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MeganFullmer
History1700
31May2016
DocumentAnalysis1

FromPontiac,Speeches:Summary
PontiacstatesthatwhilethewhiteEnglishmenhaveconqueredtheFrench,butthe
NativeAmericantribesshallnotbeconquered.Theland,thetrees,mountainsetcwereleftto
thetribesfromtheirancestors,servingasaformofinheritanceandtheywillnotsurrender.
PontiacrecognizesthatthereisalreadyexcellentsourcesforfoodandwaterthattheGreat
Spirithasalreadyprovidedinthewoodsandlakesandthattheyarefinewithoutthefoodthat
theEnglishmenthinkisbetterandmoredesirable.Whiletheinfluenceofthewhiteshasbegun
totakeitstollonthenatives,astheyarebuyingguns,knives,blanketsfromthewhiteman
wheretheyarebeginningtoDevelopasenseofdependencetowardsthegoodssoldbythe
whiteman.Evenalcoholbecomesanissuewiththenatives.Pontiacencouragesthemembers
ofhistribetobandtogetherandridtheirlivesofthewhitemansgoodsandtolivewiseastheir
forefathersdidbeforetheyhad.Thewhitemanhavecometorobthemoftheirlandsand
PontiacdeclaresthatitistimetowipethemcleanfromtheEarthinorderfortheearthto
reestablishhappinessandtoprosper.PontiacestablishesthattheEnglishmenarerobbingthe
puritiesoftheEarth.AstheEnglishmenhavebegunsellinggoodsamongsttheNatives,which
developsasenseofdependencytowardstheproducts.However,Pontiacseesthroughthe
goodsandseestheEnglishmenasathreatontheirland.NeolinwantstoridtheEnglishmenof
thelandwhichwillallowtheEarthtorestoreitshappinessandprosperity.OneofthephrasesI
foundinterestingwasinthesecondparagraphhowTheMasterofLifeisspeakingtoNeolin,he

saysthetribesmust"liftahatchetagainstthem"Ifoundthisinterestingbecausethiswasa
messagefromoneoftheirSpirits,instructingthemtorejectthewhitemansgoodsandwipe
themout.SomuchofAmerica'spastwasfoundedbyreligiousandspiritualprinciples.This
spiritualforce(MasterofLife)isinstructingviolenceupontheinvadingEnglish.Theaudienceof
thisdocumentwasaimedattheothermembersofPontiac'stribe,tobandtogetherandreject
thewhitemansgoodsandreclaimthelandwhichwastheinheritanceoftheirancestors.By
standingtheirgroundandnotallowingthewhitementoinvadewouldbeanactofloyaltyto
theirancestors.
FromtheInterestingNarrativeoftheLifeofOlaudahEquianoorGustavusVassa,theAfrican:
Summary
Atthebeatofadrum,buyersrushintoseetheslaves,decidingwhichonetheylikebestbefore
makingthefinalpurchase.Theslaveswhoaretogetherarequicklyseparated,nevertobeseen
again.Equianorecallsseeingseveralbrothersforsale,soldtodifferentbuyersandtohear
theircriesduringpartingwasdeeplymoving.Equianoquestionstothewhitelandownersjust
howChristiantheactofslaveryis.HavetheylearnedthisfromGod?Thewhitelandowners
haveputmorevalueintheirownlivesthanthelivesofotherswhoarebeingtornapart.The
onlycomfortEquianoseesishopingthatmaybefamiliescanbereunitedtoworktogetherinthe
gloomofslavery.
EquianointendedaudienceisthewhiteChristianslaveowners.Byseparatinghusbands
andwivesandsiblings,fromoneanotherastheyaresoldtodifferentslaveownersliketheyare
property,Equianoreallyquestionsjusthowmorallyrightsuchanactis.Thisalsocorrelateswith
thequalificationsofslaves.Oneofthequalificationstobeaslavewasthattheywerenot
Christian.ThisqualificationdidnotlastverylongbecausesomanyoftheAfricans,Native
Americans(eventhoughtheNativeAmericanshadalreadybeenenslavedbuttheattemptwas

unsuccessful)wereconvertingtoChristianity.Theslaveclassificationswerethenalteredthat
onlythosewhoseskinwasdarkwereslaves.HowChristianisitreallytoenslaveanother
humanbeingandteartheirfamilyapartinordertobenefitsomeoneelseforthesakeofluxury
andprofit.Equianoincludesalotofemotionaldetail.Hewantshisaudiencetofeelpainand
sympathyforthefamilieswhoaretornfromtheircountryonlytobetornapartagainastheyare
soldtodifferentslaveowners.Life,LibertyandthePursuitofhappiness.Evenifitmeanstaking
fromanothertobenefityourself.