Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving
The English Pilgrims sailed from England on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock about 400 years ago, in the 1620s. They remained for a while, and the following year they experienced a fantastic harvest that had not been seen in that area for a number of years. They were able to endure the harsh climatic conditions in England at the time with the assistance of Native Americans. (Chaudhri & Schau, 2016). For the purpose of commemorating and celebrating the harvest they had that year, the leaders of Plymouth, in particular Bradford William, arranged a feast. To the three-day feast, which they reportedly summoned the "Native American Allies," they extended an invitation. Among the guests was "Wampanoag chief Massasoit" who brought some deer to the party. Every group brought something to celebrate and so the first Thanksgiving was realized (Bunker, 2010).
The Treaty of Greenville
The treaty of Greenville was one of the most controversial agreements between Native American and American tribes. The treaty signed in 1795 meant that the American territory was increased in the west and anger among the Native Americans was minimized. What lead to the agreement of the treaty is that when the American settlers moved into northwest regions (Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin), they come across native American tribes who were not impressed by their presence (Wilson, 2013). This lead to conflict and the emergence of war known as “Northwest Territory Indian War” in the 1780-90s. The Americans claimed they had a right to the Northwest Territory since they were the one who defeated the British while the Native Americans claimed that this was their land that they have hunted for years (Booraem, 2012). Another war is known as "the Battle of Fallen Timbers" in 1794 led by Anthony Wayne, a reputable soldier. The Native Americans were defeated, and they surrendered leading to the signing of the treaty at Greenville giving up some of their regions.
References
Booraem, V. (2012). A Child of the Revolution: William Henry Harrison and His World, 1773–1798. The Kent State University Press.
Bunker, N. (2010). Making haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and their world: A new history. Knopf.
Chaudhri, A., & Schau, N. (2016). Imaginary Indians: Representations of Native Americans in Scholastic Reading Club. Children's Literature in Education, 47(1), 18-35.
Wilson, F. E. (2013). Treaty of Greenville. Book On Demand Limited.
