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Table of Contents
Making War and Minting Christians
Role of Masculinities in Cultural Exchange
Native Americans tried to imitate European customs of masculine address for those of greater authority by licking the hands of men with authority. However, despite these men's efforts, this instead led to the English men feeling humored and in the mood to laugh. This cultural mix up is an example of how both cultures had different expectations for how men addressed others. (Henry Prior)
Religion
Puritan customs determined how good of a man someone was by seeing how they conducted themselves in accordance with their religion. Similarly, Native Americans in the area put importance on religion to determine manliness by partaking in rituals and daily activities. These rituals and daily activities these men performed where all an effort to achieve the physical and spiritual traits found in the ideal version of a native man. (Henry Prior)
T. Romero examined the impact of religious discourses on the formation of ideas about masculinity and gender relationships in Native American and Puritan societies. In particular, he analyzed an interesting case of tension between religiously framed labor practices (Christian communalism) and religiously framed gender hierarchy in colonial New England over communial agricultural endeavour. The tension arose from disagreements over the perceived violation of established gender dynamics within the community, as younger males had to work with women and children, older men with younger men, and married women working for men other than their husbands. All these cases indicate a complex relationship between gender and religion, which was not static, but constantly changing. - Nikolai Kotkov
Manhood as an Accomplishment
Both Indigenous communities and Anglo-American colonists viewed manhood not as something intrinsic, but as something that had to be accomplished. However, differing views on what skills and activities led to manhood were based on differing cultural contexts. Indigenous communities emphasized the importance of individual accomplishments, especially as related to physical and spiritual power, in the process of accomplishing manhood. Anglo-Americans tended to emphasize the cultivation of a skill or craft as well as a man's independence and ability to establish his own household and family. (Cameron Spivy)
Marriage, Diplomacy, and Power
In addition to the discourse of masculinity, T. Romero studied the complex interplay of power and diplomacy between Native Americans and Puritans. For example, Romero’s analysis indicated that the act of gift-giving on the occasion of the Bradford–Southworth marriage was fundamentally shaped by power dynamics between Governor Bradford, on the one hand, and Chief Massasoit, on the other hand. Governor Bradford wanted to exemplify ties to the colonists by giving Massasoit clothes (a hat and a coat), whereas Massasoit displayed his power as a chief and possibly as a great hunter (and a great man by definition) through giving game animals. This interaction symbolizes the ways of establishing power internally (evaluation from one’s own community) and externally (evaluation from other regional and global actors). - Nikolai Kotkov
