QUESTIONS ON ALAN TAYLOR’S “CANADA AND IROQUOIA, 1500 – 1650”
(assignment 11)

Readings available on electronic reserves

Instructions on how to get to Electronic Reserves reading

 

 

1) This assignment, like ALL assignments in this class, must be typed. See handout on class expectations

2) You MUST use blackboard's digital dropbox (details here) to submit this homework; if you do not use microsoft word, be sure to follow these directions


3) BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE FILE-NAMING CONVENTIONS FOR THIS COURSE.

All files should be saved on your computer as: your last name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the first two letters of your first name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the assignment number. So if a student named Saddam Hussein were to submit assignment number 11, the file name would be:

hussein_sa_11.doc

THIS IS ASSIGNMENT 11

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Question 1, 3, and 10 require synthesizing information from several pages; moreover, these questions should be considered "long answer" questions and will require more writing.

1) Ethno-centric French traders in the 17th century, as Taylor notes, often liked to think of the Native Americans they encountered as “perpetual children.” Today, romantic visions of the Native American past often portray Indians as equally helpless. How? Such visions of Indians suggest that they could not control their desires for the material goods and alcohol that came with the Europeans.

What evidence does Taylor present that debunks (that is, proves wrong) both of these remarkably similar conceptions (17th century ethnocentric & 21st century romantic) of helpless native peoples? Be specific and provide examples. (to be clear: Taylor does not think these two similiar conceptions of Native Americans are accurate)

(30 points)

2) How did Native and French visions of the relationship between trade and diplomacy differ? USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(5 points)

3) (3 part question)Taylor writes on p. 98 that for many native groups, “market incentives overwhelmed the inhibitions of animism.”

Carefully explain what Taylor means by

(A) “inhibitions of animism” DO NOT SIMPLY DEFINE "INHIBITIONS" OR "ANIMISM." CLEARLY SPECIFY WHAT THE PHRASE MEANS IN THIS CONTEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(B) “market incentives” USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(C) Carefully explain how (B) overwhelmed (A). Be specific and provide examples. USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(15 points)

4) Why did the Huron abandon hunting to become middle-men in the fur trade? USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(5 points)

5 ) What role did torture play in group cohesion among the Five Nations? USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(5 points)

6) In the mid-17th century the Iroquois attacked their neighbors with warfare -- as Taylor notes -- of "nearly genocidal proportions." Taylor, in contrast to some historians, doesn't think these wars are best described as "Beaver Wars," but rather prefers the term "Mourning Wars." Why? Be specific and provide examples. USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(10 points)

7) Why did commercial incentives mean that both the French and the Iroquois were unwilling to make peace with each other? USE YOUR OWN WORDS

( 5 points)

8) Is it accurate to describe Europeans of this period as racist? Why or Why not? USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(7 points)

9) Why did the particular form Christianity practiced by the Jesuits make it easier for the “Black Robes” to integrate themselves into Native society than it was for Protestant Ministers? READ CAREFULLY!!! DO NOT CONFUSE THE JESUITS' PREDECESSORS IN THE WORLD WITH PROTESTANTS. USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(5 points)

10) The Jesuits demands of "cultural concessions" (such as ending the torture rituals) from the Hurons undermined unity in Huronia; why didn't the Hurons simply expel the troublesome French? (A helpful hint: pay close attention to the readings on the topic of threats to cultural unity in Hurania; this information will help you in your upcoming paper) USE YOUR OWN WORDS

(13 points)

"end of assignment"