History Example 2

Prompt

Read Colin Calloway’s article, “Native Americans first view whites from the shore.” Compare and contrast this with Captain John Smith’s writings about his encounters with the natives. How are they similar and/or different in tone and style? Provide specific examples from each in defense of your point.

Next, while you read Smith, think about his audience (he was not a Puritan; he was traveling with the London Trading Company), his portrayal of the Indians, and his vision of America. What is found in Smith’s writing that illustrates beliefs Americans hold to this day?

ChatGPT-Generated Response

“Native Americans First View Whites from the Shore” by Colin Calloway is a historical article that provides an account of the Native American’s first encounters with white settlers. In this article, Calloway discusses how the first encounters between the two groups were often marked by confusion and mistrust. He writes that the Native Americans were initially unsure of the whites and their intentions, and many were skeptical of the strange new people who had arrived on their shores.

Captain John Smith’s writings about his encounters with the natives, on the other hand, are more detailed accounts of his personal experiences with the Native Americans. Smith was not a Puritan, but a member of the London Trading Company, and his writing reflects his experiences and observations as he traveled and traded with the natives.

In terms of tone and style, Calloway’s article is written in a more objective, neutral tone, while Smith’s writings are more personal and subjective. Calloway is writing for a modern audience, while Smith was writing for his contemporaries. Smith often writes about his adventures and encounters with the Native Americans in a lively and enthusiastic manner, while Calloway’s writing is more reserved and academic.

One example of Smith’s personal tone can be seen in his description of the Powhatan people, whom he refers to as “the people of the country.” He writes that they were “gentle, loving, and faithful, void of all guile and treason.” This language conveys a sense of awe and admiration for the natives, and it reflects Smith’s personal experiences with them.

In terms of beliefs that Americans hold to this day, Smith’s writing reflects the idea of America as a land of opportunity and adventure. He writes about the abundance of natural resources and the potential for economic success in the new land, and his vision of America as a land of opportunity and prosperity has been a recurring theme in American history.

In conclusion, Calloway’s article and Smith’s writings are similar in their focus on the encounters between the Native Americans and the white settlers, but they are different in their tone and style. Calloway’s article is written in a neutral and objective tone, while Smith’s writings are more personal and subjective. Both provide valuable insights into the history of the encounters between the two groups, but Smith’s writings also reflect the beliefs and values of early American settlers and the idea of America as a land of opportunity and adventure.

(click below to reveal the “expert analysis”)

Expert Analysis

  • This is a complex prompt, asking for comparative analysis and defense from ChatGPT’s point of view. 
  • The generated response speaks to each set of writings in the most general of terms. It is very sparse with respect to details and emotional content from each group. Calloway’s article, for example, contains word-for-word accounts of the Delaware people’s feelings as they encountered and interacted with the newcomers to their land. ChatGPT did not include this perspective in its response. Calloway’s article is written for a modern audience, but the bulk of it is from the account of the Native Americans themselves. This does not come through in the ChatGPT response, as if the language model did not read or did not have access to the full article.

GPTZero Analysis

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