Throughout history, there have been many different views of Native Americans, or Indians, as many have called them. Some wrote about them positively and respectfully, while others saw them as pure evil that waged wars and killed innocent men, women, and children. Whatever one's point of view, however, one thing is clear and that is that if it were not for these people, the first settlers would not have survived their first year in the new land now called the United States of America. In short, I am convinced that the views of various authors are simply a reflection of the circumstances of their particular situation. However, one question remains: Were Native Americans good or bad people? Native Americans were called “savages” and the English expressed their fear of them with their words. One could also consider the nature of the Native Americans as timid because when the English spotted some near the water they quickly ran away (Bradford 59). This was probably due to the fact that the Native Americans had never seen anyone but themselves. It was shown that they were intelligent people who not only farmed but also built homes (Bradford 60). However, the English also implied that the Native Americans were mean people because they stated that one of the reasons for lighting large fires was to “…defend them from any sudden assaults of the savages” (Bradford 61). However, it wasn't long before the Native Americans attacked the English and, in their minds, it was for no reason. The recurring theme was that the English were always wary of the Native Americans because they feared they would attack (Bradford 62). Later, Native Americans were sometimes depicted as realistic...... middle of paper......lves thinking with an open mind about things they didn't know or couldn't understand. I hope that as generations pass, Native Americans will be portrayed objectively and therefore accurately to young students as they learn about them. Works Cited Bradford, William. "Of the Plymouth Plantation." American literature. vol. 1. Ed. William E. Cain.New York: Penguin, 2004. 54-66.de las Casas, Bartolome. "The Devastation of the Indies: Hispaniola." American literature. Vol.1. Ed. William E. Cain. New York: Penguin, 2004. 41-43.Franklin, Benjamin. "Observations on the Savages of North America." American Literature.Vol. 1. Ed. William E. Cain. New York: Penguin, 2004. 201-205. Rowlandson, Mary. “A True Story of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.” American literature. vol. 1. Ed. William E. Cain. New York: Penguin, 2004. 93-137.