Have you ever wondered why the Native-Americans (Indians) helped make possible the Pilgrims’ celebration of their first Thanksgiving in 1621? Why were the Indians so cooperative, especially since — just 15 years earlier — they had been so hostile to Europeans exploring New England that a French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, told his government to look elsewhere for colonies?
Our story starts in 1492 when Columbus arrived in America (actually the Caribbean). From then on, interaction between Indians and Europeans steadily increased, with the Europeans trading goods coveted by the Indians, particularly horses, for goods provided by the Indians, such as pumpkins and corn, that they then brought back to Europe.
However, the Europeans also began bringing Indians back to Europe, as slaves, which is one reason these Indians, while willing to trade with Europeans, were vehemently opposed to their establishing colonies in the New World. Hence Champlain’s unfortunate experience.
And there was one other thing that Europeans brought to the New World — diseases that Europeans had become immune to, but native Indians had not. As a result, sometime in 1617 a terrible disease, probably typhus, caused an epidemic that nearly wiped out the Indian tribes in New England.
And to what did these Indians attribute this epidemic?
An explanation many historians ascribe to is this: In 1615 a French ship ran aground along the New England shore near a village of Wampanoag Indians, who promptly killed all but three sailors, one of whom told the Indians that his God would punish them for this deed by wiping them out and giving their native lands to other peoples.
And so, in the wake of the epidemic that immediately followed, the Indians became terrified of the Europeans and their God’s power to wreak such vengeance. Thus in 1621, when the Pilgrims came along, most Indians were in no mood to confront them.
Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Besides getting help from those Indians who survived the epidemic, the Pilgrims also benefitted from the deaths of those who had not, because many Indian villages were vacant, as were many fields that those now-deceased Indians had previously cleared for planting. All the Pilgrims had to do was clear out the weeds and start their own planting — again, assisted by those surviving Indians.
The Pilgrims also saw the epidemic as God’s handiwork, and considered it a sign that they were God’s chosen people. Indeed, that feeling of special favor was the driving force behind much of Britain’s subsequent expansion into America.
As we know, that expansion came at the expense of millions more native Indians, who must have wondered how the white man latched on to such a powerful God.
Bruce G. Kauffmann’s email address is bruce@
historylessons.net.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSONS: Why were the Indians so helpful to Pilgrims?
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Vincennes University Dean’s List
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4 more honored as Four Star Schools
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Chances and Services for Youth to participate in food program
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South Latin students compete at convention
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Southwest Parke School Corp. receives eLearning grant
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Otter Creek competes in regional Academic Super Bowl
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Riverton Parke FFA teams compete at April 16 contest
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Parks offering summer day camp
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State recognizes counties for improving college success
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College Challenge program earns accreditation
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ISP offers youth an up close look at law enforcement
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Goals, Pride & Achievements: May 16, 2013
Alyssa A. Barnes of Clinton graduated from Purdue University on Sunday.
She has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, with a minor in psychology. -
Woodrow Wilson students collect funds for animals
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Riverton Parke academic bowl team finishes strong
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Turkey Run High School names top 2013 students
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Graduation ceremonies will be in the high school gymnasium at 11 a.m. May 25 with 36 students receiving their diplomas. -
Bruce’s history lessons: Spring Cleaning 2013
Time for my annual “Spring Cleaning” column, in which I address reader issues and answer “Frequently Asked Questions.”
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Moats gets ISU Rankin Award
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Turkey Run to honor seniors
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The program for freshmen to juniors will be held at 1:32 p.m. May 16 in the high school gymnasium. -
Honey Creek math club earns gold status
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Riverton Parke students bring home art awards
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Parke Adult Tutoring Service awards mini-grant
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