Saturday, September 17, 2011

Is there a shared culture between Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans in Florida?

Although Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans all had their own separate and equally distinct cultures in Florida during the frontier period, they also had minutely shared cultural aspects which most often arose due to the blending of the races. Africans and Natives shared the most culture throughout the period. Although some Natives owned slaves, they generally accepted blacks into their society, even allowing them to achieve and maintain upper positions in the community. Blacks and Natives intermarried and blacks adapted to Native culture, including their languages and other societal practices. Natives and Europeans also sexually integrated at times creating a race of Mestizos that embodied both Euro and Native cultures. This group of mixed-race individuals often sought European goals and goods such as the accumulation of material wealth and land but maintained much of the cultural heritage of their Indian ancestors.

1 comment:

J Chambliss said...

The interaction between races created opportunity for cross cultural dialogue and action. Can't we say that had a powerful impact on the lives of all races in the region?