Spring 2009
TAKE-HOME ESSAY - 50 pts.
Fifty points of your midterm is based on the following essay question. Don't forget to use detailed examples and proofread your work. This essay must be typed and handed in at the start of the exam.
Q.) Based on your reading of the book The Scratch of a Pen, describe three specific examples of the convergence of different cultures in North America and the impact of environmental and cultural factors in the adaptation of cultural groups in colonial North America.
IN-CLASS ESSAY - 50 pts.
You must answer one of the following essay questions in class. Books and notes are not allowed.
1.) The French and Indian War was affected by events or by people who never set foot in North America. Describe three of those events or people. What was their importance concerning the war? How did they change the war's progress or its outcome?
2.) Compare and contrast the Indian-European politics of the Florida Territory with that of the Louisiana Territory, demonstrating three differences or similarities. Did these leave a positive or negative effect on North Americans?
MULTIPLE CHOICE/MATCHING - 20 pts.
In class you will answer multiple choice questions, matching, or fill-in-the-blanks. They will be similar to your quizzes. They will be based primarily on the notes posted on the class blog. Each question will be worth two points.
SHORT ANSWER - 30 pts.
In class you will be required to write short definitions or descriptions of six of the terms below. The actual list given in class will be shorter than the one you see here. Remember to not only define the terms but discuss in detail their importance in our study of colonial America. Short answer choices not used in the short answer section will be used in the Matching section of the test.
Great Awakening
Dr. Wheelock
Fighting by proxy
Jeffrey Amherst
Gifts
Proclamation Line of 1763
Acadians
Crispus Attucks
"Indianized" settlers
Revisionist history
Salamanca, NY
Neutrals
Hudson's Bay Company
The Griffon
Fort Niagara
Fort Ross
Keepers of the Western Door
Witchcraft
Three Flags Day
Reduction
Handsome Lake
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Crispus Attucks
Considered the first casualty of the American Revolution
Is this him? "A Mulatto fellow, about 27 Years of Age, named Crispus, 6 feet 2 inches high, short cur'l hair, his knees nearer together than common."
Worked as a slave, a sailor, and a ropemaker
British sailors often worked second jobs cheaply, threatening the livelihoods of others.
The British Navy often “impressed” American sailors, forcing them into labor for years at a time
Biography
According to some evidence, Crispus’ father was African. “Crispus” may be an ancient Roman name
His mother may have been a Wampanoag Indian, from a “praying town” family near Natick, Massachusetts. “Attucks” and “Natick” may be native derivations of the word “deer.”
Attucks was rather large in stature and known for agitating others. He probably escaped from his master during a trip to join a whaling expedition
Not long before the Massacre, off-duty British soldiers attempted to enter a pub to find work
John Adams described those who started the riot as "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negroes and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish jack tarrs [sic]”
John Fiske, historian: “The soldiers did many things that greatly annoyed the people. They led brawling, riotous lives, and made the quiet streets hideous by night with their drunken shouts. ... On Sundays the soldiers would race horses on the Common, or would play `Yankee Doodle' just outside the church-doors during the services."
After the riot, John Adams defended the soldiers in court. He theorized that Attucks was a “rabble-rouser” who helped create the emergency
Attucks became a hero of the abolition movement, especially as the Civil War approached
During periods of war, Attucks becomes a symbol of hard work, patriotism, and devotion to the ideals of democracy
In recent decades, he is also an example of ethnic diversity (sometimes forced) in American history
Is this him? "A Mulatto fellow, about 27 Years of Age, named Crispus, 6 feet 2 inches high, short cur'l hair, his knees nearer together than common."
Worked as a slave, a sailor, and a ropemaker
British sailors often worked second jobs cheaply, threatening the livelihoods of others.
The British Navy often “impressed” American sailors, forcing them into labor for years at a time
Biography
According to some evidence, Crispus’ father was African. “Crispus” may be an ancient Roman name
His mother may have been a Wampanoag Indian, from a “praying town” family near Natick, Massachusetts. “Attucks” and “Natick” may be native derivations of the word “deer.”
Attucks was rather large in stature and known for agitating others. He probably escaped from his master during a trip to join a whaling expedition
Not long before the Massacre, off-duty British soldiers attempted to enter a pub to find work
John Adams described those who started the riot as "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negroes and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish jack tarrs [sic]”
John Fiske, historian: “The soldiers did many things that greatly annoyed the people. They led brawling, riotous lives, and made the quiet streets hideous by night with their drunken shouts. ... On Sundays the soldiers would race horses on the Common, or would play `Yankee Doodle' just outside the church-doors during the services."
After the riot, John Adams defended the soldiers in court. He theorized that Attucks was a “rabble-rouser” who helped create the emergency
Attucks became a hero of the abolition movement, especially as the Civil War approached
During periods of war, Attucks becomes a symbol of hard work, patriotism, and devotion to the ideals of democracy
In recent decades, he is also an example of ethnic diversity (sometimes forced) in American history
Salem Witch Trials
Changing Communities
Settlers first stayed in clusters for protection from animals, Indians, weather, and starvation
Settlers branched out with more colonial stability. Land became scarce with higher populations
Ports allowed for vital supplies as well as a place to trade goods
Some earned more money than others, creating upper and lower classes
Some colonists felt a loss of community or jealously against others
Social Upheaval
More established families had better, more profitable lands
Families lost power the farther they moved out
Wars with Indians decimated the male population
The numbers of widows and orphans increased
Women began to gain more landowning privileges
Many widows and orphaned daughters took work as servants for entrenched upper classes
In New England, many settlers immigrated for deeply held, conservative, religious beliefs
Witchcraft
European superstition held that witches could destroy property, possess others' souls, cause illness, and display “aggressive, unfeminine behavior”
1691: Several teenage girls asked an African slave woman, Tituba, to tell them their fortunes and talk about sorcery.
Later, the girls appeared to act abnormally. Citizens pressured them to say who possessed them
The girls named 2 white women and Tituba
Fear
Fear and hysteria led accusations to become evidence alone; “spectral evidence” allowed
In all of New England, 342 people were accused of witchcraft. One-third were women who had or would inherit large tracts of land
In Salem, 29 were convicted of witchcraft, 19 killed (14 women)
About 150 were imprisoned
Effects
An aversion to superstition and more emphasis on reason and rule of law
Newer generations were less willing to accept restrictions on personal behavior and economic freedom
Rise of the “Protestant work ethic.” Instead of focusing on religious piety, citizens worked hard for trade and economic gain
Settlers became more open to outside influences
Settlers first stayed in clusters for protection from animals, Indians, weather, and starvation
Settlers branched out with more colonial stability. Land became scarce with higher populations
Ports allowed for vital supplies as well as a place to trade goods
Some earned more money than others, creating upper and lower classes
Some colonists felt a loss of community or jealously against others
Social Upheaval
More established families had better, more profitable lands
Families lost power the farther they moved out
Wars with Indians decimated the male population
The numbers of widows and orphans increased
Women began to gain more landowning privileges
Many widows and orphaned daughters took work as servants for entrenched upper classes
In New England, many settlers immigrated for deeply held, conservative, religious beliefs
Witchcraft
European superstition held that witches could destroy property, possess others' souls, cause illness, and display “aggressive, unfeminine behavior”
1691: Several teenage girls asked an African slave woman, Tituba, to tell them their fortunes and talk about sorcery.
Later, the girls appeared to act abnormally. Citizens pressured them to say who possessed them
The girls named 2 white women and Tituba
Fear
Fear and hysteria led accusations to become evidence alone; “spectral evidence” allowed
In all of New England, 342 people were accused of witchcraft. One-third were women who had or would inherit large tracts of land
In Salem, 29 were convicted of witchcraft, 19 killed (14 women)
About 150 were imprisoned
Effects
An aversion to superstition and more emphasis on reason and rule of law
Newer generations were less willing to accept restrictions on personal behavior and economic freedom
Rise of the “Protestant work ethic.” Instead of focusing on religious piety, citizens worked hard for trade and economic gain
Settlers became more open to outside influences
Russians in America/Hudson's Bay
Practically landlocked, Russia attempted to gain colonies that rivaled Europe
Vitus Bering was a Dutch explorer hired by the Russian navy to fight in the Baltic Sea
Afterwards, Peter the Great had Bering explore the easternmost reaches of the Russian Empire
Bering returned to Moscow in 1730, having reached the Kamchatka peninsula
Ivan Federov explored mainland Alaska in 1732, dying shortly after
Colonization
Russians established a profitable fur trade throughout the northern Pacific coast
The first permanent settlement was on Kodiak Island, 1786
Russia’s first joint stock company was chartered in 1799
Russian American Company existed until 1867, when the US bought Alaska
The RAC built settlements as far away as Hawaii
Most traders lived temporarily, or depended totally on the natives for pelts
Alutiiq
Russians depended on the Aleutian natives for trade, shelter, food, and geographical expertise
Many Aleutians do not consider themselves “Indian” or “Inuit”
Russian settlements only survived because of large Creole populations
The Tsar encouraged promyshlenikis to intermarry with Aleutians
By 1866, only 66 Russians lived in the colonies. Out of 1100 natives in the settlements, 900 were Creoles
Hudson’s Bay Company
Founded in 1666, the company explored the north and west parts of Canada and traded furs
To eliminate European competition, a series of forts and trading posts were built
In 1670, they were given a Royal Charter giving them sole trading rights around Hudson Bay. Competition flourished in surrounding areas.
The York Factory was built to enhance trade with natives and support exploration
Hudson’s Bay traders were the first Europeans to see prairies and bison
North West Company
Founded in Montreal in 1779, this rival to HBC controlled much of western Quebec
NWC also traded furs and blankets
Whereas the HBC tried to find an Arctic passage to Asia, the NWC continued farther south towards the Pacific
Frequent clashes with HBC interests sometimes led to open fighting
In 1821 the companies merged, controlling more than 3 million square miles of land
Russian American Company
RAC and HBC had years of territory disputes in the 1820s
When the US bought Alaska, RAC changed its identity to the Alaska Commercial Company
Later, it merged with the Hudson’s Bay Company
Then, it split off into a separate chain that took the name of the NWC. It still exists in rural areas
Some related companies include The Bay, Zellers, NWC, Simpson’s, Kmart
HBC is now owned by Lord & Taylor’s
Russian American Company
Vitus Bering was a Dutch explorer hired by the Russian navy to fight in the Baltic Sea
Afterwards, Peter the Great had Bering explore the easternmost reaches of the Russian Empire
Bering returned to Moscow in 1730, having reached the Kamchatka peninsula
Ivan Federov explored mainland Alaska in 1732, dying shortly after
Colonization
Russians established a profitable fur trade throughout the northern Pacific coast
The first permanent settlement was on Kodiak Island, 1786
Russia’s first joint stock company was chartered in 1799
Russian American Company existed until 1867, when the US bought Alaska
The RAC built settlements as far away as Hawaii
Most traders lived temporarily, or depended totally on the natives for pelts
Alutiiq
Russians depended on the Aleutian natives for trade, shelter, food, and geographical expertise
Many Aleutians do not consider themselves “Indian” or “Inuit”
Russian settlements only survived because of large Creole populations
The Tsar encouraged promyshlenikis to intermarry with Aleutians
By 1866, only 66 Russians lived in the colonies. Out of 1100 natives in the settlements, 900 were Creoles
Hudson’s Bay Company
Founded in 1666, the company explored the north and west parts of Canada and traded furs
To eliminate European competition, a series of forts and trading posts were built
In 1670, they were given a Royal Charter giving them sole trading rights around Hudson Bay. Competition flourished in surrounding areas.
The York Factory was built to enhance trade with natives and support exploration
Hudson’s Bay traders were the first Europeans to see prairies and bison
North West Company
Founded in Montreal in 1779, this rival to HBC controlled much of western Quebec
NWC also traded furs and blankets
Whereas the HBC tried to find an Arctic passage to Asia, the NWC continued farther south towards the Pacific
Frequent clashes with HBC interests sometimes led to open fighting
In 1821 the companies merged, controlling more than 3 million square miles of land
Russian American Company
RAC and HBC had years of territory disputes in the 1820s
When the US bought Alaska, RAC changed its identity to the Alaska Commercial Company
Later, it merged with the Hudson’s Bay Company
Then, it split off into a separate chain that took the name of the NWC. It still exists in rural areas
Some related companies include The Bay, Zellers, NWC, Simpson’s, Kmart
HBC is now owned by Lord & Taylor’s
Russian American Company
Remapping the Frontier
Indian Country
War between England and France disrupted North American economies, even in the west
Indian tribes allied with either nation, not just for defense but for basic necessities
Great Lakes Indians saw Britain encroaching further west, siding with France
Indians in the East, often with old trading and political bonds, stayed with Britain
In between, some tribes stayed neutral (Delawares)
Power Structure
Some tribes did not work for victory on one side, but a balance of power between both
Indians would work alongside European troops, not under them
1763 meant the end of three-way politics. Tribes important as go-betweens were pushed out by Britain or ran way
Tribes used seasonal migration patterns to move in and out of new British settlements
Soldiers, settlers, swine slowly superseded squaws
Remapping the Frontier
By force:
Indian leaders killed or captured
Villages burned
Land sales signed under duress
Settlers overwhelm natives with overpopulation
By occupation
Are Indian tribes under colonial law, or are they foreign countries?
Tribes allowed for temporary European intrusions, but the Europeans would stay
Indians were bribed to sign treaties, even if they were not tribal leaders
War between England and France disrupted North American economies, even in the west
Indian tribes allied with either nation, not just for defense but for basic necessities
Great Lakes Indians saw Britain encroaching further west, siding with France
Indians in the East, often with old trading and political bonds, stayed with Britain
In between, some tribes stayed neutral (Delawares)
Power Structure
Some tribes did not work for victory on one side, but a balance of power between both
Indians would work alongside European troops, not under them
1763 meant the end of three-way politics. Tribes important as go-betweens were pushed out by Britain or ran way
Tribes used seasonal migration patterns to move in and out of new British settlements
Soldiers, settlers, swine slowly superseded squaws
Remapping the Frontier
By force:
Indian leaders killed or captured
Villages burned
Land sales signed under duress
Settlers overwhelm natives with overpopulation
By occupation
Are Indian tribes under colonial law, or are they foreign countries?
Tribes allowed for temporary European intrusions, but the Europeans would stay
Indians were bribed to sign treaties, even if they were not tribal leaders
Natives & Newcomers Ch. 6: Conversions
Natives encountered 2 waves of Europeans:
Amicable, temporary business relationships
Conflicting, long-lasting struggles for control
Missionaries' thoughts before landing:
Natives were “very ready to leave their old and blind idolatries and to learn of us the right service and worship the true God” (146)
“savage,” “barbarian,” “degenerate”
Reduce, Reuse, Repent
Missionaries wanted to “reduce” the Indians from “savagery” to “civility”
In reducing one's Indianness, missionaries replaced traditional identities with Christian ones
What could define Indianness?
Spirituality
Tradition
Heirarchy
Ego
Ethnocentrism
Praying Towns/Reserves/Missions
To succeed, missionaries had to be involved in native life, not living parallel to it
Wilderness settlements welcomed natives
Permanent dwellings and institutions
Farms
Churches and clergy
Schools – instruction in Europeanness
Christian doctors
Trading posts
How to win friends . . .
Show you are not a threat
Adoption into a family or tribe
Change name
Learn language/dialect
Communicate to children
Earn trust through gestures of equality
Minor similarities in dress and speech
Join hunting parties
Taking part in local rituals
However, no intermarriage
Witchcraft?
. . . and influence people
Make sure individual natives are not a threat
Competition with shamen. Witchcraft?
Invite natives into “family of God”
Relate to local religious beliefs
Christ as the “Master Spirit” or “Creator”
Have natives adopt Christian names
Teach European languages
Create schools with religion & language classes
Gestures of equal civility
Inhabit property year-round, farm
Take part in church, holiday services
However, no intermarriage
“Civility”
Hardline converters often failed, or worse
Missionaries could change native faiths, but “ways of life” were more difficult
Marriage
Sitting still in class
Fasting
“In large measure, whatever success the Jesuits enjoyed was gained not by expecting less of their converts, as the English accused, but by accepting more.” (163)
Amicable, temporary business relationships
Conflicting, long-lasting struggles for control
Missionaries' thoughts before landing:
Natives were “very ready to leave their old and blind idolatries and to learn of us the right service and worship the true God” (146)
“savage,” “barbarian,” “degenerate”
Reduce, Reuse, Repent
Missionaries wanted to “reduce” the Indians from “savagery” to “civility”
In reducing one's Indianness, missionaries replaced traditional identities with Christian ones
What could define Indianness?
Spirituality
Tradition
Heirarchy
Ego
Ethnocentrism
Praying Towns/Reserves/Missions
To succeed, missionaries had to be involved in native life, not living parallel to it
Wilderness settlements welcomed natives
Permanent dwellings and institutions
Farms
Churches and clergy
Schools – instruction in Europeanness
Christian doctors
Trading posts
How to win friends . . .
Show you are not a threat
Adoption into a family or tribe
Change name
Learn language/dialect
Communicate to children
Earn trust through gestures of equality
Minor similarities in dress and speech
Join hunting parties
Taking part in local rituals
However, no intermarriage
Witchcraft?
. . . and influence people
Make sure individual natives are not a threat
Competition with shamen. Witchcraft?
Invite natives into “family of God”
Relate to local religious beliefs
Christ as the “Master Spirit” or “Creator”
Have natives adopt Christian names
Teach European languages
Create schools with religion & language classes
Gestures of equal civility
Inhabit property year-round, farm
Take part in church, holiday services
However, no intermarriage
“Civility”
Hardline converters often failed, or worse
Missionaries could change native faiths, but “ways of life” were more difficult
Marriage
Sitting still in class
Fasting
“In large measure, whatever success the Jesuits enjoyed was gained not by expecting less of their converts, as the English accused, but by accepting more.” (163)
Louisiana and Lord Amherst
Treaty of Fontainebleau - 1762
Secret treaty between France and Spain
Spain given Louisiana and New Orleans
Treaty of Paris, 1763:
Britain takes Louisiana east of the Mississippi
Spain takes west Louisiana
See “British Indian Territory” pg. 166
French citizens fled from British control, only to find they were now ruled by the Spanish
German and Creole (early Louisianan) citizens rebelled against the Spanish in 1768, but were quickly put down
Treaty of San Ildefonso - 1800
Secret treaty where Spain gave western Louisiana back to Napoleonic France
The transfer also confirmed a previous treaty that allied Spain and France against Britain
Three Flags Day
3/9/1804: Spain officially hands Louisiana over to France
3/9/1804: France officially hands Louisiana over to the US in the Louisiana Purchase
None of these treaties accurately defined where Louisiana was (see pg. 167)
1804: US's Lewis and Clark explore
Where was Louisiana?
Generally, Louisiana was the Mississippi River system west of the Appalachian Mountains and south of the Great Lakes
Unlike French settlers in Quebec, French Louisiana consisted of settlers who assimilated into Indian cultures and families
Sparsely populated – both French and Indian
French depended on Indians for food and furs, making alliances
British could not control British settlers. How could they control French ones?
St. Louis
Founded in 1764 by French-speaking traders from New Orleans
Traders used old alliances and kinship bonds to trade with Midwestern natives
Though created through Spanish rule, St. Louis attracted French settlers fleeing from the British
Became the capital of “Upper Louisiana”
“It grew up speaking French, and its new imperial guardian made no attempt to change it” (130)
Lord Amherst (p. 26)
Over two dozen tribes traded with the French near St. Louis
Even though the British controlled trade and produced trade goods, the French did the trading
Jeffrey Amherst, British Commander-in-Chief, tried to force new trade alliances
He stopped giving gifts, upsetting traditional trade practices
Several times he suggested infecting Indians with smallpox to “Extirpate this Execrable Race” (also see p. 73)
In the 7 Years War, Amherst conquered Montreal and Quebec City. To disgrace the defeated French, he burned their flags
“Amherst viewed an empire as something to be governed, not negotiated and cultivated” (69)
Without good trading partners, Indians could not get needed weapons for hunting/defense
Amherst also demanded the return of prisoners, even “Indianized” ones
The British sent Amherst back home for fouling up British-Indian relations
Secret treaty between France and Spain
Spain given Louisiana and New Orleans
Treaty of Paris, 1763:
Britain takes Louisiana east of the Mississippi
Spain takes west Louisiana
See “British Indian Territory” pg. 166
French citizens fled from British control, only to find they were now ruled by the Spanish
German and Creole (early Louisianan) citizens rebelled against the Spanish in 1768, but were quickly put down
Treaty of San Ildefonso - 1800
Secret treaty where Spain gave western Louisiana back to Napoleonic France
The transfer also confirmed a previous treaty that allied Spain and France against Britain
Three Flags Day
3/9/1804: Spain officially hands Louisiana over to France
3/9/1804: France officially hands Louisiana over to the US in the Louisiana Purchase
None of these treaties accurately defined where Louisiana was (see pg. 167)
1804: US's Lewis and Clark explore
Where was Louisiana?
Generally, Louisiana was the Mississippi River system west of the Appalachian Mountains and south of the Great Lakes
Unlike French settlers in Quebec, French Louisiana consisted of settlers who assimilated into Indian cultures and families
Sparsely populated – both French and Indian
French depended on Indians for food and furs, making alliances
British could not control British settlers. How could they control French ones?
St. Louis
Founded in 1764 by French-speaking traders from New Orleans
Traders used old alliances and kinship bonds to trade with Midwestern natives
Though created through Spanish rule, St. Louis attracted French settlers fleeing from the British
Became the capital of “Upper Louisiana”
“It grew up speaking French, and its new imperial guardian made no attempt to change it” (130)
Lord Amherst (p. 26)
Over two dozen tribes traded with the French near St. Louis
Even though the British controlled trade and produced trade goods, the French did the trading
Jeffrey Amherst, British Commander-in-Chief, tried to force new trade alliances
He stopped giving gifts, upsetting traditional trade practices
Several times he suggested infecting Indians with smallpox to “Extirpate this Execrable Race” (also see p. 73)
In the 7 Years War, Amherst conquered Montreal and Quebec City. To disgrace the defeated French, he burned their flags
“Amherst viewed an empire as something to be governed, not negotiated and cultivated” (69)
Without good trading partners, Indians could not get needed weapons for hunting/defense
Amherst also demanded the return of prisoners, even “Indianized” ones
The British sent Amherst back home for fouling up British-Indian relations
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