writing assignment 570

Question 1

When in the American revolution was over, United states was forced to develop an Indian policy. An Indian delegation was sent to make agreements with them where the Indians started to recognize the sovereignty of the new government that led to giving up on their land because of the idea of “right of conquest”. Joseph Brant, who had played a prominent role in the American Revolution, now tried to create a confederation to stop the advance of American settlers among the Northeast tribes.

The United States government recognized each Indian tribe as a sovereign entity – as a separate nation – and decided to deal with each tribe separately. Since the tribes possessed title to the land upon which they resided, land title can only be transferred to the federal government with their consent. Henry Knox also joined with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in believing that if Indians have an opportunity to have more contact with white society they will more readily adopt civilized ways and become part of white society.

According to the United States Constitution, Congress had the power to regulate Indian trade. In the 1790s laws were passed which regulated trade with indians, licensed Indian traders, and defined Indian country. In some cases, as with the trade laws passed with the Indians of Maine, there was an attempt by congress to even acquire some Indian land. Wayne believed in the use of Indian scouts and in moving directly into Indian country with an army of over 3,000 men. Wayne then undertook a policy of destruction against any Indian village he could find until the spring of 1795 when he met with representatives of twelve tribes at Greenville.

Question 2

Women in Colonial society

It begins by telling the story of a woman who tried to divorce from her husband but was allowed only to separate. It forced the husband to give the wife food and other things to live on and allowed her to live somewhere else. This showed that women had very few legal rights and were subject to the decisions of men but that society did give women freedom under certain conditions. It also says that Native American tribes liked balance in gender roles and that influenced early colonial societies to treat women better. While some people say women belong in the home still today, in colonial life men and women were both home and women did lots of chores to do beyond cooking and cleaning.

Women in Maryland during colonial times were to “cook, bake, wash, teach the children, produce candles and clothing, tend the garden, chickens, cows and sheep” according to the essay. Women there lived different lives depending on class, race, age and geographic location. The differences between women in different colonies controlled by different European countries was important also. The essay mentions how Spanish colonies did not treat women from Indian tribes as members of the group while other European colonies did. In Virginia, an English colony, women were scarce at first and then later suffered due to disease. Women in English colonies did get control of who to marry. The essay then talks about slave women who were brought to the colonies from Africa. It talks about how slave women were asked to work in the house but sometimes purposefully did a bad job so they could work outside with the rest of their family.