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Read the following descriptions by English colonial leaders in North America during the seventeenth century:

"For the natives, they are near all dead of smallpox, so as the Lord hathe [has] cleared our title to what we possess."
— John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

"[Thank God for sending] smallpox, etc. to lessen their numbers: so that the English, in comparison with the Spaniard, have but little Indian blood to answer for."
— John Archdale, governor of South Carolina, 1695-1696

What do these quotations tell you about English attitudes toward American Indians?



Answer :

GinnyAnswer

Final answer:

English colonial leaders viewed the decimation of Native populations by diseases like smallpox as a positive sign, shaping power dynamics in early American colonial history.


Explanation:

English attitudes toward American Indians during the seventeenth century were marked by a sense of superiority and justification for their actions. The quotes by John Winthrop and John Archdale reflect this sentiment, with English colonial leaders viewing the decimation of Native American populations due to diseases like smallpox as a sign of divine providence, clearing the way for European colonization and expansion.

Furthermore, the devastating impact of diseases like smallpox on Native American populations, with mortality rates as high as 95%, played a significant role in shaping early colonial interactions and power dynamics between Europeans and Indigenous peoples in North America.

This grim history highlights the complex and often tragic consequences of European colonization on Native American communities, setting the stage for future relations and conflicts in the region.


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