Foner, DuVal, and McGirr. Give Me Liberty, Chapter 2

Justifications of Conquest and Freedom

• European Settlers to Native Americans:

  • Settlers often justified conquest of Native lands by portraying themselves as bearers of civilization and progress, believing they were helping to ‘civilize’ Native Americans.

  • They argued that terminating Native freedom was a necessary step towards creating a structured society based on European norms.

• Native Americans to Europeans:

  • Native Americans typically viewed freedom as living in harmony with nature and maintaining their own societal structures.

  • They desired to establish mutual relationships with Europeans, emphasizing their own autonomy and rights over their lands.

Relations with Dutch and French versus English

• Native Americans and the Dutch/French:

  • Native Americans exercised more power in their relations with the Dutch and French due to less expansionist and more trade-focused colonial practices.

  • Both the Dutch and French relied heavily on alliances with Native tribes for fur trading, leading to more reciprocal relations compared to the English.

• Native Americans and the English:

  • The English often sought to displace Native populations, leading to friction and conflict over land ownership and use.

Key Terms

• Great League of Peace (p. ): An alliance of various Native American nations in the Northeast aimed at maintaining peace among tribes.

• Conquistadores (p. 18): Spanish explorers and soldiers tasked with the conquest of new lands; known for their explorations in the Americas.

• Mestizos (p. 22): Individuals of mixed European and Native American descent, often forming a new social class in colonial Spanish America.

• Ninety-Five Theses (p. 23): Martin Luther's propositions against the practices of the Catholic Church that ignited the Protestant Reformation.

• Bartolomé de Las Casas (p. 24): A Spanish historian and missionary who advocated for the rights of Native Americans and criticized colonial abuses.

• Repartimiento System (p. 25): A labor system instituted by Spanish colonial authorities that forced Native Americans into labor under European overseers.

• Black Legend (p. 25): A term that refers to the portrayal of Spain as a uniquely cruel and oppressive colonizer compared to other nations.

• Reconquista (p. 13): The period in history during which Christian kingdoms in Spain sought to reclaim territory from Muslim rule, culminating in 1492.

• Caravel (p. 15): A small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century, used by many explorers for long-distance travel.

• Tenochtitlán (p. 18): The capital of the Aztec Empire, located on what is now Mexico City; noted for its advanced culture and architecture.

• Aztec (p. 18): A Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico before the Spanish conquest.

• Columbian Exchange (p. 20): The widespread exchange of plants, animals, goods, and diseases between the New and Old Worlds post-1492.

• Pueblo Revolt (p. 32): A successful revolt by the Pueblo people against Spanish colonization in present-day New Mexico, occurring in 1680.

• Creoles (p. 21): Spanish or Portuguese settlers born in the Americas to European parents who often held significant social and political power.

• Borderland (p. 40): Areas located on the edges of settled civilizations, which often included cultural mixing and conflict between different groups.

Chapter 2 Overview

• Focus Questions:

  • What were the main contours of English colonization in the seventeenth century?

  • What motivated English settlers, and how did Native peoples respond?

  • Significance of the Anglo-Powhatan Wars, emergence of slavery, and characteristics of New England settlements.

• Chronology: Key events from the Magna Carta in 1215 through the establishment of English colonies, including the founding of Jamestown in 1607 and various wars such as the Anglo-Powhatan Wars.