Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 15

Writer's choice - Essay Example In this essay I will identify similarities and differences between European colonists and indigenous Native American ethnic groups and analyze how the most significant differences between European and Native American cultures made the conflict of two civilizations inevitable. Before the first Europeans settlers stepped on the American land, it was inhabited with more than 500 Native American tribes speaking more than 300 languages.1 In fact, Native Americans had lived in South, Central and North Americas for thousands of years already; they had their own culture, system of religious beliefs and effective societal organization. Some indigenous tribes were sedentary, while others were nomads. Many Native American ethnic groups, like Hurons and Iroquois for instance, were engaged in rivalry between each other, which made them quite similar to European colonialists that came from different competing countries. However, there were more differences between Native Americans and European newcomers than similarities. There is no doubt that European colonialists represented a much more advanced civilization. The technologies they brought to America with them impressed indigenous tribes a lot as the latter had never seen anything like that before (for instance, wea ponry, ships, household goods etc.). Europeans had showed Native American Indians how to handle horses, use cattle, taught how to operate firearms and a lot more. On the other hand, Europeans were impressed and surprised by the way Native American societies were organized because it was strikingly different from what the newcomers used to see back in Europe. The societies were bound by kingship and extended family ties. The societal organization of most of Native American tribes was matrilineal. Women owned the property and did agricultural work, while men were in charge of hunting and defense of