Native American Empires

What is an empire? By definition an empire is an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority. So by this definition, could the Native Americans in early seventeenth century Virginia be considered an empire? In describing Powhatan and his people, John Smith writes that the chief inherited some of his territories but the rest were his “several conquests.” Smith, an English settler, referred to Powhatan as an “Emperour” that “ruleth over many Kings or Governours.” Therefore, the Native Americans in Virginia under the rule of one authority, who has conquered many territories to build what would be considered an empire. So, are the English an empire? The English at the time, could be categorized as a kingdom, but not …show more content…
This is extremely different than the matriarchal Native American society, in which the women are in charge. The English could have looked down on the Native Americans for this because, for the most part, women were the ones working the fields, taking care of the household and many other things that men would have done in the English culture. William Strachey writes a detailed description of the people, specifically of their color, constitution and disposition, and apparel. In his paper, Strachey outlines the patriarchal view of the English by making the Native Americans seem like children as he describes them being “covetous” of their “commodities.” Smith, describes a discussion between Powhatan and himself in which he portrays Powhatan as weak and begging for the English not to disrupt his people in the language he assigns to the chief. In this conversation Powhatan asks, “why are you thus jealous of our loves seeing us unarmed.” This is an example of Smith, portraying the Native Americans as weak, though this this writing could be viewed as Powhatan warning the English against trying to steal from the Native Americans. One goal of the English at the time, was to convert the “heathenous” Native Americans to their form of religion, believing that the more souls they saved, the …show more content…
The Native Americans have been portrayed throughout history as “savages,” but in reality they are a very civilized people, with their own way of doing things. The Native Americans felt as though they had the upper hand when it came to power in America, and they viewed the English as their inferiors. This idea of superiority can be seen in John Smith’s writing of an excerpt entitled, What can you get by War. After an incident of some of the English colonists stealing corn from a Powhatan temple, Chief Powhatan summoned Smith as a “subordinate werowance.” A werowance, which is a local chief in Native American society, is lower in standing than Powhatan who is the chief over everyone including the werowances. The Native Americans took the English in as friends and even tried to assimilate them into their culture, by making John Smith a werowance. Powhatan seems to be sending Smith a warning that if the English do not respect them, they will lose an ally as well as corn to eat. John Smith, an Englishman, being a werowance shows Powhatan’s intentions to maintain his power by bringing the English into his empire as