In: Economics
Discuss the early English Immigrant contacts with the Native Americans in the 17th Century?
In the 1600s, the first English immigrants came to New England. There were also about 60,000 Native Americans living there. The two sides wrestled for territory at first. Still, with the help of the tribals, colonists built successful colonies. The two peoples were at first related by trade. In the New World, the colonists wanted support to succeed. The Native American people decided to form alliances. Within five years the Colony of Plymouth did not have to rely on England.
Trade and bartering helped both sides benefit. Skins, skins, fruit, and information were received by the Native American. The settlers were trading in beads and other replacements for currency. Ideas were traded, as well. Wampum was a kind of currency, or replacement for capital. This also often held theological significance. The first Bible in the New World to be written was in the Algonquin language.
The primary religion of the colonists was Puritan Ism. A few colonists even been turning further from Puritanism over time. They have modified their views about indigenous Americans. Roger Williams is a prominent example of this. He rebelled against Puritanism, and began Rhode Island's colony. Williams felt the europeans needed to pay the Native American for it The universe. They were not given the right to take it for free. The bond between the tribes and the colonists has decayed over time. From England the colonists took illnesses with them. They had no inherent barriers against the Native Americans.