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Gary Nash’s book, Red, White, & Black, is a very detailed and very interesting glimpse into the history of all American people, that existed on this land from the very beginning. Nash approaches this in what seems like a textbook form, which allows him to view each culture from completely different aspects. In doing this, we more accurately learn of the values and customs of each of the three cultures, we see how they interacted in America, and we see what effect this interaction had on each of the individual cultures. Nash introduces us to the very first people that inhabited America. These “Indians,” as they were later labeled, are generally stereotyped as being primitive, savage, and inferior people. However, Nash shows us that these people were actually very sophisticated, and had a very rich culture. Native Americans came over from Asia tens of thousands of years ago. Over time, they split up throughout all of America, and developed their own, individual societies. These many establishments had wide-ranging diversity between their cultures, mainly due to different environmental conditions in each area. Native Americans had many advanced technological accomplishments that enhanced the way of life. They built shelters, including longhouses and cabin-like structures. They also had a wide variety of tools, clothing, and complex languages. The domestication of plants had a huge impact on the way of life, allowing people to settle in one place. These natives also had complex political and social structures. For example, the Iroquois confederacy consisted of many clans and tribes that made up one enormous organization. They also had a sophisticated system for solving internal problems. Life surrounded around the family, which was headed by the female line. Nash views the Native Americans as a group that had evolved much over time. They were skilled in many labors, had strong political and social structures, and had rich cultures. Before contact, Europeans were characterized as militant people, mainly concerned with expansion of their empires. The European political structure revolved around the nation-state. A nation-state was an completely independent state, largely occupied by people with a common culture, history, and language. Before contact with the natives, Europe was undergoing a cultural Renaissance, introducing a more secular age, where freedom of thought was encouraged, and human abilities were emphasized.
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