The document “Samson Occum’s Diary and the Brothertown Indians” is one of the primary sources used in the book The World Turned Upside Down: Indian Voices from Early America by Colin Calloway. The document offers extensive information on the history of the Americans from the beginning of the 19th century.
This book is one of the best documents about the history of America since it presents primary documents and articles written by the natives themselves (Calloway 123). The historical facts of the country form the thesis of this paper explaining how the country developed to become what it represents today.
The reason I have selected the source is that it offers useful information on the American history between the years1800 and 1900 being a primary source that gives details and ideas about the formation of the nation.
The author presents the perspectives of the Native Americans on the unique events before and after the arrival of colonial powers (Calloway 123). It also explains the encounters between the Europeans and Indians during that period.
The other reason I have chosen the document is that it analyzes the American Revolution in the most explicit, clear and detailed way. Having been set around the 19th century, the document is still a readable and informative historical piece of literature.
The document highlights the fact that the arrival of the colonialists in America resulted in physical conflicts and instability in the region making the Native Americans suffer from the intrusion thereby resulting in a new political order.
The geographical placement of the document is important because it explains the events that took place in the western areas where the Indians resided at that time (Calloway 125).
It gives primary information about the native tribes and the Europeans which is significant while offering a concrete analysis of the conflict between the natives and the Europeans powers. The information and ideas presented in the document are useful historical evidences about the development of the nation.
The arrival of the Euro-American and European colonial powers in the country affected the stability of the native tribes. The newcomers attacked the natives thereby changing their social structure, economic activities, and political order. Further attacks by the colonialists affected the sovereignty of the Indians.
Different historical articles and documents support the same idea that the European powers affected the structure of the land. They introduced new rules and economic activities such as trade and agriculture. We cannot explore the history of America without looking at the role of the colonial powers (Calloway 143).
The other importance of this document is that it provides useful suggestions and ideas for further readings. The reader gets enough information about the history of the land. The document borrows first-hand information from speeches, diaries, letters and treaties written by the Native Americans.
The author has also used various articles written by the Europeans. The reader gets an opportunity to get useful information about the encounter and its subsequent impacts on the Native Americans (Calloway 128). This document points out the issue about the history of America and the obstacles the Native Indians faced.
While different documents and books have tried to explain the history of America in details, this particular book managed to examine the events and physical conflicts between the Native Americans and the Europeans powers in full. These events would eventually separate people and form a new political structure in the country.
Works Cited
Calloway, Colin. The World Turned Upside Down: Indian Voices from Early America. Boston: Bedford Books, 1994. Print.