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Traci Farr
Professor Palmer
English 2130 American Literature
9 February 2013
Immigration: The Views of Native Americans and Europeans.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Europeans started to come to the new world, the Europeans discovered a society of Indians that were remarkably indifferent to customs of their own. To better understand these differences between the Europeans and Indians, one must compare and contrast differences, such as how the Europeans considered the Indians to be extremely primitive and basic, while considering them civilized. The Europeans thought themselves to be role model society, and that Indians should be the same.
“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” That short rhyme we learn at such an early age helps us to remember when Christopher Columbus sailed to America. Columbus was born into a family of wool workers in the Mediterranean port of Genoa. At a young age, he developed a plan to find a commercially viable Atlantic route to Asia. (p. 24) Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella supported his series of four voyages. Columbus had intentions of gold and glory. He named the first island he founded “Savior, divine majesty”. He deceived many people, including his supporters, by making them think his purpose was to “lead” people to Christ. Early writers tend to gloss over this darker, deceitful side of Columbus. They all but ignored the feelings people who were so shamefully mistreated by Columbus and other Spanish settlers. Columbus sailed to islands demanding gold, and sexual partners left behind. On his third immigration voyage, Columbus thought he had found paradise, but instead found himself up against Spanish settlers rebelling against his authority. He was then arrested, chained and sent back to Spain in 1500 with more charges. His last immigration voyage was an attempt to regain all he had lost, but instead this resulted in much pain and suffering in Panama and shipwreck in Jamaica. He was rescued from his fourth and final immigration voyage, and soon died after returning to Europe. One might say the immigration for Columbus was his death sentence.
To immigrate is to enter and usually become established; much like the story of Christopher Columbus immigrating to new land comes the story of Jonathan Edwards, an immigrant in his own world. Edwards was born in 1703 in East Windsor, a new settlement in the Connecticut River valley. He was a highly educated man. His father prepared him for college, where he soon attended what is now known as Yale University. Edwards studied physical science, theology, and philosophy. He is most known for his sermon “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God”. His approach was to calmly migrate people into Christianity, by scaring them into thinking if you didn’t believe in God, and then God would send you to hell. He makes reference to this by saying “God has laid Himself under no obligation by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell one moment”. (p.198) ultimately his tactics of a fire and brimstone approach to Farr 2
Ministry caused him to be dismissed by his congregation in 1750. He went on in 1757 to become president of the College of New Jersey at Nassau Hall. He died at age fifty-five. Immigration through the eyes of Jonathan Edwards was a change that was only intended for future generations.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Europeans started to come to the new world, the Europeans discovered a society of Indians that were remarkably indifferent to customs of their own. Early Americans from Columbus to Ben Franklin have each individual has influenced immigration in one way or another, each bringing new and revolutionary ideas for a better tomorrow.

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Works Cited
Pelta, Kathy. “Discovering Christopher Columbus: How History Is Invented”
Library of Congress Cataloging; Christopher Columbus (1991): 7-10

Franklin, George. The Voyages of Christopher Columbus.
Chicago: MacMillan, 1998

Lauter, Paul. “The Heath Anthology of American Literature Fifth Edition”
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)
Published in 1829-1830 (Line 10)

Baym, Nina. “The Norton Anthology of American Literature Seventh Edition” New York, London, (2008): 24-776