Writing prompt:

This article is over a century old, and has been intensively criticized as well as praised since it was published. Imagine someone who takes issue/disagrees with Turner. (This might be you!) With reference to what Turner wrote, what might they disagree with? What would they want emphasized that isn't here?

(Fallback prompt, maximum ✔)

What's something you didn't understand?

Census Maps of population

Santa Fe: 1607

Spanish North America

• Conversion of and, especially rule over Indians
• Extractive (silver)
• Town-and-mission oriented.

Quebec (1608)

French Empire

• Small populations over vast areas
• Search for trading partners
• Fur
• "Middle ground" of cooperation.

English Colonialism

• Larger outmigration of people
• Search for cash crops
• A self-perpetuating "Indian Problem."

1700 Populations

Northern vs. Southern Colonies

South:

• Slavery increasingly central
• Focused on export crops (Tobacco, then Cotton)
• Only Minor Cities

Northern vs. Southern Colonies

North:

Santa Fe: 1607

Jamestown

Pocahontas

Tobacco

"The story of Pocahontas is a tragic tale of a young Native girl who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and allegedly murdered by those who were supposed to keep her safe."

-Indian Country Today

Southern Colonies (1600-1776)

• Small cities, vast plantations, frontier hinterlands
• Cash crops for European Market
• Reliance on slave labor

Santa Fe: 1607

Quebec (1608)

Jamestown

Northern Colonies (1600-1776)

• Medium-sized cities, small farms
• Subsistence farming
• Less slavery outside the cities.

North and South

'The Salvages, are accustomed to set fire of the Country in all places where they come, and to burne it twize a yeare, viz: at the Spring, and the fall of the leafe.'

-Thomas Morton (founder of Quincy, MA)

Edge Effect

Squanto

Forest today

Walls in 1850

Westward migration remained regional

Cessions

Flood of settlers


Dark brown by 1640
Light brown by 1665

Three vantages on Indian Relations

• From Indians: deals will be broken, but alliances are necessary (with the French if possible!)
• From the frontier: We need more land to continue our way of life.
• From London/Boston etc.: The rabble will draw us into conflict with natives; when's it worth it?

Continual dynamic of conflict

1. Settlers press west

2. Unsettles native practices in various ways

3. Conflict over who owns land: demands for individual ownership.
4. Central governments forced to choose sides.

5. Usually Natives lose; when they don't, process continues until more conflict.