p 240 questions
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Apr 3, 2024
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Uploaded by MajorField13356
Kendal Santos
US HIST American Indians
03/09/24
Questions on Page 240
1.
What do these documents reveal about the pressures and dilemmas Indian communities faced at the beginning of the Revolution?
These documents show how pushed Indian nations were to choose a colonists’ side. The Oneidas were especially pressured by colonists between their geographical situation and personal connections, “Their geographic location meant they had had long contact with colonists and developed close ties with them as the Oneidas came to rely more on farming, animal husbandry, and trade”.
1
The Iroquois also found themselves in a civil war due to outside influence on the Englishmen, “Mohawks and Oneidas subsequently destroyed one another’s villages and, although Iroquois warriors generally avoided killing one another during the remainder of the war, the American Revolution became an Iroquois civil war”.
2
Lastly, the war
had devastating effects on where the Indian communities would live. The war was constantly forcing the tribes out of their homelands, leaving behind towns they most likely grew up in. 2.
What do the documents reveal about inter- and intratribal politics in an
era of crisis? The documents showed the visible division between the youth and elders within the Cherokee tribe. The elders wanted peace and to try and negotiate with the Americans, however, the youth wanted to stand up to the colonists for their land and their people. This was evident when Attakullakulla’s son, Chincanacina had a message for the
colonists, “he had no hand in making these Bargains but blamed some of their Old Men who he said were too old to hunt and who by their Poverty had been induced to sell their Land but that for his part he had
1
Colin G. Calloway, First peoples: a documentary survey of an American Indian history. 5th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016) p. 233
2
Colin G. Calloway, p. 234
a great many young fellows that would support him and that were determined to have their Land”.
3
Even though there were many disputes between different Indian tribes, we also saw times of unity. For
example, when the Cherokee had been presented with the Northern Indian's war belt, they accepted. The Cherokee then turned their attention towards Americans and attacked colonies/settlements on the Watauga River. 3.
Was neutrality ever a viable option for Indian peoples during the Revolution? What would you have done in their situation? I don’t believe neutrality was ever a viable option, and I say this for several reasons. The first is this statement made in Henry Stuart’s Report from Cherokee Country, “It was in vain to talk any more of Peace, all that could now be done was to give them strict charge not to
pass the Boundary Line, not to injure any of the King’s faithful subjects,
not to kill any women and children, and to stop hostilities when you should desire it notwithstanding any promises to the contrary given to the Shawnese”.
4
In addition to this, there was another statement made
in that very document that showed the true manipulation the colonists had on the entire situation. When Indian tribes had agreed to go to war
with the Americans, they agreed because of the promise of ammunition and support by the Americans. However, this statement shows otherwise, “that their Father was willing to support them and supply them with ammunition while they paid regard to our Talks, But that we did not yet think it time for them to go out unless they were certain that there was an Army coming against them and therefore could not give our consent, as it was your desire that they should remain quiet until they should hear from you”.
5
3
Colin G. Calloway, p. 236
4
Henry Stuart, “Report from Cherokee Country 1776” in First Peoples: a documentary survey
of an American Indian history. 5th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016) p. 240
5
Stuart, “Report from Cherokee Country 1776”, 240.
4.
Henry Stuart was watching events from the wings but was vitally interested in their outcome; in what ways could this have affected the reliability of his report? Samuel Kirkland served as interpreter for the Oneidas on this and many other occasions; in what ways might Kirkland have affected the tone and content of the Oneidas’ communications with the Americans?
The strong investment Stuart had could compromise the integrity
of his report. Being so emotionally involved and entertained by an event like this could cause his mind to spark imagination and write events in a more “exciting” light than they took place in. In the first section, The Revolution Divides the Iroquois and the Cherokees, there is a quote that supports the idea of Stuart making these events about him, “Stuart clearly wanted to portray his own efforts in a good light, but his account reminds us that Indian people who fought in the American Revolution did so for their own, not for British, reasons”.
6
Kirkland could have used being an interpreter as an advantage to
assist his personal battles. What I mean by this is, that Kirkland grew enemies with Joseph Brant a Mohawk chief. Being an interpreter, he could manipulate the words of Americans and other tribes in passing to
gain the alliance of the Oneidas. “With the outbreak of the Revolution, Brant and Kirkland became bitter enemies. Each exerted his influence in the tug-of-war for Indian allegiance: Brant helped to bring the Mohawks out for the King’s cause; Kirkland generated divisions within the Oneidas but swayed the tribe to support the colonists.65 Ultimately, the Oneidas felt they had no choice: they split with most of the Iroquois Confederacy and sided with the patriots”.
7
6
Colin G. Calloway, p. 237
7
Colin G. Calloway, p. 236
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