SWEEET MEDICINE

Were the Americas really a wilderness when Columbus made his discovery in 1492? Did he really and
truly discover anything? No. the American Indians were here 10k years earlier
What was Beringia? Bridge between Siberia and alaska
Whats Kennewick Man? Oldest skeleton ever found.
The Sweet Medicine story: predicts that white men are coming
What were the Cheyennes like before the coming of Sweet Medicine? Tribal, happy.
Describe Sweet Medicines birth and the first miracle he performed. : famine. Sweet medicine makes a
hoop and a 3 spears, has a man roll the hoop, throws 1 spear nothing. 2 nd nothing. 3rd hits it, out pops a
buffalo.
What did the spirits give to Sweet Medicine? 4 sacred arrows.
What did he do with these gifts when he returned to his people, the Cheyennes? Prayed to them
Were Native Americans eco-gods or eco-destroyers? Gods.
Whats fire-hunting, and what does it have to do with that question? Where the Indians set fire to the
plains to concentrate the animals to go into one dirreccion.
Whats seral succession? Why would Natives be especially interested in it? That trees drop their seeds
and the seeds turn into shrubs, and then into trees, and then to pine trees. The trees are so dense they
block out the sun. Animals cant/dont live in those places.
What were buffalo jumps, and what do they have to do with this story? Where they chased down the
buffalos and led them off cliffs.
What were the mega-fauna? How, according to some scholars, did they become extinct? The big
animals, part of it was the overkill of mammoths, other was the global warming.
What does that have to do with Native lifestyles? They did what they had to to survive, sometimes that
meant changing nature
What does all this have to do with the idea of change? That it is necessary, you gotta do what you gotta
do
How does the end of the Sweet Medicine story illustrate the idea of change? He warns them of the
Eurpeams that were coming to America. He tells them that everything will change

AXELROD
Chapter 2:

What was this the earth is flat theory all about?

Why in the world did Columbus want to sail the Ocean Blue?

What kinds of difficulties did Columbus face on his first trans-Atlantic voyage?

So Columbus finally landed in Hispaniola. Where did he think he was?

What happened to the colonists left behind in La Navidad by Columbus on his first voyage?

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

Was Columbus treated well by Spain? Why or why not?

Why are we called America and not Columbia

Chapter 3:

How did the old European system of inheritance affect Spains experiences in the New World?

What was it called?

What were the Seven Cities of Cibola?

Who was Oate and why was he important?

What was the Black Legend?

Who was Las Casas? What kinds of attitudes did his writings inspire?

Who was Pop and why was he important?

Can you describe the Spanish colonization of California?

Who was Fr. Kino?

THE ARROW OF DISEASE

Why couldnt the Vikings maintain their colony in North America? Their boats were impractical, which
made it hard to ship their goods to Europe for $$.
Why couldnt the Crusaders maintain their colonies in the Middle East? They were the minority.
Indigenous people build immunity to certain types of diseases. Crusaders were foreigners.

 What was the Columbian Exchange, and what were some of the things being exchanged? Potatoes,
Maize, Tomatoes, Squatsh, Pumpkins, Peppers, Tobacco
How was disease a factor in the European conquest of the Americas? With so much contact with the
animals, seeds, etc. Mingled diseases.
How did European diseases affect Natives? They killed them. Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, 90million people
died.
Was it different in some places? I imagine.
Why did Europe introduce so many diseases into the Americas? Why wasnt it the other way around?
More people, more hosts for germs, less people, less hosts.
How did these epidemics affect Native social and spiritual life? Killed most of them off.
Sooothis European conquest of the Americaswas it superior technology? Or maybe something
else?
They were hit by a biological weapon. Disease.

THE PEACE OF POCAHONTAS

The core periphery model, America is known for having two cores. Washington d.c core, sourrounding
area periphery. Economic core in New York. Outsiders view core with distrust. ITS THE GOVT MAN!
King Charles came in and wanted to be famous, risked a revolution because he taxed poor so heavily.
Puritans left for religious freedom or to escape Charles,
English Civil War between mostly puritan supporters and supporters of king Charles (most puritans stayed
in Europe.
Puritans cut off king Charles head
Once the puritans have religious freedom they dont accept ideas from anyone else.

What was Roanoke? Was anything lost there? It was a colony sir walter Raleigh founded. The
entire colony got lost.

Who were the Powhatans? Indian tribe that lived in Jamestown (chief, Pocahontas, etc.)

Who was Wahunsonocock? Chief powhatan

Who was Captain John Smith? Part of group that started to die off, met Pocahontas and she

interceded to help out him and his group. Indian group fed Britains.

What did he have to do with Pocahontas?

What would the story of Pocahontas saving him really have been about? She wanted peace
between the groups
Who was John Rolphe? Why was he important to the Jamestown Colony? Married Pocahontas,

he saved Jamestown colony. Started producing tobacco.

What was a writ of indenture? The amount of time someone would work for them. Became longer

and longer, until someone realized that itd be easier y le conveneria mas to only own the slaves It
was CLASS BASED not RACE.
Who were the first Africans in Virginia? Were they slaves? Pirates. Not slaves. Not free exactly.

They were workers, that were fed if they worked for 7 years.
Why was there conflict between Virginia's small farmers and Native communities? When

someone finished their term they had to pick out their own farms, problem was everything was
already owned by natives.
What were the results of Bacon's rebellion? SMALL FARMERS DECLARED WAR ON THEIR

PREVIOUS OWNERS. Led by Nathan bacon. William fled, waited for reinforcements, took it back
over.
What basic change in Virginia's social organization happened because of Bacon's Rebellion? Do

you get why this is important? Divide and conquer. Decided to split up whites and blacks, so that the
white and black small farmers wouldnt team up against them, and created an elitest group.

WHY DID WE HAVE TO HAVE A REVOLUTION

Please remember the transition from mercantilism to capitalism (free trade). Mercantilism is

buying only from your only country. Capitlism is buying from others. Buying from china
Who was Robert Walpole? Prime minister of Britain, Salutary Neglect. Leave colonies to make $$

What was Salutary Neglect? Did this policy support mercantilism? Leave colonies alone to make
money. That the govt kindof looked the other way with business. No, because they could trade with
others.

How did this policy affect the colonial economy? It shot way up.
What was the Ohio Country? Area around the ohio river. It was French territory. The fur trade for
the French was teir cash cow.British were jeleous.

What was the Albany Congress? Why was it important? Why was it not important?

What happened at Fort Necessity? George Washington gets a small militia and trys to invade
ohio.. Hes sourrounded by the French, got sent home with a note.

Colonists started war because they wanted to get in on the fur trade. Used the excuse that at any
time they could be invaded..

Who was William Pitt? were fighting the war for the colonists, but the colonists arent contributing
anything English became unbeatable.

How did Pitt change the course of the French and Indian War?

What was the outcome of the French and Indian War? French fled north America. Governor left,
but culture stayed. (Canada, maine, New Hampshire, etc.)

French empire still had part of NA, Louisiana, they gave it to spain for a little time with the promise
theyd give it back

How did the war affect the British economy? Went farther into debt.

Who paid for this war? Britian govt

What was Britain's response to this economy reality? Bring back taxes

What was the Proclamation Line? Why was it controversial? King says you cant cross that line.
Colonists say but thats why the fought the war but people live there but theyre Indians

What happened because of the Revenue Acts of 1764? More taxes on more stuff

What was the Stamp Act? Anything printed there was a tax on it

How did the boycott affect Britain?

What did the Townshend Acts have to do with the Boston Massacre?

Why did the Boston Tea Party happen?

What were the Intolerable Acts?

What happened at the First Continental Congress?

Why did Gage march on Lexington and Concord?

Who was Paul Revere, and why is it important for you not to embarrass yourself in public?

THINK THAT YOU MAY BE WRONG

On your own, find out who Jacob Bronowski was, and why he was a credible authority for this
documentary.
Bronowski begins by proposing what one aim of the physical sciences has been. What is that aim? What
does he argue about that aim? To give an exact picture of the physical world.
When Bronowski looks at an artists view of the face of Stefan Bor-Grajewicz, he remarks that we are
aware that these pictures do not so much fix the face but explore it. What does this mean? (I am
reminded of a news story about the movie Lincoln. Here is an excerpt: Its a betrayal of the job of the
historian, [Spielberg] asserted, to explore the unknown. But it is the job of the filmmaker to use creative
imagination to recover what is lost to memory. I wonder how this is related to the way we present, learn,
and remember history. That the picture doesnt try to cover up the imperfections, but rather recognizes
that its incomplete.
There is no absolute knowledge, Bronowski says, And those who claim it, whether they are scientists
or dogmatists, open the door to tragedy. Assuming that there are at least some students in the class for
whom religious faith qualifies as absolute knowledge, this statement must be disturbing. But looking
beyond religious faith (or even not looking beyond religious faith), what examples can you think of that
illustrate this statement? Partly bull shit. That theres somethings we wont understand in this life.
On your own, find out what quantum physics is. Bronowski and the people hes talking about are
basically focusing on the interior of the atom, which weve been taught is the smallest possible particle.
Yet it does have an interior, an interior which holds the key to knowing the nature of the universe. This
interior behaves sometimes like matter, but sometimes like energy.
How does Bronowski show the imperfections of scientific observations of Bor-Grajewiczs face? By using
a radar to show that smaller wave lengths remember more.
Does measuring or describing his face with instruments that use different wave lengths give us with a
more accurate description than what the artist provided? yes

 Have the steadily improving instruments used for astronomical observation improved the precision or
accuracy of our view of the stars? Have they resulted in taking errors out of our perception of the
universe? Yes, yes
What is the Gaussian Curve? What does it have to do with our perception of truth? That if we were
plotting starts, that 4 different people would say 4 different plots. toelrence. uhv
Look up Friedrich Hegel, and be warned that even though Bronowski detests him, your philosophy
teacher probably loves him. So this may be a good lesson in when to keep your mouth shut. What was
Bronowski's problem with Hegel? He declared forever that there could only be 7 planets. Until the dwarf
planet was found.
Wish one of my students would someday attend the University of Gttingen. And, by the way, what
youre watching is how universities are supposed to work.
theyre not here to worship what is known, but to question it
What did Max Born do at Gttingen? How does Bronowski describe the tone of sub-atomic research at
Gottingen? Gave seminars. That Max Born made people question everything.
Max Born: I am now convinced that theoretical physics is now actual philosophy. What does this
mean? That its so complex no one can really understand it. Its all basically theorys at this point. Theres
some things we wont understand in this life.

KNOWLEDGE VS. CERTAINTY. = FACTS vs TRUTH. Sometimes we base facts out of our opinions.
Facts always have to be based out of truth.
According to the theoretical physics of the 1920s, can there be knowledge without judgment? Think
about this: youre taking a course in History. Sometimes people complain when they believe that an
historian is not being objective. But according to theoretical physics, is it even possible to produce
objective information? There always has to be judgement. Sometimes everything is based on objective
information.

Hesinberg says that most things cant be described with 0 tolerence.

What did Werner Heisenberg argue about the nature of the electron in 1927?
What is the Principle of Uncertainty?
Why does Bronowski argue that it should be called the Principle of Tolerance?
There was a certain irony that just as scientists in Gottingen were exploring the idea of tolerance, what
opposite trend was happening? The rize of hitler and nazi Germany. That didnt permit tolerenc.e
Who was Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, and what was the lower-than-dirt garbage dogma grew out of
his work? (Errrremember, all knowledge is subject to judgment!) Racism. The Nazis try to change the

absoulute truths to work in their favor. Draw conclusions based on small truths, but didnt search for
complete truths.
What did Hitler do to the tradition of scholarship and science in Germany? Suspicion of science, of
course, is not limited to Hitlers Germany. Can you think of other examples when scientists have been
vilified for not telling people what they want to hear? Galileo, Newton?,
What does Bronowski believe later generations will think about the 1930s? The acent of man. Growing
out of opinions, and into truth/facts.
Who was Leo Szilrd? published book about The relations between knowledge nature and man.
What was his reaction to the statement that atomic power would never be real? What did he discover?
(At a red light, no less!) Said never said never, The theory of fission.
Describe Szilrds letter about possible atomic weapons. Wanted it to be secret, wanted to keep the
world safe.
What was Szilrds opinion about the atomic bomb? He protested using the bomb.
Why is Auschwitz an appropriate place to end this film, Knowledge or Certainty? he wants us to not be
prideful, but to base our beliefs off actual facts. Once again Bull shit. Piensa en todas las personas
orgullasas que conocia en tu mission. El es uno.
I was about your age when the series The Ascent of Man first appeared on television. I cannot tell you
how much this scene at Auschwitz has both haunted and influenced me since. Listen to Bronowski
quoting the English Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell, and think about what it could mean in a course in
American history, but more importantly, think about what it could mean in your own life.
Finally, think about what all this has to do with beginning a semester studying History. If you don't see
the relevance, maybe you should think up a reason to withdraw from the course.

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Who were Paul Revere, Samuel Prescott and Sybil Ludington? Paul revere and his famous ride saying the
British are coming.
Start of the revolution is in Lexington
Know the difference between the British army, the colonial militia and the continental army.
British army: Motherland army, King George III
Colonial Militia: Supplied their own guns, met 4 times a year, farmers, tradesmen.
Continental Army: ran by George Washington (commander in chief). Still not as formal as British.

Who was Deborah Sampson? Mulan.

Why was Thomas Paine's, Common Sense, so important? Argued for life liberty and property, Britain is to
far away to know whats best. Colonies in America lack respect. It was a list of points of why we should be
independent.
Who were the Hessians? German soldiers that were hired/allies with the British. Helped them fight
against the colonies.
Who was Elizabeth Burgin? Talked to slaves in the ship. Helped 200 slaves escape. Had a bounty over
her head.
What happened on Christmas day, 1776? Washington crossed the Delaware, surprise attack. Knew
hessians liked to drink and celebrate. BIG VICTORY
What was Esther DeBerdt Reed's contribution to the war effort? Starts an organization of women to help
war efforts. Raise money, make supplies.
What were conditions like at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777? No supplies. Bloody footprints. Lots of
death. George Washington stayed with them
What did Martha Washington do to help soldiers at Valley Forge? Collected supplies, and BROUGHT
them to the soldiers. Talked with soldiers.
Who was Polly Cooper? Indian women that traveled 100s of miles to Valley Forge, brought white corn and
taught them how to cook it.
What type of international help did the colonies receive during the Revolutionary War? Baron von
Steuben, Prussian drillmaster that helps Valley Forge army. France had secretly been helping us. 1778
sign treaty, official. Spain Declares war on Great Britain. Etc.

1783 House of Commons in Britain declares end to the war.

American generals realized they werent going to be pad what promised. George Washington talks to
congress and gets them part of their salary. Ends possible revolution

SCIENCE AND BEAVER PELTS

What did the United States look like on a map in 1800?

Only had the eastern states. Most was

unexplored. East of mississippi

Where was Louisiana Territory located?

Who owned it? France.

The middle of the USA. West of Mississippi.

How did the United States acquire it? They wanted to buy New Orleans. Napoleon offered
all of Louisiana. Nowhere in the constitution does it say that Jefferson could do that.
What was the mission of the Corps of Discovery?

Headed by Lewis and Clarke. Scientific

expedition, to explore the new territory.

Can you trace their route? Yeah.

Where did they stop for the winter of 1804-5? What did they see there?

Fort Mandan. Indians.

Let them stay there. Piercing ceremony.

On the way back, what happened between Lewis and the Blackfeet? What was the result?

They

met on the river. One of Lewiss men killed a warrior.

Whats Pompeys Pillar? Where W. Clark

How did it happen that John Colter returned to the Yellowstone River country?

climbed, and carved his name.

Found Manuel

going up, when he was going down.

Who was Manuel Lisa? In

charge of a huge fur trading group. Didnt know where he was

going. Spanish Business man.

Be sure you can find his fort on a map!

Why did Lisa send Colter out to find the Crow Indians? Where did Colter go?

FORT RAYMUND.
To advertise Lisas

fur trading company. Thermopolis Wyoming. Went west.

What did Colter have to do with the Yellowstone Plateau?

Might have been the first American

to see part of it.

What was Colters Hell? Hot

springs, brimstone, gurgling underground.

What happened on Colters first trip to the Three Forks? Where the Blackfeet live. Blackfeet
attacked them, hit Colter with a spear. Pulled himself 230 miles.
What happened on Colters second trip to the Three Forks?

The whole Blackfeet Nation found

them on the river. Colter escaped. 230miles later.

KANSAS

What does Sectionalism mean? The

U.S was breaking into sections. (NORTH AND

SOUTH)

What does Antebellum mean? Before

the war.

How would you characterize this period? It was

Whats the point of Gil Scott-Herons poem?

all about slavery

About Africa. To show that white people judged

Africa. Called it uncivilized.

Whats important (or not) about the Missouri Compromise?

South slave. North free. (never

have to worry about slavery again)

Whats important (or not) about the US-Mexican War?

Not everyone was in favor with this

war. Had nothing to do with Mexican aggression. US wanted land. South wanted more pro
slavery.
Who was Henry David Thoreau? Maybe you should look him up. And just maybe you ought to
read his essay On Civil Disobedience. Great

philosopher. Hater slavery and war. Stopped

paying taxes.

What was young Abraham Lincolns view of the war with Mexico?

Hated the Mexican war.

Challenged president and said show me the spot where Mexicans fired on US. Hated slavery
Why was the Compromise of 1850 important? The Fugitive Slave Act?
What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act? Why does it sound very democratic? But why, then, did it
appeal to the Slave South? Big

question is it a slave state or free states. Why are you messing

with Missouri comp? Popular sovereignty was the new thing. VOTE..

Who were the Border Ruffians? Job

was to run out any northern yankee so that the states

would be slavery. Hans Mill. (Mormon Yankees vs border rufians)
What was New Englands response to what was happening in Kansas?

Provided aid to settlers

for people to move to Kansas and be anti slavery.

What was the Sack of Lawrence?

Possee led by pro slavery sheriff attacked businesses of

Northern settlers.

Who was Henry Ward Beecher? What were Beecher Bibles?

Henry Beecher, packaged crates

full of guns and labeled them bibles. Sent them to north people.

What happened to Senator Charles Sumner?

And what did John Brown do in Kansas?

What was Dred Scott v. Sanford? Who was Roger B. Taney (=taw-nee)?

Got beat up in the Senate. Hospital for 4 years.

Chief justice who

wrote the Dred Scott decision. Worst decision ever. Allowed personal life to influence

decision. CONSTITUTION DOESNT APPLY TO BLACKS. Congress has no say in

slavery. Depends on states. Derp.

What happened at Harpers Ferry?

Was John Brown a hero or a terrorist?

How do some people remember him today? Is there a problem there?

Holds hostages. Has plan.

Hero.

THE CIVIL WAR

Which states seceded from the nation?

Before sumter fall, S.C. and down, after, Virginia,

tennesse, Arkansas down

How many casualties were there from the attack on Fort Sumter?

Who was the President of the Confederation?

Name some of the Confederate leaders.

none

Jefferson davis

Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Less, Geprge Pickett,

James longstreet

Who was the President of the United States during the Civil War?

Name some of the Union leaders. George McClellan, William T. Sherman,

Abraham Licoln
Ulisses S. Grant,

George Meade

What is the bloodiest day in American history?

Who won the Battle of Antietam?

Name some of the battles the Union won. Gettysburg, Antitetam,

Name some of the battles the Confederate won.

Which battle had the highest number of casualties and what was the number of casualties?

Antietam. (not the war of ghettysburg)

Union
Shilob

Fort Sumter, Wilsons creek, Bull run

Gettysburgh 51000

How were many of the injuries treated during the Civil War?

What made the injuries so gruesome?

How many soldiers died as prisoners of war during the Civil War?

620k

Musket balls called infection

56k

What is the Emancipation Proclamation and how did it change the course of the war?

Gave them

a cause

Who is Frederick Douglass?

Who is Harriett Tubman?

What was Sherman's march like?

Reconstruction

What is reconstruction?

What was Lincolns 10% Plan? That if

10% of the voters take oath of allegiance to the US

they would be recognized by union

Wade davis bill, 50%

How did Andrew Johnson handle reconstruction after Lincoln was assassinated?

of the voters, wanted more

Offers
friendship to all, EXCept southern military officers and rich plantain owners. Names
governors in confederate states.
What was life like in the South after the war?

Write own constitutions that fell short of

minimum requirements. Johnson granted 13,500 special pardons
What was the attitude of many Southerners after the war?

Pass laws that limit black rights in

the south. Intended to keep them in slavery.

What type of responses were there to emancipation?

What was the Freedmens Bureau? Laws

to help out poor whites and blacks after the civil

war

What were the Black Codes? List

What was the bedrock of black community after emancipation?

Freedmen established societies to do what?

Why was Congress and President Johnson at odds with each other?

tennesse. Gave south power.

of rules that limit black rights.

President Johnson is from

What did the Radical Republicans want?

What did the Reconstruction Act of 1867 do?

Decide to send military to south. divide states

into districts.

What are the Reconstruction Amendments?

What did each amendment do?

13th, banned slavery. 14th gave all people born in US

citenzenship. 15th Right to vote.

Who are some of the black politicians during Reconstruction?

What are scalawags? Carpetbaggers?

Carpetbaggers, northenors who moved south.

Scalawags are southenors who cooperated with northeners.
What secret organization was founded in 1866?
What happened when Reconstruction ended?

KKK

Took all troops out of south. Jim crow laws

(segregation)

Checking in on Sweet Medicines Prophesy

Who was Silas Soule? Why does he deserve to be remembered in history? Captain in the
Colorado Territory. He Refused to attack the Indians at Sand Creek, went against Chivington.

Where was the Cheyenne legal homeland in the 1850s?

What changed that homeland? Gold

How did the Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs react to the changes in Colorado Territory?

Colorado

Rush

Went to
territorial governor, and looked for the safe way out Who was Black Kettle? Chief. Along with
White Antelope.
Speaking of chiefs, what exactly is a Cheyenne chief?

Protector, father to everyone. What is his

role? What are his responsibilities? Be a leader, protect his family. Guide tribe. Keep peace
How did a new treaty change the boundaries of Cheyenne lands?

All of Colorado and half of

Nebraska, to a small reservoir in Colorado. Where were those lands now? (Can you find on a
map?)

Were chiefs absolute rulers? Was there ever any conflict within the tribes?

people didnt always listen

nope. Yeah, young

Did all the Cheyennes support the new treaty?

How did many whites in Colorado Territory feel about the Native American presence there?

No.

Uncomfortable. Wanted to exterminate Indians because the Dog soldiers were killin off
settlers.

Where did the Colorado Territorial government tell the Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs to go for
safety? Sand

Creek, and to have a flag.

Who was John Chivington (other than a lower-than-dirt animal waste-of-oxygen)?

Colonel in the

Colorado militia. Attacked Cheyenne in Sand creek.

What did Chivington do with his soldiers? What were his orders regarding prisoners?

What happened at Sand Creek?

Massacre against Cheyenne. 200 dead. Men women and

children

Do you think you could explain to someone why things like Sand Creek happened?
How does this lesson relate to a previous theme in this course?

You need to get the facts, see

things from enemys standpoint.

yeah

Would Sand Creek have put you on the path to being worse than crazy?

yeah.