Coming To America Chapter 5

Daniels discussion of race relations and ethnic relations in the context of immigration and colonial America showed the same intolerance between race and ethnic groups we still see so often in the America of today. For as much education and public awareness that has been focused on these issues, I don’t think I see it genuinely reflected in a more progressive attitude. Economic inequality coupled with a sense of superiority and often the entitlement that any number of racial and ethnic groups have makes this still a country that I think is quite divided not too far below the surface. To realize, for instance, that anti-miscegnation laws were in effect until ruled unconstitutional in 1967 is remarkable in having been such a recent part of our history. Still such a long way to go.

It always strikes me that those most intolerant of others are so certain of their right to be so. Shades of John Jay’s Providence and Manifest Destiny are everywhere. You just have to listen to the Republican debates to know how certain some of our leaders are of their “rightful” positions, especially concerning the issues of illegal immigration. And I don’t mean to imply that it s just the Republican leadership – I am deeply disappointed by almost every leader of every persuasion because they cannot work – will not –work together to move our country forward because they are so bitterly unable to respect and compromise with each other to serve the greater good.

I particularly liked John Quincy Adams description of nationalism when it seemed to be an ideal to strive for equality as a foundation for all that follows. It seems if one could ever feel superior about something, it would be amazing to feel superior about being part of a nation where there is economic equality and social justice.

Coming To America Chapter 4 Other Europeans in Colonial America

I am continually impressed by the diversity of colonial America and the influence these migrating ethnicities had on what would become the United States. The non-English European groups of German, Scotch-Irish, Scot, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, French, Spanish, Swedish, and Jewish immigrants made invaluable contributions to our collective history and it is a rich legacy that they give to all the generations that follow. I know I have never before studied American history from the perspective of this collective ethnic history. It has given me a different perspective and contexts in which to look at my own personal ethnic history and for the first time, my national ethnic history.

German immigrants were not unlike many English immigrants with major push factors of politics and economics rather than religion bringing them here. Settling heavily in Pennsylvania, many Germans had to indenture themselves for passage, although by deliberate choice. Called free willers or redemptioners, they had to execute 2 contracts – with the European captain for fare here and with the American purchaser who held the terms of their indenture. Like so many indentured immigrants before them, they were willing to risk extreme hardship because the conditions in Europe were not tolerable. They “preferred being slaves in America to being free townsmen in Germany.” Their indentured life was not considered to be harsh as that of the English and Irish indentured servants, however.

Comparatively, they ended up having more upward social mobility.  It was interesting to learn that redemption ended because it was no longer consonant with the ideology of an American life, although it took more than fifty years after the Declaration of Independence for it to happen.

The emigration from Ulster of the Scotch Irish was much the same in its push forces, although they also had the Anglican Church as a motivating force as well. Many came as a mix of voluntary and coerced indenture. The settlement of the interior of the southern colonies proceeded from Pennsylvania and it was mostly Scotch Irish. The route to

Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and across North Carolina into South Carolina was along the Great Philadelphia Road. It was the major internal migration route of the Colonial Era. With a cultural problem of the absence of an educated clergy, which was important to the Scotch Irish Presbyterians, they helped found (with the Scots) the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) in 1776 and Dickinson College in Pennsylvania in 1781.

So many push and pull factors bringing these migrants here and so many factors influencing the acculturation to American life experienced by each group. Language, family, religious custom, and economic successes were all important contributing factors to their survival and acculturation to American life. And yet, neither size nor geographic concentration was necessary for ethnic survival.

Questions:

1. What was the redemption system of indenture for Germans? Compare it to the indentured servitude of other groups. Why didn’t the system continue?

2. What was the Great Philadelphia Road and what was its significance to the settlement of America?

3. What was the Dutch Golden Age?

Coming T o America Chapters 1, 2, and 3

The arrogant superiority and disregard for the legitimacy of the civilizations and cultures of peoples who were encountered by the European migrants to the New World was a tragic foundation for building America.  It is shocking to realize that much of that sense of inherent superiority and contempt for anyone “different” – by race, place of origin, or gender has remains a part of American culture today.

Of course, this intolerance of others is not confined to Americans. But as a country of great power and influence in the world, we should be better. Actually, they should have been better citizens of the world, too. But they weren’t. And we’re not either.  On the 10^th anniversary of 9-11, I couldn’t stop thinking of that destruction and harm being a catastrophic result the contempt and hatred for Americans by others that that horrible act represented - contempt for our perceived arrogance and superiority. I wish the world was a more peaceful place today built on respect and tolerance – do people really believe that enhanced security and increased anti-terrorist actions have done anything to impact the way people across our world feel about each other? That we are truly any “safer”?  If anything, we are more polarized and separated than ever. It can be quite discouraging to realize that while individuals may attempt to be conscious of being more respectful, tolerant and less arrogant about their own perceived superiority, nothing will ever allow for peace if the leaders of nations do not recognize the urgency of acting better – not just saying the words. By being the change you want to see. 

There was so much within these three chapters that was thought provoking – understanding the life if the immigrants, how many people were here as unfree people and the impact it had on our nation’s formation, the greed almost always exhibited by the colonizers, especially those who would benefit from significant economic gain. Always greed. Such a common theme in the conquering of all parts of the world. Almost inevitably at the expense of another people and culture. You’d think people would realize, repeating history continuously, that this breeds the ultimate contempt. Will we ever learn?

Mains’l Haul: A Journal of Pacific Maritime History

The alternative coastal migration theory is very exciting to discover more about, especially its extension of the antiquity of early sea voyaging. With Pleistocene seafarers using the kelp highway along the Pacific Rim, a whole new dimension to the colonization of America is revealed with very interesting evidence. It is obvious that much evidence has been challenging to uncover because of our rising sea levels and coastal erosion, but the evidence that has been put forward is quite compelling and hopefully further research and exploration will keep making the contributions of these maritime migrations and cultures more widely proven and known.

            It was fascinating to understand how highly technologically skilled and innovative these people were, Especially the groups that were traveling on open ocean waters. As the reading observes, these routes of migration were extremely demanding of social organization and effective and efficient use of resources. These were clearly sophisticated thinkers and innovators – what a rich contribution to our history that so many are unaware of. 

Reading from American Indians and the Problem of History

If the “task for scholars is to come to terms with Naïve American history in its entirety”, this reading inspired me to make it my task as well to challenge my own thinking about and understanding of the Native American experience in America.

            There were many points that struck me, but one of the most impacting was the idea that the “discovery” of the New World was in reality an expansion of the Old. It surprises and embarrasses me that I went to what is considered an excellent high school and my U.S. History class of not that long ago was sorely lacking much perspective, particularly historical perspective of the Indian experience. It is shocking, really, to begin to view Native Americans as “egalitarian bands” quite successfully skilled at being adaptive to technology and changing environments and living in complex organizations. There ability to see the value of maintaining their traditional and regional norms while establishing exchange networks shows a wisdom that escapes many Americans in our country today. What a different country we would be living in today is we could be “ simultaneously many people and one.”

            I learned a lot from the discussion of the European phase and found it revealing to learn that the Indians had customarily approached strangers with offers of hospitality and exchange and so approached the arriving Europeans in the same way. On the other side of this complexity, to try and imagine that many early colonizers shared parallels to the North American experience was nothing I had ever considered before. Looking at the European experience in historical context juxtaposed with the Native American experience is important to do.  I am really looking forward to learning more about the true ethnic history of  America – I had no idea how complex and interesting it is.