Lecture on European Encounters with Native Americans

Travel Conditions
- Duration: Crossing the Atlantic took months compared to modern hours by plane.
- Ship Conditions: Wooden ships had limited storage for water and food.
- High mortality rate due to poor conditions on board.
- Food was often rotted and infested with maggots.
- Lack of medical technology in Europe exacerbated issues.
  - Example: Without vitamin C, sailors suffered from scurvy, damaging the liver.
  - Eventually, lemons were brought on the ships to prevent scurvy.

Historiographical Explanation: The Three Gs
- God:
- Context of religious revival in Europe.
- Spain pushing Arabs out of Southern Spain, seen as a religious crusade extending to the New World.
- Belief in saving souls played a role in motivating migration.
- Glory:
- Explanation of primogeniture: eldest son inherits family wealth.
  - Younger sons (second and third born) had no inheritance and sought fortune in the New World.
  - Migration offered a chance to establish personal names and legacies.
- Gold:
- Desire for wealth driven by the discovery of gold in the Americas.
- Spain’s influx of gold led to significant inflation, devaluing the currency.

Columbus's Reputation:
- Viewed as a discoverer but did not actually discover land with existing populations.
- Misconception about why he sought to voyage to India: for spices, which were highly valuable.
- Reality of European Cuisine:
- Example of haggis: sheep organs boiled in a stomach; other foods were heavily seasoned.
- Costly seasonings like salt were necessary for preservation.

Spices and Wealth:
- Spices like pepper were more valuable than gold; economic strategies centered on acquiring these goods.
- Portuguese controlled trade by sea; Arabs controlled overland routes.
- Spanish interest in finding quicker routes to spices motivated exploration.
Columbus's Journey:
- Sailed westward in search of India but instead encountered the Caribbean, which was different from his expectations.

Origins of Native Americans:
- Belief in land bridge theory: people crossed into the Americas during ice ages when sea levels were lower.
- Alternative theories suggest potential other migrations, e.g., Polynesians reaching South America.
- Evidence of pre-Columbian migrations (e.g., Viking settlements in Vinland).
Cultural Diversity Among Native Americans:
- Over 700 distinct identities in North America with at least 350 languages.
- Common stereotypes were misleading; not all native groups shared similarities or practices.

Terminology in Usage:
- Terms like Native Americans, Indigenous Americans, First Nations are preferred.
- Legal term: American Indian used in legal contexts, but not preferred by many.
Societal Structure:
- Contrasting structures: European societies dominated by patriarchy, whereas some Indigenous cultures (like the Haudenosaunee) had matriarchal elements.
- Example: Among the Haudenosaunee, decision-making was often led by women.

Medical Advances:
- Europeans lacked basic medical knowledge about autopsies affecting their understanding of health (e.g., belief cutting open a body risked losing the soul).
- Inca practices: brain surgery was performed on skilled patients.
- Used techniques involving hand drills and local anesthetics from coca leaves and alcohol.
Weapon Technology:
- Europe's gun technology was rudimentary, emphasizing reliance on steel and cannon advantages over misperceived firearm strength.

Differences in Land Views:
- Europeans viewed land as property; Native Americans had a communal conception of land.
- Conflicts arose from these differing viewpoints on land ownership and treaties.
Western African Context:
- Similar to Native Americans, West Africans typically held communally owned resources.

Cultural Factors:
- Dominance due in part to misinterpretation of indigenous cultures and the effectiveness of European trade and military capabilities.
The Impact of Disease:
- Smallpox significantly reduced Native American populations (by up to 90%) due to a lack of immunity.
- Comparative to the Black Death in Europe, which killed about one-third of the population.

The Colombian Exchange:
- Transfer of plants and animals between the New World and the Old World.
- From The Americas to Europe: corn, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, tobacco, etc.
- From Europe to The Americas: wheat, sugar, cattle, pigs, horses, and diseases including smallpox.
Population Impact:
- Initial estimate: 25 million indigenous people in North America; 90% died due to disease, leading to a drastic decrease to about 2.5 million.

Racism as a Social Construct:
- Development of racism in response to European superiority mindset as a justification for Native American suffering and slavery.
- Historical roots show that race-based discrimination evolved significantly during this period to maintain class structures.

Reflection on Society:
- Exploration of how societal attitudes towards race and equality have changed, reflecting on progress and ongoing areas for improvement.
Children’s Perception:
- Exploration of how racism is learned behavior and not an inherent trait, presenting challenges for societal growth and understanding going forward.

Mercantilism and Colonialism:
- Concept of extracting cheap raw materials from colonies to produce valuable finished goods.
- Infrastructure disparities between continents impacted prosperity differently (i.e., North America vs. Africa).
Trade Dynamics:
- Examining how European mercantilism fueled colonial expansion and exploitation of resources, shaping global trade networks still relevant today.

Understanding History's Complexity:
- The interplay of migration, disease, cultural divergence, and economic aspirations laid the foundations of modern society.
- Ongoing dialogues around race, equity, and historical narratives remain vital in shaping contemporary understanding and policies.