Mid-Term Study Guide - Native Americans

1) Age of Exploration

a) Native Americans

i) Were the first inhabitants of the New World. They were subject to invasions by White settlers and were drastically reduced by European diseases and attacks.

ii) Were forced to move further west on the "Trail of Tears" to allow for expansion on behalf of the American society.

iii) Lived in specified tribes and created alliances with White America during the Civil War; allying with both confederates and unionists.

iv) Whites attempted to erase all traces of Native American culture in the late 19th century to help them merge with the new society; but many tribes resisted.

b) European impulses for discovery

i) The growth of commerce and emergence of capitalism gave European countries, like Britain, the desire to create colonies in the new world to serve as markets for raw materials and as other goods.

c) Mercantilism

i) Was a practice that ensured great national wealth by creating a stable economy and trade system.

ii) Was most notably seen in European's activities in the New World, with new colonies and markets being made.

d) English colonization attempts

i) English used military force to establish their colonies and promoted settlement and development.

ii) English rule first wanted families of settlers to go out to live and prosper there-some happy to get away from the king's rule.

e) Financing colonization

i) Most colonies were put in the hands of proprietor governors who had charters from English joint-stock companies.