Thin Lines between Histories Essay Example for Free

Thin Lines between Histories Essay The connection—history and culture between Africans and Americans can be traced way back in ancient history (Duignan and Lewis xiii). No event linked these two groups—Africans and Americansand Australian natives or the Aboriginal people until the European expansion beginning in the 15th century. In a history review â€Å"Aboriginal Australians,† Nicolas Peterson states that, changes in native-Australian-living began in 17th century. Apparently, customary relationship between Africans and Americans and later the Afro-American, was established in the same event—European occupation. The article â€Å"Aboriginal Australians† reviewed by Nicolas Peterson, claims that, the Aborigines or Aboriginal people were the indigenous occupants of Australia. For at least 50,000 years they have lived and have inhabited every region of Australia. Following their accustomed practice, this tribe lived as hunters and gatherers in the vast lands of Australia. The word Aboriginal is a collective term for indigenous tribes of various cultures. Researches claim that, Aboriginal people also inhabited North America, particularly in Canada which was recognized as parcel of Indians, Metis and Inuit with unique traditional practices, and spiritual beliefs. Native Americans, also known as American Indians, Indians, and native peoples were indigenous peoplefirst people. of North America, as the writing entitled â€Å"American Indians† suggests. They had lived throughout the continent for thousands of years before the European exploration. They built houses and excelled in utilizing the resources around them. On the other hand, African Americans, the Afro-Americans or the American Blacks or Black Americans, whose ancestors are from the West Africa, were considered as a racial group in the United States. Though, they also claimed the European, Native American and Asian ancestry (Duignan and Lewis 6). The two thin lines connecting these tribes lie in the episode of history in the 15th and 17th century. First, the occupation of the Europeans in Australia, Africa and America marked the beginning of the histories of the said three continents; second, while the expedition of the Europeans transcended, Aboriginal history and that of Native and Afro-American history were meeting in the same grounds—declining population and diminishing culture and tradition. In the 15th century, European settlers and explorers began to arrive in the Americas, bringing with them a mass number of Africans, beginning in 1619 from the West Africa, as slaves in farms and European industries, based on â€Å"American Indians†. European wars—natives fighting for their lands and diseases depreciated Native American population. Native Americans learned to work with Europeans by abandoning some of their traditions and adopting new technologies. Duignan and Lewis agree that, slave trade became America’s first link to Africa. Slavery existed in large scale—as the demand for slaves increases, the number of Africans in America also increases intensely and so the Afro-American population. African Americans provided most of the labor for the Europeans. Most of the Africans—who became slaveswere employed to subsistence farming and raising livestock. Their natural abilities both in industries and agricultural fields gave them an advantage as laborers of Americas (6). In 1788, as Nicolas Peterson argues in â€Å"Aboriginal Australians,† the invaders of the West began colonizing Australia. The 17th century marked the devastating period of history in the Aboriginal way of life. The new settlers immediately interrupted the life of the Aboriginal natives, taking over their rich fisheries, sources of water and farm land. Similarly, a number of Aboriginal people died from the outbreak of European diseases and from the struggle to win the control of their lands. Europeans changed the way of life as well as the history of the Aboriginal people and of the Native American to worst. These tribes have lived in their lands long before the colonization happened—the Europeans took it away. They never came in contact with epidemics—the Europeans introduced and brought diseases to their lands. They had the same old tradition and spiritual beliefs—the Europeans attempted to export theirs to them. These changes caused the largest decline in population recorded in history and also a large impact on the history and culture of the natives of America and Australia. And even so with the Africans whose population grew more in the Americas. Europeans conquered countries trying to expand their political power and land ownership. As they did this, their cultures were also expanding and taking over the rich and endemic culture of the Aboriginal people, Native Americans and Afro-Americans. The Native Americans and the Afro-Americans affected the existence of each tribe. The first had its own rich tradition before the Africans were introduced by the Europeans, which it shared to the Negros. The African, likewise, had unique technologies and ways of living, which it allowed to make known to the natives of America. Duignan and Lewis emphasized the dependence of Americans upon the African labor and population (16). The Aboriginal people, nonetheless, were enjoying their fruitful culture long before the colonizers came. And the same lines fall here, both the Aboriginal history and the Native and Afro-American history were marked by the overpowering Europeans. That these Westerners went down to meet the Africans, sent them to America, went east and conquered Australia. But the line does not end there. The lessened population of the continents and tribes they overpowered due to same reasons—land loss and diseasesand the weakened culture during the European occupation, changed the whole course of the parallel histories of the Aboriginal people and Native and Afro-American populations.