Alan Taylor: Natives and Colonizers // Chapters 1 & 2

According to Taylor, why is the debate over whether Europeans or Native Americans were "worse" futile?

According to Taylor the debate over whether Europeans or Native Americans were "worse" is futile because warfare and the ritual torture and execution of enemies were commonplace in both native America and early modern Europe.

Describe "animism." How did this belief system affect native culture and lifestyles?

Animism is a conviction that the supernatural was a complex and diverse web of power woven into every part of the natural world. This belief affected native culture and lifestyles. They grew wary of the spirits that loomed everywhere around them, so wary that they cut down on their hunting and gathering. They also gained keen otherwordly insight due to animism, they were able to talk to the spirits for help in their daily aspects of life.

What was Columbus' initial conclusions about the Taino people?

Columbus' initial conclusions about the Taino people were that they were just like the Guanche peoples, they were uncivilized savages who desperately needed European help.

What impact did Columbus' landing have on the Taino people, both right after his appearance and in the long term?

Columbus' landing had an effect on the Taino people. At first, his appearance only scared them, because he was a foreign man speaking a different tongue and had very modern weapons. Columbus landing had a long term effect as well. Columbus was colonizing the island, which ended up bringing multiple diseases and made the Taino people into slaves. Columbus' effect was deadly.

What were Columbus' real motives for a transatlantic journey?

Columbus' real motive for a transatlantic journey was that he aimed to find a route to Asia, and then open a profitable trade, convert the Asians to Christianity, and recruit their bodies and wealth so that the Europeans would be able to crush Islam and take over Jerusalem.

Why didn't all native peoples adopt a lifestyle based on horticulture?

Not all native peoples adopted a lifestyle based on horticulture because some lived in areas where the growing season was too short, or the area lacked in water, or just that the hunter-gatherer way of life was more suitable for their environment.

How did religious conflicts between Christians and Muslims influence global exploration?

Religious conflicts between Christians and Muslims influenced global exploration because it forced the Europeans to explore and conquer regions they had never been in, in order to avoid Muslims and more conflict.

In what ways did the Europeans "effect an ecological revolution... that alienated the land, literally and figuratively, from its indigenous people?" Be specific.

The Europeans effected an ecological revolution that alienated the land, literally and figuratively from its indigenous people. The Europeans brought diseases, foreign animals, foreign plants, foreign people, everything foreign, and alienated the land. The Europeans had grown immune to their powerful diseases that once killed off their people, and when the traveled to America, they carried it with them. they brought foreign animals, pigs, cattle, etc. These animals, with the abundance of land and food, multipled, and soon roamed freely in ferocious groups. These animals also carried illness with them as well, contaminiating more native peoples. Also, many plants were transported here. Some were new things, that grew in the lands and benefited the people, and some were weeds. These weeds took every spot of free land. The Europeans not only brought themselves, but slaves. They imported slaves from Africa, slaves who were immune to diseases more powerful than any carried by the Europeans. With all of this happening at once, the indigenous people were alienated. This land was no longer their own. It was full of new things, too many, some good, some bad, far too much to handle. The foreigners, made the natives foreign to their own land.

Why were the Europeans ultimately more likely & more capable of creating dramatic change (environmentally and socially) in North America?

The Europeans ultimately were more likely and capable of creating dramatic change environmentally and socially in North America because they were more technologically advanced, possesed a will to conquer mercilessly, and saw the potential that the foreign land had.

What happened to the Guanche peoples?

The Guanche peoples either died from deadly illnesses, or joined the settler population (unwillingly).

What crops did the Indians of Central Mexico eventually domesticate? How did it change Indian society (both positively and negatively)?

The Indians of Central Mexico eventually domesticated maize, squashes, and beans. As a result, Indian society changed both positively and negatively. In a positive sense, the domestication of the crops promoted economic differentiation and social stratification, as well has expanded the food supply which then made the human population rise. In a negative sense, this new society depended solely on these crops, (most Indians left the hunter-gatherer lifestyle) which led to a large percentage of the Indian society being malnourished when they did not grow enough crop.

How and why did the Portuguese begin trading African slaves?

The Portuguese began trading African Slaves because the Guanche slaves were dying rapidly due to sickness and ill treatment, so they had to begin importing African slaves to take their place.

How did the introduction of "European diseases" affect the natives of North America?

The introduction of European diseases affected the natives of North America. These European diseases were terrible, they caused the native population to drop rapidly. Natives were dying in heaps, in homes, on their way to escape it, with families, alone, etc. The bodies were just left there to rot, no proper burial was given. These European diseases were deadly.

How did the introduction of Europeans to the North American continent disproportionately benefit the Europeans and harm the native peoples?

The introduction of the Europeans to the North American continent disproprtionately benefited the Europeans and harmed the native peoples. The North American contintent was a blessing to the Europeans. It was full of good soil, plants, animals and was just a large area to develop. The native peoples thought otherwise. The introduction of Europeans to the North American continent was a curse. They brought diseases, so many diseases, they brought animals and plants. The animals, with the help of the free land and surplus of food, grew plentiful, and roamed wild in groups. They carried diseases. They ate the very food that the natives depended on. The animals brought starvation to the native peoples. The plants, the weeds specifically, took up every free space. They flourished in North America. If those weren't terrible enough, the Europeans "conquered" the native peoples. THey raped the women, took over and burned their vllages. The Europeans got a multitude of land to develop, and the native peoples got death, either from starvation, conflict of dieases.

How did the particular form of Christianity practiced by the European colonizers contrast with animism?

The particular form of Christianity practiced by the European colonizers contrasted with animism because it depicted animism to evil, the native peoples were "savages with the devils intelligence", animism wasa belief that the natural world was full of spiritual powers (good and bad), the europeans made animism a belief that the world was full of evil spirits, evil natives.

What is the significance of Spain's and Portugal's experiences taking over the Atlantic islands?

The significance of Spain's and Portugal's experiences taking over the Atlantic Islands is that by doing so, they prepared themselves for many more feats. They had learned how to organize and sustain long oceanic voyages, learned how to exploit rivalries and the "savage" people, tested a multitude of weapons, as well as how conquer large groups succesfully.

How did this belief system affect European culture and lifestyles?

This belief system affected European culture and lifestyles. It gave Europeans the power to harvest all the reources they wanted from nature, because they weren't offending any spirits in the process.