Instructions:
Please post 2 or more peer responses
In the response posts, remember to demonstrate you have read and understood the student’s post by taking their discussion to the next level through your responses to the following:
Compare your reasons for leaving your home country to that of your peers
Share how their arrival experience differs from the one you described
After reading their narrative, state whether you think they would have survived and describe the reasons for your view.
You will not need research in any of your response posts, but if you choose to, remember to use credible sources and provide in-text citations along with reference entries in APA format.
Estimated time to complete: 1 hour
Response posts are worth 50% of your grade for this discussion. Please review the initial post/response instructions and the rubric for this discussion to ensure that your response meets the criteria.
I have chosen to discuss the travel from Italy to the Americas, which actually occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries (Veronesi, 2024).
We decided to travel to a new land to seek freedoms we were not able to have in our home country which included freedom of religion and economic opportunities (Veronesi, 2024). Other Italians have already travelled to other regions in Europe, but the promise of this new land that could be colonized in our own way is an exciting idea.
We travelled by boats that we captained, but it took quite some time to arrive, as boats were only powered by man and wind at the time. We brought foods from our homeland in an effort to bring some of our culture with us, tools to build, fish, and gather, and weapons to hunt and protect ourselves.
When we first arrived, we were amazed at the rich landscape, and utilized what was around us for shelter. We fished and gathered to provide food in addition to our now dwindling supply from our travels. We finally came across the native people during a gathering excursion, and it started out very tense, as expected, as we were new and on their land. We did not speak the same language, so we tried to use hand gestures and motions to try to communicate with them.
In order to survive the first winter in this new environment, we need to gather foods that will sustain us through the winter such as nuts, as well as hone our hunting skills during the time before winter in order to be as effective as possible, or we might not survive. We also will have to learn to make warmer clothing from the resources available to us. If we are able to befriend the native people of the land, they may teach us in exchange for skills we could teach them, such as our skills with grape cultivation and wine making (Veronesi, 2024).
If we are unable to befriend the native people here, our chances of survival could be hindered immensely, as they are more familiar with the land, they could potentially poison us with berries we don’t know to otherwise avoid, or outright kill us, and because they are more familiar with the landscape than us, we would not be able to protect ourselves as well. We also may have lower chances of surviving the winters as our usual crops may not survive as well here, and they may know ways to find foods easier than our trial-and-error process we would have to go through without their help. If we are able to befriend them however, I believe we would be able to thrive in this new land and form a mutually beneficial relationship with them while achieving our initial goal for travelling to this new land in the first place.
Reference:
Veronesi, G. (2024). Chapter 4: Italians in America: The Formative Years (1600 – 1880). Csuohio.edu; MSL Academic Endeavors . to an external site.
I will be exploring on the French settlement in North America. This happened in the early 16th century and continued into the 17th century. We were motivated by the search for new trade routes, territorial expansion, and the lucrative fur trade.
We traveled primarily by ship across the Atlantic Ocean. Our voyages were perilous, and faced challenges such as rough seas, unpredictable weather, and limited navigation tools. We the French settlers adopted Indigenous methods of hunting, fishing, and agriculture. We also learned local languages and customs, which helped us navigate and survive in the new environment. We converted the Americans to Christianity.
Our journey to settle in North America was marked by ambitious exploration, strategic alliances, and adaptation to new and challenging environments. People like Giovanni da Verrazzano, Jacques Cartier, and Samuel de Champlain played crucial roles in these efforts. By establishing settlements such as Port Royal and Quebec City, we laid the foundations for a lasting presence in North America. Our interactions with Indigenous peoples, reliance on trade, and perseverance in the face of adversity highlight the complex and dynamic nature of early French colonization efforts. The legacy of these early French settlers continues to influence the cultural and historical landscape of North America today.
References;
Anderson, Fred. Crucible of War: The Seven Years’ War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766. Vintage Books, 2000.
Eccles, W. J. France in America. Harper & Row, 1972.
Fischer, David Hackett. Champlain’s Dream. Simon & Schuster, 2008.
