New World Encounters America: Past and Present - Essay Example

Chapter I: New World Encounters America: Past and Present America: Past and Present is a book written by chapters according to the events that happened which shaped Americas history and influenced its future. This book which has 33 chapters was written by seven brilliant men. Robert A. Divine is a recipient of Organization of American Historians (OAH)Distinguished Lectureship Program for 2006-2007. A Littlefield Professor Emeritus, Robert A. Divine taught American Diplomatic History at the University of Texas in Austin for 42 years. A seasoned professor with a brilliant mind, Divine received numerous awards for both graduate and undergraduate teachings. T.H. Breen having a PhD degree from Yale University, is an Early American Historian with an interest in the history of political thought, material culture, and cultural anthropology. Having written and published several books earned him awards and recognitions. Breen is the recipient of the T. Saloutos Prize and the winner of the Historical Preservation Book Prize. George M. Frederickson also has a great interest in history like Divine but his expertise is in Comparatistic Historiography. His interest has led him to write several books one of which was the Black Liberation: A Comparative History of Black Ideologists in the United States and South Africa (New York 1995). R. Hal Williams is also one of the authors of America: Past and Present. He is a graduate of Princeton University and is known historian of the United States whose works focused on American politics and culture. Ariela J. Gross is a professor of Law and History at the University of Southern California Law School. Born in Portland, Oregon, Henry William Brands attended Stanford University and studied history and mathematics. He is a regular guest on national radio and television programs, and is frequently interviewed by the American and foreign press. The last author is Randy Roberts, whos a professor of Louisiana State University (1978) and also a professor of recent U.S. History, Sports History, and Popular Culture has written numerous books journals and articles on sports history, American Experiences and many other topics. All these brilliant scholars have joined together to write this compelling novel about America in a simple and easy to understand manner, even creating slides for other teachers and professors to use to guide them in the discussion of the novel in class. This novel has been used in history subjects in the different colleges and universities in the U.S. The sixteenth century brought the Spaniards, French and Englishmen to America to explore and in doing so they displaced the Native American Cultures while establishing colonies in the West. Such change forced both cultures to adapt with each other. The adaptation brought changing a difficult experience but it was the Native Americans who experienced most of the difficulty. They were the ones who always suffered in these early exchanges because in the course of their interaction with the “new world” they had to sacrifice a lot including their beliefs and practices. Its not that it is totally a bad things, the point is that during these encounters with people having a different culture and upbringing, they tend to bring their culture and way of life for the Native Americans to follow and there are times when the newly “acquired” way of living contradicts with the Natives beliefs. The first American settlers consists of Siberian hunters. Native Americans were healthy as they did not suffer from any communicable diseases. They enjoyed an abundant supply of meat to the point that some thought that they hunted too much because it caused the extinction of several large species. Due to environmental factors – food, climate, and culture – they way of life of the Native Americans have started to become a challenge. It was also during this time that the Agricultural Revolution began. The first Chapter of the book entitled New World Encounters, the author showed how America came to be. Meaning, how it was formed, beginning from the origin of the first settlers, the different tribes that existed during that time. It also showed that the first settlers were healthy and strong and were all good hunters. The book also showed, although not elaborately, that too much hunting also had its consequences. This turn of event also aroused concerns from the early American Settlers; only by having suggested that some animals have gone extinct because of over hunting. As a part of history, climate also played a part for it introduced agriculture to the people. From nomadic hunting and gathering they shifted to becoming farmers, establishing small communities and then eventually, bug cities. Just like any developing city, the author also wrote that the early American settlers were open to European trade and commerce. The large number of White people has also somehow altered native cultures and the rate of change varies from one city to the next; because of this, the Natives radically changed their traditions for cultural survival. Due to the growing commerce and trade America became a melting pot of people having different languages and cultures. Basing on the systematic arrangement of events, no doubt the book was written according to when the events happened – in chronological order. By having this as the first chapter of the book, the author was able to illustrate how America started. Of course, history cant take shape without having known first where the first American people came from. The author showed haw America evolved, developed and progressed with the intervention of foreign businessmen like the Europeans, Spaniards and the French to name a few. Even if business was not really the first plan in mind when these people went to America, trade and commerce was an easy tool for them to catch the attention of the Native Americans. Trade and commerce were not the only things that were exchanged during the course of their interaction but also a lot of behaviors and attitudes as well. It may seem that it was a bad idea but on the contrary, it was not. It was through trade, commerce and the establishment of new colonies and the acquisition of new behaviors and attitudes that America began to flourish. Although it was not an easy road to progress, it was still a road to progress. Many movies have depicted the sufferings and abuses that the Native American endured in the face of their captors, their “pale-faced” lords. These “pale-faced” lords have two faces – good and bad – one that is of a friend and one of an enemy. Whichever it was America benefited either way; because having a friend and an enemy America learned a lot and gained new insight about people, life and living. New World Encounters, a befitting title for Americas beginnings. The author wrote how America started by way of illustrating the first settlers, also describing their way of life. Americas past was not as glamorous and breathtaking as what everybody expected it to be. Having Siberian nomadic hunters as its first settlers, without knowledge of agriculture and a civilized and organized community, clearly America started with humble beginnings. Plus, the title itself “New World Encounters” America was obviously a continent with a backward civilization. As encounters and interactions from civilized people from across the seas began, America slowly learned the tricks and the trade. The authors wrote as clearly as possible picturing America from nothing to something. In Americas growing progress into a civilized society, its interaction and participation in commerce and trade became more and more dynamic through the years. It was not an easy road as whats stated earlier but it was the challenges and hardships that made America learn how to stand on its own. The learnings and realizations brought by the different events as well as by the different people, have contributed a lot in establishing a strong foundation for America. Being an American, having such humble beginnings is not something to be ashamed of, but rather, it is something that we all should be amazed and be proud of. The past tells us who we are, it is our heritage. However humble it might be, it is a story of who we are and what we are. It is now up to us to continue writing the story of America and make our forefathers proud of us. Bibliography “Faculty: T.H. Breen.” Department of History NorthWestern University. 02/20/2007. 2002-2006 NorthWestern University. Retrieved: 22 November 2007 Gross, Ariela J. “Texas Maxicans and the Politics of Whiteness.” Law and History Review 21.1 (2003):27 pars. Retrieved 27 November 2007. Robert A. Divine et al. America:Past and Present. 7th Edition Robert A. Divine. Organization of American Historians. Retrieved 27 November 2007 Read More