Term Paper on "City Upon a Hill"

Term Paper 5 pages (2007 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

City upon a Hill is associated with the sermon given by John Winthrop in 1630. This sermon, according to many experts, was delivered before the Puritan colonists actually landed in New England. Winthrop sees the establishment of a Puritan colony in Massachusetts as an example of Christian values and charity and states that this colony should be an example to the world or a beacon of light and hope. In other words it should be like a city on a hill which would serve as an inspiration to people throughout the world. It is based on the phrase from Matthew 5:14

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid."

The intention of the sermon was also to encourage the Puritans to inculcate a "sense of holy duty that would be crucial if they wanted to increase their chances of survival in the New World." (Wikipedia: City upon a Hill)

The idea behind Winthrop's sermon is that he believed that all people had a covenant with God. This also relates to the very reason why the Puritan's left England for the New World in the first place. They felt that this covenant or connection with God had been broken in England mainly because of the adoption of Catholic rituals by the Anglican Church. Winthrop, like many Puritans, felt that the new colony in the America would be a means of reestablishing a correct or pure connection with true Christian ideals and values. "Winthrop believed that by purifying Christianity in the New World, his followers would serve as an example to the Old World for building a model Protestant community." (Wikipedia: City upon a Hill)

All of these aspects are clearly evident in the language of Winthrop's speech. For example, the language used clearly shows that the Puritans took the idea of a Covenant with God in a very serious light. Winthrop states in the speech that, if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a byword through the world, wee shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the wayes of god and all professours for Gods sake; wee shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into Cursses upon us till wee be consumed out of the good land whether wee are going: (John Winthrop's City upon a Hill, 1630)

The above words point to two central aspects of Puritan thought. The first is the importance of listening and adhering to God's word. Without this strict adherence to the word of God and His protection they would be vulnerable to attack from their enemies.

There is also a strong sense in the language that the safety and success of the colonists in the new and "savage" world would depend on the puritan adherence to Christian norms and values.

Therefore, the Puritans felt that like a City Upon a Hill they should be a shining example of goodness and Christian strength if they were to survive the trials and tribulations of the New World. This meant that they would have to ensure that the society that they create would have a "perfect order." To a certain extent these ideals were to be relatively successful and the society that they developed was well ordered and in "stark contrast with the unstable and loosely-bound society of the early British colonies in the Chesapeake Bay region, such as Jamestown. " (Wikipedia: City upon a Hill)

In order to understand how the Indian tribes and the colonial settlers interacted one firstly has to understand something about the basic differences of culture and attitudes between the two different groups. One of the most important facts with regard to Native American cultures, and which many people do not realize, is that there was no Indian national unity. Rather the Indian tribes were essentially separate and went their own way; with many differences in social customs and perceptions between the different tribes. The Native Americans people were therefore characterized by diversity and not unity. "When we talk about American Indians or Native Americans, we first have to be aware that there is nothing like a Native American Nation, that there is nothing like an overwhelming unity or general consensus between the individual nations and tribes. " (NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY)

The above is an important aspect and it explains much of the confusion and misunderstanding that took place when the two cultures met. This is especially true when it comes to the reaction of the white settlers who often saw the Indian tribes as a unified threat against their existence.

To the Indians the colonists would have been viewed as just another different tribe or people as the Indians were used to encountering and meeting unfamiliar groups of people.

As the texts on this subject also show, many Indian tribes were initially very friendly and even helpful to the white settlers, as they did not, at least in the early stages, see them as a threat.

Thus it would appear that initial contact with Europeans would be rather unspectacular for members of a Native American society. In many respects, the historical record indicates that Europeans were treated as neither more nor less exotic than would be members of another Indian group. Native people seem not to have been especially intimidated by, or impressed with, most of the novelties brought as trade goods, and often appear to have regarded the newcomers with a mixture of curiosity and concern: though Europeans looked like adults, they frequently seemed unable to feed themselves and to be perpetually on the brink of starving to death.

Dorris M.A.)

On the other hand there was a very different cultural perspective from the settler's point-of-view. The white colonists were used to thinking in terms of national and social unity. They therefore tended to assume that the Native Americans were a unified threat and were therefore suspicious of the Indian tribes. Therefore many Native Americans would encounter hostility and fear when they first met the colonists that would also create a sense of uncertainly and suspicion among the Indians.

A further aspect that would have influenced the relationships and contacts between the two groups was the idea of private property. Generally the Native Americans did not have a concept of private property, but rather believed in sharing what they had with others. The colonists, being unaware of this different attitude, would have been suspicious and would have feared that their property was in danger.

A the people of the New World were hopelessly bewildered by the European's spirit of competition for personal gain. For much more was at issue here than a difference of abstract ideologies: ramifications ran through every tissue of life. These two world views, each never dreaming of the other's existence, had really created two totally different worlds.

NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY)

Another aspect that was crucial in terms of the colonist's perception and reaction to the Native Americans was religious and other forms of prejudice. As Nash and others state, there was a strong belief that Native Americans were "savages" and were not entirely human or in need of Christian redemption. This is an important aspect as these prejudices led to false assumptions and then to often cruel and unjust actions on the part of the colonists. The following quotation outlines this historical fact.

With the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the world was to change for the Native American cultures. "Christ-Bearing Dove" started a process which would soon deprive the population of their land, mostly with the arguments that Europe had to civilize these uncivilized barbarians. Mostly, these barbarians "were friendly at first but usually alienated in short order by slaving, murder, torture, and extortion."

NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY)

The above view points to the most common history of contact between the two cultures. In the first instance the Indians would see the settlers just as another group of strangers and even help them. However, often due to prejudice and incorrect and unjustified views, this situation would change and there would be a deterioration in relationships.

This in turn resulted in the Indians mistrusting the intentions of the settlers over time.

Religious prejudice also played an important role in creating friction between the settlers and the Native Americans. The Puritans in particular saw the Indians as essentially unchristian and even "evil." Religious prejudice was often the cause for gross violations of human rights.

The Puritan went directly to divine law and divine logic to justify his acquisitiveness. Essential to this was the notion of the Indian as the savage, and the wild forest as an affront to God's will (Nash). Both the forest and the savage needed to be tamed and converted to God's purposes or, if this was not possible, destroyed.

Franks, C.E.S.)

Many critics also are of the opinion… READ MORE

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