The Clash of Cultures

The Intrusions of the Europeans drastically changed the Native Indians' ways of life. Ever since Columbus's voyage to the Americas in 1492, the Indians seemed to be plagued with "bad luck"; they lost their battles one after another to the westerners, not just in military power, but also in the ability to overcome diseases. In Oliver La Farge's article Myths That Hide the American Indian, he mainly clarified some legends that shroud the in fact diverse …

…enriched the Europeans' lives substantially; the Europeans learned many farming skills and imported numerous American crops. Unfortunately, the Columbian Exchange also included the exchange of diseases; the Europeans gave the Indians smallpox and influenza, and in return the Indians gave the Europeans syphilis. Works Cited La Farge, Oliver Myths That Hide the American Indian. Ed. John A. Garraty. New York: Longman, 1999. Norton, Mary Beth, et al. A People and A Nation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.