Zinn Chapter 2

The main point of this article was to inform the reader on how the beginning of slavery took place.

The new colonists were deperate for extra labor as they were trying to grow enough food to provide for their families and keep them alive. The colonists knew that they could not overtake the Native Americans who had been living there for who knows how long so they decided they would have to find someone else to do all of their work for them besides the Native Americans. They finally realized that the black people from Africa were the answer to all of their problems that they had. Slavery was also going on in Europe but nothing like what was about to go on in the United States. The slaves in Europe actually had rights and were allowed to be somewhat free compared to those in the United States. What made in the worst in the new colonies was the fact that there was a mad frenzy by all citizens for a so called "limitless" profit. Also in the United States slaves were counted as something less than a human being. They were looked down upon by everyone and everything. Many of the African Americans shipped here died on their way here on the ships and also some of them died in Africa on the long treks it took to getto the slave ships that would take them to America. Even though all of these people kept dying before they were even put into slavery they kept it going because they were still making a huge profit off of it. Millions of people died from slavery; Africa lost 50 million people from their population due to slavery. As most would guess the African American slaves were treated mush harsher and more severe than the white slaves no matter what the offense. The biggest fear of the slave and plantation owners was that the African American and the white slaves would join together and try to overthrow the system that was put into place.

Where did racism begin at and why?

Do you think that racism is coming to an end or where there always be some no matter what?

I thought the reading was very factual and true. It brought up many different points which just further prove the terrible ways we have treated African Americans. These African Americans were just kidnapped from their homes and their lives just to serve us and that is completely wrong.

Takaki Chapter 3

I think the main point of this piece of writing would have to be the points raised up throughout the reading about how the black servants and the white servants were treated differently and also the backgrounds on where most of the servants came from.
The United States did not originate slavery even though most people think that they have. Before African American slaves were brought to the United States white servants were used. The white servants were the so called “outcasts” of society. They came from many parts of the world including England, Germany and Ireland. There were both men and women and most of them were usually convicts, whores, etc. Most of them were lied to, kidnapped, or set up into traps and captured and then forced into slavery. Practically all of these servants came to the United States without families and loved ones. Slaves frequently ran off with each other no matter if they were black or white. Once they were captured they received severe punishment. As you would expect the African Americans received more severe punishment than the whites and that is also the way it still is today unfortunately. Also if white and black servants and white servants were caught together they received severe punishment such as being whipped or being sentenced to serving as a slave for the rest of their lives. This penalty was usually only dealt to the African Americans though and the whites received smaller, less severe punishment. Blacks and whites were also punished if they were caught hanging out together or doing anything sexual. Slaves were eventually defined as property and that is basically how they were treated from then on.
Do you think discrimination between African Americans and whites will ever end and both will be treated equally?
Why do you think that the slaves came from where they came from?

I think that slavery in general is very wrong and should never have been initiated. People should hire other to work for them not force them to. These people had families that they care for then all of the sudden they were snatched away and forced into slavery and they probably would never ever see them again. Another major issue I have is that the African Americans and whites are given completely different punishment for the same crime that they have committed. This is completely unfair and it should definitely be changed as soon as possible because this country needs to have racial equality.

Takaki Chapter 2

The author’s main point in this writing is that the Native Americans were not ready to have their way of life changed by some newcomers who they have never seen or met before. They were used to living their own way of life and providing for themselves. For as long as the Native Americans have been in the United States they have been living there by themselves and on their own terms. When Columbus and his crew arrived they completely changed the history of the Indians and also of the United States forever. The Native Americans treated the expedition crew like they were gods because they truly believed that they were. The Native Americans would give them anything that they wanted and they were willing to trade whatever they had no matter how valuable it was. In my opinion they were too friendly which made them susceptible to anything the new colonists wanted to do to them. As time progressed the Native Americans were treated worse and worse and the colonists were starting to push them from the territories that they wanted to own. They also forced the Native Americans into slave labor either in the United States or they sent them back over to Europe. The Indians finally started to realize that these two completely different types of people had no chance of living together in peace. The Native Americans began to rebel and they started trying to be hostile towards the colonists and they began to have wars with them. The Europeans also brought over many types of diseases that the Native Americans have never dealt with before which in turn killed many of them very quickly. The Indians have also taken all of the good farming grounds with the fertile soil by the time the foreigners arrived and this also became a problem. This situation lead to the Europeans either fighting the Native Americans for this land and taking it over or in some cases they moved in next to the Indians and crowded them out. How could the Native Americans perhaps have prevented being taken over by Columbus and his crew and everyone else eventually? Were the Native Americans too friendly to the explorers from the beginning which caused them to be taken over easily? In my opinion the explorers had no right to do this to the Native Americans who did nothing but be kind to them from the moment they stepped foot on this continent. The explorers returned their kindness with slavery, stealing and many other things which they did not deserve.

Zinn Chapter 1

The main point of this reading that the author is trying to convey to the reader is the unnecessary cruelty that the newcomers displayed to the Native Americans who were established in the America's way before them. Not a lot of people realize what we did to the Native Americans in order to take this land from them. They also do not realize the kindness that the Native Americans met us with when we first arrived here and the hostility we ended up showing them because of our greed after a short amount of time on land. A quote from the reading that I feel summarizes how Zinn feels pretty well would be, "Thus began the history, five hundred years ago, of the European invasion of the Indian settlements in the Americas, a history of conquest, slavery, and death. But in the history books given to the children of the United States, for generation after generation, it all starts with heroic adventure- there is no bloodshed- and Columbus Day is a celebration."

The American Indian people had developed many ways of survival and producing food and such things for themselves. As soon as Columbus and the rest of the Europeans arrived the Indians were forced into slavery and taken to look for the gold treasures. Their crops and houses were destroyed and their lives were over as they used to know. Columbus knew he could not go back to Europe empty handed so he had the Indians do all of the work for him and since he did not find mass amounts of gold he forced the Native Americans into slavery and took them back on his ships. The Native Americans did not deserve this at all either they had done nothing to harm the Europeans. In fact when they saw the ships arriving they swam out into the ocean and greeted the sailors with gifts and things of that nature. Once on land they gave up anything they had for the newcomers and were willing to trade for anything.

Do you think that the history books for younger children should be changed so they tell the actual truth of what Columbus did after his arrival?

Were the Native Americans too friendly to the Europeans who they did not even know?

This reading made me upset on how the Europeans treated the Native Americans who were so nice to them and never did anything but show them respect and hospitality. They did not deserve anything that was done to them and it is frustrating they were treated with such disrespect.