History 355B: Native American History

First Midterm Examination Study Guide

 

Possible Identifications

 

Native America in 1492                                             Iroquois League

Native American Economy                                        Great Manitou

Native American Women                                          Conquistadors

Encomiendas and Missions                                       Race in New Spain

Conquering the Pueblos                                             The Pueblo Revolt (1680)

The Fall of Popé                                                         Why a Middle Ground

Trade and the Middle Ground                                  Governing the Middle Ground

Religion on the Middle Ground                                Murder on the Middle Ground

Sex and the Middle Ground                                      The Powhatans Before Jamestown

Pocahontas and John Smith                                       Why did the Indians Lose?

Deadly Medicine                                                       The First Thanksgiving

Metacom’s War


Possible Essay Questions

 

1)     How and why did contact with Europeans change Indian peoples and their cultures from 1492 through the 18th century?  What were the most important changes?  Which were the most damaging? Which (if any) were the most beneficial?  Your answer should be as thorough as possible, considering a variety of different peoples and interactions.  You must also include SPECIFIC EXAMPLES from lectures and readings to support your argument.

 

2)  Consider contact with Europe from the perspective of Native American peoples and rank the Spanish, French, and English (both Virginians and Puritans) in order of preference in terms of the groups with whom you would prefer to have dealt. [You can rank from best to worst or worst to best]. Be sure to explain your reasoning and provide specific examples from lectures and readings to support your choices. Be sure to compare and contrast to explain why one group is better or worse than the others. You should also make clear the assumptions and standards you are using to guide your rankings.

 

3)     Why did Native Americans continually lose ground to Europeans in the period from first contact through the era of the American Revolution?  Give the top SEVEN reasons why the Indians were pushed back IN ORDER from most important to least important.  Do not simply list reasons.  You must provide SPECIFIC EXAMPLES of these reasons and how they undermined the position of Indians at different time periods.  The more thoroughly you explain your arguments and the more examples you provide for each reason, the better your grade will be. DO NOT simply repeat the lecture on why the Indians lost.  You need to provide examples from many different lectures and readings to justify your answer.