Final answer:
The harsh punishment for selling weapons to Native Americans was due to the increased violence from firearms and was part of the Indian Intercourse Acts to control frontier violence. It reflected the strict deterrence mentality needed for order and control in frontier territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Law 5, the punishment for selling weapons to Native Americans (referred to ambiguously here as 'Indlans' due to a typo) was particularly harsh. The background for such harsh penalties stems from the fact that the introduction of firearms significantly increased the lethality of Native American warfare, leading to more violent clashes. European colonists, while profiting from trading weapons and other goods, ultimately contributed to these increased levels of violence and instability.
The Indian Intercourse Acts, passed by Congress from 1790 to 1834, sought to control frontier violence and protect Native American lands by limiting trade and interactions to federal licensing and regulated trading posts. This legislative approach was an attempt to settle the Western lands peacefully and uphold United States territorial integrity. Violations of these acts, including selling weapons, could lead to severe repercussions as the acts aimed to establish peace and prevent further exploitation and violence against Native populations.
The harsh nature of the punishment can be viewed in the context of broader historical practices, such as how European and other colonial powers enforced extreme and brutal forms of punishment, such as execution or mutilation for various offenses, particularly when dealing with resistance or behaviors deemed illegal or harmful to colonial objectives. Therefore, the severe penalties for selling weapons to Native Americans can be seen as an extension of the mentality that strict deterrence was necessary to maintain order and control, especially in volatile frontier territories.