Differences Between Indian and European Society

The technological skills and advances of a civilization are based upon their fundamental beliefs, faith, and desires. These three concepts are the foundations of societies that shape their growth and prosperity. These factors also were the underlying reason to the differences between the American Indian’s and European’s society. The principles the different groups held were long seeded before having produced contact with one another ultimately affecting each ones way of life. The diversity between these people both in physic and civilization was so enormous it really did show them as being from opposite ends of the globe.

The beliefs of the Native American Indians were extremely similar to that of animism. The Indians viewed the land simply as it was, as land. Its purpose was to provide food for them such as corn, allow them to have shelter, and supply them with any other necessities they might require to survive. In retrospect however, the European explorers held a different belief of the resourcefulness of land. The concept they held that land could be sectioned into property and that a man could own a piece of the Earth flabbergasted the Native Americans. The thought of such a feat was found bizarre and not needed. The foreign idea of mass cultivation also bewildered the Indians. The European practice of creating mass fields of a single plant to ship off for a profit also helped to define the obvious differences that the two societies held when it came to views on agriculture, and nature in general.

Furthermore distinguishing the barrier between the society’s similarities was the different faiths the two populaces held. The Indians followed a religion of polytheism, each tribe worshipping the God of their choice, whereas the Europeans were primarily of the Catholic faith, and sought to convert nonbelievers. It is well known that religion holds power, and when it comes to the topic of a person’s higher being, disagreements breed horrendous disputes. The two societies clashed over religion and the Europeans refusing to acknowledge the Indian faith, would influence theirs upon the Indians under what means they found necessary. The fighting for religious conflicts between the cultures portrays that even more abundantly the growing diversity between these people.

Desires fuel the passionate drive men have for what they love, and love can drive men to the extremes. Indian desires were simple and