Vanderlyn n.p.).
English attack was repulsed, and in the 1778-79 biennium (Peter 172-194). War in the state of New York has degenerated into a guerrilla. Iroquois, with the support of the British attacked the isolated settlement of colonists type Cherry Valley (Valley of Cherries). In response, the American commander in chief James Washington sent against the Iroquois large punitive expedition. Punishers entered the land of the Iroquois, and in accordance with the tactics of scorched earth began to destroy the Indians abandoned the field and the city. Many years later, in 1790, the leader of the Seneca Sower Corn Washington said: When you sent soldiers to our country, we called you destroyers of Cities to this day, and our are wives pale and children hiding in the mother's breast when they hear the name (Vanderlyn n.p.).
Indian peoples of the South were internal more powerful than the natives of the North. Together they could muster 14,000 warriors: by 3000 - Cherokee, Choctaw and screams, and 5000 - the formidable Chickasaw. However, their life evolved no better than the Iroquois. By the Treaty of Sycamore Scholes, in March 1775, Transylvanian land campaign has stolen from the Indians a vast area - most of the modern states of Kentucky and Tennessee. However, Dragging Canoe, one of the leaders of the Cherokee refused to participate in negotiations and warned that any attempt to live on this earth will turn it into the darkness and blood. However, most of the settlers decided to stay and fight, if need be. Moreover, the initiative of the British they interpreted wrongly, suspecting them of greed and treachery (Peter 172-194).
Revolutionaries, in accordance with a prescription of the Continental Congress, were sent to the Indians of their commissioners. They had to convince the Indians that the word royal messenger is now worthless. In April 1776 held talks with representatives of the Cherokee, but most of the tribe was not. US diplomats advised Cherokee (and then cries) to remain neutral and not to yield to provocations English. On the other hand, in May 1776, the Cherokee to the messengers arrived from the north of the Shawnee, Delaware, and the Mohawks, who began to convince them otherwise. On the border poured blood. Southern colonies reacted in the same way as the northern. The Americans brought down on the Cherokee series of punitive expeditions. Like the Iroquois, Cherokee did not look for military success and chose to retreat, leaving their country to plunder the enemy. Like the Iroquois, Cherokee fell victim to its own internal strife because of what to do next. Thomas Jefferson reacted to the war with the Cherokee seriously. Tribe cries also intends to settle with greedy settlers. However, the fate of the Cherokee made them think about the price of a revenge. Convenient opportunity presented itself at the end of 1778; the British landed troops in Georgia took Savannah and moved to Augusta. However, they summed inadequate communication. Offensive could support the Superintendent Stewart, who was in Pensacola, but he remained in the dark and not sent reinforcements.
Works Cited
Hughes, Howard. Death on The Plain: An Introduction To The Indian Wars: American IndianWars. Pocket Essantials. North Pomfret, Vermont. 2001. Print. Pg 7-20.
Peter R. Decker. Utes Must Go! American Expansion and the Removal of a People: Removal. Fulcrum Publisher. Golden, Colorado. 2004. Print. Pg. 172-194.
Blake, David Haven. “The Man That Was Used Up": Edgar Allan Poe and the Ends of Captivity.” Nineteenth-Century Literature 57.3 (2002): 323–349. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Vanderlyn, John. “RS#17: ‘The Death of Jane McCrea,’ 1804.” The Atheneum. N.p., 2000. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
