Question 1

Jamestown Colony relations with native Powhatans

Accepted Answer

In 1607, a group of English settlers arrived in Jamestown, Virginia as part of a joint-stock company called the Virginia Company. Like Columbus, these English settlers encountered many indigenous tribes, which made up what is commonly referred to as the Powhatan Nation. One of the main sources of tension between the Jamestown colony and Native Americans was the English desire to acquire land. The English colonists saw the land in the region as a valuable resource, and they were eager to expand their settlements and gain access to resources such as timber, tobacco, and fur. Native Americans, however, saw the land as a source of spiritual and cultural significance, and they resisted European efforts to take control of it. Despite these tensions, there were also instances of cooperation and trade between the Jamestown colony and Native American groups. For example, the English colonists learned how to grow corn and other crops from Native Americans, and they traded goods such as iron tools and firearms with Native American groups. These interactions helped to shape the cultural and social fabric of the region and laid the foundations for future relationships between Europeans and Native Americans in the Americas.

Question 2

Why did cooperative trade encounters between Native Americans and Settlers become less common over time?

Accepted Answer

English planters cleared the forests and fenced the fields, radically altering the ecological systems on which Indians depended. Natives discovered that the objects they desired from Europeans brought them into debt. To pay for these goods they hunted more aggressively and even further reduced the population of fur-bearing mammals. Natives grew dependent on trade for guns and ammunition and learned that wars would lead to a suspension of normal trade

Question 3

Religious Differences between Natives and Settlers

Accepted Answer

One of the most significant differences between European and Native American worldviews was in the area of religion. European settlers generally practiced Christianity, a monotheistic religion, while Native Americans had a wide variety of religious beliefs and practices. These differences in religion often led to misunderstandings and conflicts between the two groups.

Question 4

Differences in gender roles between natives and settlers

Accepted Answer

There were also significant differences between European and Native American views on gender roles and family. European societies were generally more hierarchical, with men holding a higher status than women, while Native American societies tended to be more egalitarian, with both men and women holding important roles in their communities.

Question 5

Differences in land use between natives and settlers

Accepted Answer

In terms of land use, Europeans and Native Americans had very different views on how land should be used and managed. Europeans generally believed in private property and saw land as a commodity that could be bought and sold, while Native Americans tended to view land as a source of spiritual and cultural significance and often had a more communal approach to its use.

Question 6

How did European settlers justify the subjugation of Natives and Africans?

Accepted Answer

In order to justify the subjugation of Native Americans and Africans, some European leaders developed religious, cultural, and racial justifications for their actions. For example, some European leaders argued that it was their religious duty to convert non-Europeans to Christianity, while others claimed that non-Europeans were inferior and needed to be civilized by Europeans. These justifications were often used to justify the exploitation of non-European labor and resources, as well as the conquest and colonization of non-European lands.

Question 7

European Diseases in native populations

Accepted Answer

Many Native American communities had not been exposed to the diseases that were common in Europe, and as a result, they had little or no immunity to these diseases. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, they brought with them diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza, which spread rapidly through Native American communities. This led to significant population decline, as many Native Americans died from these diseases. The spread of European diseases also disrupted Native American societies and communities, as people were forced to flee or abandon their homes in order to escape the diseases.

Question 8

Spanish Policy Towards Natives

Accepted Answer

One European who dissented from the views of most Europeans toward Native Americans was a Spanish priest named Bartolome de Las Casas. He had owned land and slaves in the West Indies and had fought in wars against the Indians, but eventually became an advocate for better treatment of the Indians. In the long term, he persuaded the Spanish king to institute the New Law of 1542. These laws ended indigenous slavery, halted forced native labor, and began to end the encomienda system, a Spanish labor system used in Spain's colonies which included forced labor of non-Christian indigenous peoples. These laws were not well enforced.

1.6 Cultural Interactions Between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans, AP United States History Flashcards