• Submit A Nut
KnowledgeNuts
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
KnowledgeNuts
No Result
View All Result
Home Misconceptions

Native Americans Didn’t Sell Manhattan For $24 Of Beads

Native Americans Didn’t Sell Manhattan For $24 Of Beads
346
SHARES
2.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
“Too many misinterpretations have been made; too many misunderstandings have come up between the white men and the Indians.” —Chief Joseph

In A Nutshell

In a single landmark real estate deal, Dutch settlers supposedly purchased the entire island of Manhattan for some worthless glass beads. But what actually happened in 1626? Dutch settlers bought the use of Manhattan in exchange for iron kettles, axes, knives, and cloth. And as it later turned out, the tribe who sold the land at such a deep discount were taking payment for lands which didn’t even belong to them.

The Whole Bushel

Related articles

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

May 3, 2023
The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

April 27, 2023

The story of the $24 Manhattan purchase is a myth which insinuates that the settlers, by virtue of being so darn clever, “deserved” the land. Of course, the valuation of anything at $24 should be immediately suspect as the dollar obviously didn’t exist in the 17th century. The idea that the goods were worth only $24 stems from a flawed currency conversion made by a 19th-century historian. And records from the time suggest it is actually the Dutch settlers who were tricked.

Letters from the period, detailing other Dutch purchases, make it clear what goods were typically exchanged for land in the American Northeast. The manufactured goods, while not extremely valuable to the Europeans, were obviously scarce in America and thus valuable to Native traders. In similar fashion, discarded beaver pelt clothing was garbage to Native Americans, yet European traders couldn’t get enough, because they used the fur to make stylish hats. Determining a trade’s winner and loser is really just a matter of perspective. “Glass beads” is a pernicious exaggeration of the idea that Manhattan was purchased for worthless goods.

ADVERTISEMENT

Of course, the biggest problem with the Manhattan purchase isn’t the price: It’s the identity of the sellers. The Dutch conducted their business with the Canarsee tribe who were actually based out of what is now Brooklyn. However, we should be fair to perpetrators of the glass beads myth: The Canarsee probably would have taken anything in exchange for the use of Manhattan, as the island actually belonged to the Wappinger Confederacy, another group of Native Americans. As a result, the Dutch claim to Manhattan was later contested, and the Dutch compensated the rightful owners. Thus, the Dutch settlers actually paid for Manhattan twice.

Article Continued Below

Show Me The Proof

New York Immigrant Experience: A Guided Tour Through History, Randi Minetor
American Indian Chronology: Chronologies of the American Mosaic, Phillip White
Native Americans: A Thematic Unit on Converging Cultures

Post Views: 3,461
Share138Tweet87
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

by M.Admin
May 3, 2023
1332

Somewhere around 80 percent of all medical research---the studies that determine what’s good for us and what new drugs are...

The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

by knowledgenuts
April 27, 2023
7913

Contrary to popular belief that the Great Wall of China is the only man made structure that can be seen...

The Speed of Light is Not Constant

The Speed of Light is Not Constant

by knowledgenuts
April 18, 2023
9393

Most believe that the speed of light is constant and unchanging, but it simply isn’t the case. The speed depends...

Sir Walter Raleigh: To Cloak or Not To Cloak

Sir Walter Raleigh: To Cloak or Not To Cloak

by knowledgenuts
April 5, 2023
1802

Taking the air one day in London, Walter Raleigh saw Queen Elizabeth I in danger of stepping in a mud...

Superstitions Behind Cutting Baby Hair

Superstitions Behind Cutting Baby Hair

by Knowledge Nuts
March 31, 2023
0

With a new bundle of joy comes plenty of choices to make about their care. A baby's first haircut is...

Load More
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Healthcare Options for Uninsured Individuals

Healthcare Options for Uninsured Individuals

September 22, 2023
Nurturing Financial Smarts in Children: 5 Key Tips

Nurturing Financial Smarts in Children: 5 Key Tips

September 21, 2023
Discover the 10 Must-Read Books for Saving and Investing

Discover the 10 Must-Read Books for Saving and Investing

September 20, 2023

KnowledgeNuts.com: Your go-to source for insightful information and financial guidance. Explore, learn, and empower your future with us.

Categories
  • Artist
  • Artwork
  • Attitude
  • Bizarre
  • Business
  • Creative Insight
  • Design
  • Differences
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Forgotten
  • Forgotten Horrors
  • Innovation
  • Inspiration
  • Learning
  • Listicles
  • Market
  • Misconceptions
  • Other
  • Personal Finance Tips
  • Places
  • Thinking
  • Uncategorized
Tags
aid bad credit Business car insurance cash flow credit debt difference disability Education family Finance finances Financial Aid food government assistance Health healthcare help history home home loans housing how to make money how to save insurance Invest Japan jobs loan loans make money Misconceptions Money myths personal finance quick cash saving money savings side hustle side hustles student student aid Superstitions taxes
Lost your password?
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Mobile Privacy Policy
  • Mobile Terms & Conditions
  • SMS Opt-in

© KnowledgeNuts.com – A Division of Media Comms Networking.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Finance
  • Bizarre

© 2023 KnowledgeNuts.com