Over five centuries ago, European explorer Christopher Columbus fortuitously discovered America. His stories of a prospering land inhabited by people who harmonized with their environment attracted explorers from all over Europe, hoping for the same fame and glory as they"re predecessor. Their quests for trade and territory required the adventurers to make contact with the inhabitants of the new world. However, "such contrasting world views would be hard to reconcile".
In the beginning, the Natives were friendly towards the Europeans. A mutual respect for one another and curiosity for the other's way of life allowed the two cultures to live in temporary harmony. However their relationship began to fall apart as the Europeans began to abuse their privileges. In time, the Native peoples were made victims of terror. Entire tribes were wiped off the map, brutally slaughtered or infected with diseases to which they had no treatment. Not only did the Europeans bring death and disaster to the new world, but they also forced entire aboriginal nations from their lands so as to claim it as their own. It is thus understandable why the Native peoples quickly grew hostile towards all newcomers, giving rise to the expression, "If the Native peoples in a new area are friendly, Europeans have not yet reached there.".
2. The word prehistory is a term we use to represent a time before written history, or in America's case, before the Europeans set foot on American soil. History books tell us that the history of North America began with the arrival of European settlers over five centuries ago. However the original inhabitants of America, or the "Indians" as the Europeans called them, had been roaming the lands for thousands of years prior to European intervention, and have a history of their own. And although these people may not have any written records, that's not to say that they did not have a history.
