John Smith and Benjamin Franklin: A Comparison



John Smith and Benjamin Franklin: A Comparison

1- How Do You Feel That Native Americans Were Portrayed In The Works Of Ben Franklin And John Smith?

The following is an excerpt from a longer piece written by Benjamin Franklin about 1784. Franklin clearly does not regard Native Americans as "savages": he is using the term for ironic effect. The "savages" are, in fact, as civilized or more civilized than the Whites: it is the Whites who must rely upon force, punishment, and prisons to enforce good behavior.

The representatives of the Six Nations (Haudenosaunee or Iroquois) are ...