The study of early settlers in the colonies is captivating. It explores how various groups of people, working together could not live in harmony due to conflicts and tensions among them after coming to settle in a new land. Tensions and conflicts arose among the earliest settlers in the colonies as they were people from different places who had come to settle down in colonies. These conflicts were brought about by two main factors; the first one was the interaction between the natives and the new settlers and secondly, these tensions are created by the attempts of trade especially issue of slave trade (Williams 64).
One of the conflicts that arose among the early settlers in the colonies was the conflict of religion. The early settlers were from different regions meaning they had different religious views. An example is the Puritans who were a very strong and deeply rooted people in religion. They were always described as an intolerable society who only values their religious beliefs. They made toleration intolerable in the colonies as they were deeply rooted in their religious beliefs and they were large in numbers (William 98). The puritans caused religious tensions among the settlers which led to the expansion and creation of European colonies. Conversely, some of these religion tensions amid the settlers did not end well as it led to blood shed among the settlers an example being the Salem witch trials. Most of the puritan religious practices were opposed by the settlers and this caused friction among them. They were a group that was deeply rooted in religion and when they came to settle in the colonies, their major role was to continue with their religious beliefs and biblical teaching not minding what the other settlers believe in. However some of them left their religious beliefs and indulged in trade and businesses that could profit them and this again created tension among them. They made lots of enemies among the settlers which later led to the feud of the Plymouth plantation which created a lot of tension.
Additionally, there was conflict between individuals and families which later became absolutely bloody in Salem. The people were from different regions and it took them a longer period to learn to live together with each other. There were lots of conflicts between families and individuals since they could not agree on one thing since they were from different places.
Conflicts and tension among the early settlers arose on moral grounds particularly with the issue of slavery. After settling in the colonies, they were able to acquire land whereby they had to cultivate in order to get food for domestic use and for trade. This land they acquired led to the high demand of labor to ensure survival in their new settlement. Due to this high demand of labor, the situation led to further demand of cheap labor which could only be offered by slaves. Most people especially the Christians were against the slavery issue as it created a moral dilemma on their religion whereas it still was the perfect way to acquire cheap labor on their farms to boost their productivity. Therefore as some of the settlers were in support of slavery, others opposed it and this created conflicts among them as those opposed to it thought that slavery was not morally right as all humans should be treated the same way.
Tension and conflicts amongst the early settlers has emerged in early American literary works. According to Judge Samuel Sewall in his article “The Selling of Joseph” he expresses his discontent on the slavery issue terming it as inhumane (William 142). He says that fellow men should not be traded whereby they are bought and sold like commodities. Moreover, they should not be forced to work. Samuel used various bible verses and quotes in expressing his displeasure on this issue and opposing it.
John Smith through his writings on the early settlers tells of his experiences at that time. Smith says that there were struggles in Jamestown colony whereby men only cared about their success even if others suffer while they succeed (David 114). There was the class issue which brought about the Jamestown conflict. The upper class people could not work to save their own lives but used the poor to work as slaves for their own benefit. Through reading his literary works, he explains how the sick and the poor dropped dead before the colony leaders who are from the upper class due to starvation but they cared less, all they wanted was for the slaves to work for them. Smith tells of the struggles the slaves went through in the hands of the upper class people.
Majority of American literary works on conflicts and tensions that were among the early colonial settlers is extracted from journals and diaries of the authors. These authors noted down their experiences and thoughts on what was right and wrong at that time. Majority of the authors writing these literary materials states their side of the story and the events they witnessed during that period. It is through their stories from their diaries and journals that people of today are enlightened on what were the conflicts and the causes of the tensions among the early settlers in the colonies. Still, today, similar conflicts and tensions are still felt and experienced around the world.
Works Cited
David, Price. Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Heart of a New Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated, 2003. Print.
Williams, John Alexander. West Virginia: A History for Beginners. Charleston, WV: Appalachian Editions, 1993. Print.
