Iroquois Weatherford Summary

Before the arrival of Europeans in the 1600’s, the Five Nations of the Iroquois lived under a constitution that had three main principles, peace, justice, and the health of mind and body. The Constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy offered compelling evidence of Native American rich and sophisticated cultures with their well established democratic government with a form of religion and a strong matriarchal system before the advent of Europeans.

Have you ever heard of the Cherokee Indians? Sure you have! Just as a reminder, they are the biggest tribe, and most known of out of all the Indian tribes there has ever been in the southeast. They are very important to American History and helped shaped us to be the Americans we are today, which is clearly what I 'll be explaining in this paper. Throughout the paper, I 'll tell you everything you need to know about the Cherokee Indians and continue to relate to the thesis.

Since the establishment of the thirteen colonies, Americans have established traditions that can easily be compared to that of the Native Americans. Many similarities and differences can be found between the spiritual and civic documents of the Native Americans and the Western people.

     The Constitutions of both the Iroquois and the United States have similarities and differences between them. The Iroquois constitution came earlier in history than the U.S one did. Some of the same ideas that were in the Iroquois’ constitution were carried over to some of the ideas that we use in our government today. In this paper I will compare and contrast these ideas as they relate with one another. Ideas like Vito Power, When a Leader Gets Sick, 3 Branches of Government, A Bicameral Legislature, and impeachment are portrayed in both of these constitutions.

“It has been said that America will never be right until they right themselves with the American Indian. America must now seize this historic opportunity to

The history of the United States with regards to its native population is inaccurate and assumes that the history of this country began when the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock (Richter, pp. 4-5). With regards to the native people’s

During the end of the nineteenth century, the United States had formed policies which reduced land allotted to Native Americans. By enforcing these laws as well as Anglo-American ideals, the United States compromised indigenous people’s culture and ability to thrive in its society.

Native America had a substantial role in shaping all of these ideas. (Payne 1996:607, quoting Grinde and Johansen, Exemplars of Liberty, xx)

“The Indian presence precipitated the formation of an American identity” (Axtell 992). Ostracized by numerous citizens of the United States today, this quote epitomizes Axtell’s beliefs of the Indians contributing to our society. Unfortunately, Native Americans’ roles in history are often categorized as insignificant or trivial, when in actuality the Indians contributed greatly to Colonial America, in ways the ordinary person would have never deliberated. James Axtell discusses these ways, as well as what Colonial America may have looked like without the Indians’ presence. Throughout his article, his thesis stands clear by his persistence of alteration the Native Americans had on our nation. James Axtell’s bias delightfully enhances his thesis, he provides a copious amount of evidence establishing how Native Americans contributed critically to the Colonial culture, and he considers America as exceptional – largely due to the Native Americans.

Based on your existing knowledge of American Indian–colonial relations in North America, write an argument to use as the basis of your research.

As we know, the first people to inhabit the United States were not the Europeans, but instead the Native Americans. Part of our great nation’s history involves a history that is not always so great. Our country has endured many wars, struggles, economic and agricultural hardship and a history that many would call shameful. However, the United States has evolved over hundreds of years and has transcended its very existence and influenced every corner of the globe, because of those past hardships our country has grown into what has become the most diverse, opportunistic and free country the world has ever known. In this essay, I will discuss the Apache Indians long and proud culture in conjunction with their own personal struggles as a Native American tribe in North America.

Historian Heather Cox Richardson, provides a comprehensive analysis of an attempt by the government to annihilate the native Indians. In her book Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre, she discusses the well-calculated assault by the Whites on the Plain Indians. Behind this move was not the manifestation of destiny but rather politics; politics almost wiped out the natives. To illustrate the role of politics, this paper discusses the specific role of tariff reforms, farmers’ alliances, republicans and democrats, the silverites, the statehood process, and the spoils system.

Talking Back to Civilization , edited by Frederick E. Hoxie, is a compilation of excerpts from speeches, articles, and texts written by various American Indian authors and scholars from the 1890s to the 1920s. As a whole, the pieces provide a rough testimony of the American Indian during a period when conflict over land and resources, cultural stereotypes, and national policies caused tensions between Native American Indians and Euro-American reformers. This paper will attempt to sum up the plight of the American Indian during this period in American history.

The only issue found with Reed’s assessment of cultural blending is his failure to fully address the negative effects on the culture that is being appropriated from. Reed gave the example of the Native American culture and systems of tribal leadership being used by Benjamin Franklin and other early founding fathers as a basis of the early American, post-colonial government, but neglects to mention how through constant cultural plundering, the Native American people’s image was reduced

Great Plains tribes share a history of events in the late 19th century. This essay focuses on the Ponca tribe and the trial of Standing Bear, one of their chiefs. Other tribes experienced similar incidents of callous disregard for legal rights and struggles to accept their fate of losing their tribal lands and relocating to Indian Territory that barely sustained the people and shattered tribal customs and practices. It is also a story of help provided by white Americans to resolve conflicts and restore the Ponca to their rightful land (Brennan, Authors Note). The travails of the Ponca tribe are typical of 19th century U.S.-Indian relations experienced by Native Americans.