There has been some erroneous teachings that seem to indicate the our country, the United States of America, was founded upon conquest. But that just isn't true.
When my children were in school, I took their subjects very seriously. We learned together about math and science. We learned literature, and we even learned about History. We learned how the Pilgrims got along with the Indians. They were friends with the Indians. Think about the story of Squanto, and also of Samoset. They were Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims, and the Pilgrims in turn, became their friends. I believe it was Samoset who secretly learned how to speak English by watching how the Pilgrims interacted with each other. He surprised them one day by greeting them in their own language! The Pilgrims also invited the Indians to the first Thanksgiving feast in America, which lasted for a couple of days.
One of my favorite people in History was David Brainerd. He was an early American who lived among the Native American people. He truly loved them and he ministered the Gospel to them, in their own language. I believe David Brainerd was going to marry one of Jonathan Edwards' daughters, but he died of tuberculosis when in his late 20s. He died while he was praying for the Indians who were his friends.
Roger Williams* strongly disapproved of those who were trying to confiscate land from the Indians. He believed in fairness in how the Indians were being treated.
Our country was founded upon those who feared the Lord and respected life, even the lives of the Indians. Yet, we have to keep in mind that although the Pilgrims came over here peacefully, the Puritans came over here peacefully, and many others did as well, along with them came the Adventurers, who were looking for gold and wealth. Many of these people were ruthless people who lived crude lives, and didn't regard the lives of others. But they were not the ones who established our country. The ones who established our country had good work ethics. They were fair. They worked hard and built communities. The Adventurers did not do so. Yet, the Adventurers were the ones who brought crime with them and carried out evil deeds against people.
I remember reading in a Johnny Appleseed book about such a man. A slave had run away from his home, and wanted safety. If the slave got caught, his owner was going to rip his tongue out. The slave did get caught and I guess he had to bear the punishment. That does not represent the hearts of those who founded our country. Slave owners like that one should not be allowed to live.
So, the point of what I am writing is this; America was not founded upon conquest. America was founded by people who worked hard to build healthy, strong communities. Other people lived among them as well, who did harm to other people, but they were not the ones who established America. Early Americans did not conquer the Native Americans and steal their land. Many of the Native Americans sold the land to the early Americans at a cheap price. Not all Native Americans trusted the early Americans either. Some of them were ready to fight at a moment's notice.
When learning about the Pilgrims, a story I remember was one of where they found the Indians food in a tent. They stole it and ate it. Then they felt bad because of what they did, and they tried to make restoration for it.
Yes, America became a great nation and was founded upon good principles. Many would lie and teach that America was founded by those who stole from the Indians. That is not true, and I would challenge anyone who thinks so, to go back to some old History books and read them. Some of the newer ones have been revised with the intention of rewriting History.
*http://www.history.com/topics/roger-williams
Note: In early America, 'separation of church and state' had primarily to do with what happened while the Pilgrims and other groups who migrated to America lived in England. They were under the rule of a king who legally had the right to run the church. The king was not a true believer in Jesus Christ, yet, he was the one to make the rules and call the shots when it came to the church. That was the main reason why many came over to America. They did not want to have a church run by a king. That is how 'separation of church and state' came into existence. Separation of church and state does not mean that religion cannot be in the government. It simply means that the government cannot rule the church. That is why separation of church and state is important.
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