The term "the West" is a mask of the different perspective because the land was only to the west of those on the East Coast of North America. This land was to the north of the Spanish colonists and the east of the Russians. Then there were the Native Americans, who's way of understanding the land had little to do with direction. Clearly, calling the land "the west" was masking other perspectives by just ignoring them.
2. Read page 5. Summarize the three major areas of differences and misunderstadings between the Europeans and Native Americans.
Trade: Europeans and Native Americans viewed trade differently. The Native Americans' trading was mainly about the exchange of gifts for the purpose of strengthening alliances, while the Europeans thought of it as a way to make money. Indians became dependent on Europeans after being advised to trade in order to obtain material items and when the Native Americans came to need the items.
Land: Europeans believed that land was an item that could be bought and sold, while Indians thought that it could not be purchased and only had ties to the land, not ownership. However, these economic, cultural, and spiritual reasons often caused them to defend their land.
Treaties: Native Americans and Europeans faced both cultural and language barriers when creating treaties. While Europeans thought the treaty that was a document and signed was what really mattered, Native Americans thought that the words spoken at the meetings about the treaties were what mattered. Also, Europeans thought that when a Native American group signed a treaties the treaty applied to the whole area, but Native Americans disagreed.
3. Read pages 3 - 7 (stop at U.S. Westward Expansion). How did the arrival of Europeans transform life in the West? (Feel free to bullet point your answer. But use lots of key details!)
- Brought European
- diseases
- religions
- goods
- livestock
- weapons
- Most important were guns, horses, and diseases
- horses were weapon, fast long distance transportation, hunting buffalo
- Cheyennes turned into buffalo hunters and nomads from horse (no longer un agriculture)
- Comanche, who had always hunted, were better hunters
- Guns combined with horses and growing tension between Native American groups trying to claimed land meant more fighting
- Diseases spread along with goods
- smallpox, chicken pox, cholera, measles
- killed 15-90% of populations affected
- Small populations meant hard o defend themselves
- meant new groups were in power
- Native Americans were adapting to new way of life
- guns and horses meant power, so Indians traded with Europeans
- Europeans traded so that items could be sent home and more supplies for settlers could be bought
- also boosted morale of military
- After adapting some Indian tribes became part of European settlements
- Yet stayed strong to their way of life
- Religion
- Europeans still tried to convert them (mainly Catholicism)
- Peublos' religion banned by Spanish
- Spain almost lost region in dispute
4. Read pages 7 - 10. In a paragraph, explain this sentence from the reading (which is the first paragraph under the heading of "US Westward Expansion."): "The new country's treatment of native people would contrast sharply with the ideals it set for itself."
The sentence "The new country's treatment of native people would contrast sharply with the ideals it set for itself" is commenting on the fact that America's founding principles of liberty were not felt by the Native Americans they encountered. After the American Revolution was over, America's wish was to be a symbol of liberty in the world and a country without tyranny and oppression. However, America then gained the land of the native people by trickery, treaties, and force. Often Native Americans were taken advantage of when treaties were made because Indians had different ides about treaties. Then after the American Revolution, America claimed the land of any Native American tribe that fought with the British. This takes away their rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that the founders of America had once stated that everyone waas born with. Another reason they believed that taking away the land of the Native Americans was right was because it they believed that whites were a superior race, which goes against the founding principle that "all men are created equal". Clearly "The new country's treatment of native people would contrast sharply with the ideals it set for itself".
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