Our nation's past is often perceived as a glorious and monumental country. We are nurtured into believing that it was built by past presidents, politics, wars, and the life and values of the nation's elite. Ironically, we do not focus on social classes, economical conflicts, tensions between mainstream and minority groups, or political history, all of which are fundamental aspects that create our history. We should really be interpreting America, or, Amerikkka, from "the bottom up" focusing on the more often neglected perspective, people, and events that have transformed our understanding of Who Really Built America? Over the course of four centuries, America's transformation to what it is today is due mainly to culture, politics, working people and the nation's economy. .
From the very beginning when settlers came across sea, colonizing the indigenous people and exploiting their land had begun the history of America. A region along the Rio Grande where the Pueblo society existed had been overthrown by the Spanish settlers. Colonist established a pattern of violence and terror so as to scare the Pueblos into obedience. Spanish created a system called the encomienda system where Pueblo Indians would be required to pay tribute in the form of food, shelter, and other resources at the Spaniards requests. In addition to the encomienda system, the Spanish also enforced Christianity conversion, however, Pueblo tradition still remained strong in the face of Spanish's intense missionizing efforts and political domination. As tribute levels increased and Pueblo population decreased, the Pueblo Indians became sick of enduring such suffering and overpower from the Spanish when they had problems of their own. The end of the encomienda system was the beginning of the first successful and impactful Native American revolt called the Pueblo Revolt.
