Mike Easler
February 1, 2007  (Also used Feb 11, 2008, to begin discussion of the Satz volume)

Questions for discussion

1. Were the changes brought by European traders a good thing for the Chippewa people?

 

2. What would have been different if the Indians were treated as a domestic problem, as opposed to foreign nations?  Did it really matter at the time?

3. How can the differences in thought between the Northwest ordinance and the private beliefs of men like Thomas Jefferson and Jackson be explained?  Was there really a difference?  Which view was upheld?

 

4. Would it have been better to place Indian affairs in state hands? Why or why not?

5. What leads men in some areas to hate different cultures, while others can easily accept them as neighbors and friends?  An example is in the last paragraph of the chapter. 

 

6. How ignorant were the Indians about the mining issues in the treaty of 1825?  Was this misunderstanding accidental?

7. What incentives did the removal act of 1830 did the Indians really have?  What made some leave? 

 

8. Do you think the acquisition of Indian lands was a necessary step in the U.S. expansion and rise to its current position in the world?  Could we have left large, sovereign Indian nations within our national borders in the areas they were originally located?

Return to home page