Jamie Isaacson
Mr. Zontek
History 136
Participation #1
Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States pp. 18 – 22 chronicles the accomplishments of the 75 million strong Native American population spanning Alaska to Brazil, writing about their feats of agriculture (growing corn), engineering (building of dams, irrigation canals, and earthen sculptures), art (jewelry, pottery, and basket weaving), cultural unity (the five tribes of the Iroquois League) and proto-Communism (group owning of land and lodgings). He explains how the Iroquois had a culture promoting equality of the sexes, stating that women ran the government (women appointed and removed tribal leaders), agricultural affairs (women grew the crops), general life (running of day to day affairs), and home life (men joined their wife’s family on marriage) of the tribe. Zinn goes on to detail how children were taught self-reliance, independence, and the importance of equality, all in contrast to what was taught to European children. Zinn questions how a people so accomplished could …show more content…
8 – 10 (Did Columbus Kill Most of the Indians?) explains how the quincentenary of Columbus’ voyage to America elicited large amounts of controversy regarding the exact amount of native deaths that Columbus and his crew were responsible for by “discovering” America. S&A claim multiple resources state that the estimated 100 million population of Native Americans in 1492 was grossly overestimated, instead falling below 53 million, rendering the contemporary claim of up to 56 million native deaths (itself calculated with questionable methods) due to Columbus’ endeavors impossible. S&A then claim that the 53 million estimate is too high, stating that the environments of North and Central America could only support around 20 million people, not adjusted for inter-tribal warfare fatalities or disease deaths from pathogens already present in the New
Mr. Zontek
History 136
Participation #1
Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States pp. 18 – 22 chronicles the accomplishments of the 75 million strong Native American population spanning Alaska to Brazil, writing about their feats of agriculture (growing corn), engineering (building of dams, irrigation canals, and earthen sculptures), art (jewelry, pottery, and basket weaving), cultural unity (the five tribes of the Iroquois League) and proto-Communism (group owning of land and lodgings). He explains how the Iroquois had a culture promoting equality of the sexes, stating that women ran the government (women appointed and removed tribal leaders), agricultural affairs (women grew the crops), general life (running of day to day affairs), and home life (men joined their wife’s family on marriage) of the tribe. Zinn goes on to detail how children were taught self-reliance, independence, and the importance of equality, all in contrast to what was taught to European children. Zinn questions how a people so accomplished could …show more content…
8 – 10 (Did Columbus Kill Most of the Indians?) explains how the quincentenary of Columbus’ voyage to America elicited large amounts of controversy regarding the exact amount of native deaths that Columbus and his crew were responsible for by “discovering” America. S&A claim multiple resources state that the estimated 100 million population of Native Americans in 1492 was grossly overestimated, instead falling below 53 million, rendering the contemporary claim of up to 56 million native deaths (itself calculated with questionable methods) due to Columbus’ endeavors impossible. S&A then claim that the 53 million estimate is too high, stating that the environments of North and Central America could only support around 20 million people, not adjusted for inter-tribal warfare fatalities or disease deaths from pathogens already present in the New