The White Indians of Colonial America

James Axtell1975

#1

If you were a “white” prisoner of Native

Americans, would you have escaped back to your

culture or remained as an Indian?

#2

Would you have allowed “white” prisoners back into your society if you

were European colonists?

#3

Assess the validity of Europeans’ assessment of Native Americans as

“savages”.

Native American Society• Semi-nomadic

– Moved villages seasonally for hunting, fishing, planting…

• Warfare was less destructive than Europeans– Revenge or honor required less killing– Conquest of land not a goal

• Communal– Decision-making– Ownership of property

• Technology– Produced a comfortable surplus was it “savage”– (Europeans were incapable of producing a surplus with their

“advanced” techniques)