HIST 355: First Midterm Study Guide

History 355: Native American History

First Midterm Examination Study Guide

Possible Identifications

Native America in 1492
Lost Empires of America
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
The First Thanksgiving
Metacom’s War
Why the Indians Lost
Deadly Medicine                                                      


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 of the groups with whom you would have preferred 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.
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