Re: People mentioned in old books

Hi......I don't think there was a formal granting of "civilized status".....Illlinois was granted statehood in 1818, I guess it took 28 years to clear the place of "savages" and establish proper cities with amenities considered "civilised" in those days.

roy...

One assumes by savages you mean the Indians - oops, pardon, Native
Americans - who had lived there for centuries and hunted the buffalo
etc until the white man came along and deprived them of their
ancestral homelands? You see, I can be as PC as the next man [er, and
woman!].

Phil C....

They hadn't actually (FWIW). "Buffalo" hunting only became feasible on
any scale when horses were introduced from Europe.

Don Kirkman...

And a good many were agricultural (throughout, esp. SW US),
hunter-gatherers (California), seafood based (coastline from South
America to Alaska), and traders (throughout). Not to mention builders
of cities rivaling those in the eastern hemisphere in size and
sophistication (Central, South America).

Phil C....

Yes. As I recall the "Pilgrim Fathers" in the NE (who were mainly
"townies" completely unprepared for the climate) would have died out
if it hadn't been for agricutural advice from the locals. And settled
agricutural existence was only abandoned by some tribes to hunt
buffalo on the plains once horses made it feasible. "Westerns" have
got a lot to answer for in creating stereotypes to suit whatever age
they were made in.

Interesting, isn't it, that Illinois became populated in the 20th
century by very civilised people like Al Capone etc?

myths...

I would guess people only become memorable when they are unusual.

Roy Stockdill

"Familiarity breeds contempt - and children."

Mark Twain

mary lou