Vocab 1-2
"The idea of ASSIMILATION was the cornerstone of Indian policy throughout the 19th century."
What does ASSIMILATION mean?
Assimilation is the process of accepting a new culture.
"WHen whites wanted land, they would COERCE the Indian owner into selling it to them."
What does COERCE mean?
Coerce means to intimidate or forcefully convince.
What was the purpose of the treaties between the United States government and the Native Americans?
To get the Native Americans off their land so that the United States could benefit and leave the Native Americans with only a tiny bit of land.
How did the Yakama War begin?
White gold seekers intruded on Yakama Lands without permission. Violence erupted, and the Army intervened. Another conflict occurred near Alki Point, and so the US government send soldiers to punish tribes by slaughtering horses and Native leaders.
What requirements did Washington have to meet before becoming a state?
-Population needed to be at least 60,000 people.
-Draft a state constitution.
-Establish a public school system.
-Must be free from secretarian control (control by a specific group with specific beliefs).
"The federal government considered native groups living in the US and its territories to be SOVEREIGN nations."
What does "SOVEREIGN" mean?
Sovereign means a government that has independent authority.
"Jackson hoped that by reading her book, the nation's lawmakers would change their attitudes about Native Americans and perhaps pursue more HUMANE policies."
What does HUMANE mean?
Humane means to show compassion through decisions.
What events were triggers to conflicts between Native Americans and settlers?
Many treaties were vague, so they were often broken or changed to benefit white settlers.
Ex: Tribes were paid very little or nothing for their land.
Ex: Tribes were forced to live on small pieces of land called reservations which completely changed their way of life.
What was the Homestead Act?
The Homestead Act was passed in 1862 to protect Native American rights. It gave individual Native Americans the right to own a piece of property.
What are 2 rights or freedoms that were included in the state constitution?
-Citizens' right to privacy
-Right to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state.
-Specific requirements for public education.
"Isaac Stevens signed ten treaties that resulted in the RELINQUISHING of Native lands."
What does RELINQUISH mean?
"The issue of voting rights for women resulted in some heated discussions among the DELEGATES in Walla Walla."
What is a DELAGATE?
A delegate is an individual designated to act for or represent other people.
Identify 2 ways that assumptions about tribes caused injury during the treaty period.
1) Native Americans had to give up their land and often had to share reservations with other tribes who were their enemies.
2) Reservations were harder on some tribes. Coastal tribes could continue to fish off the coast. However inland tribes needed large amounts of land to hunt, which was not available on reservations.
What was one result of boarding schools for Native American children?
Native American children often did not see their families for many years. They were forced to be adopted by white families and therefore lost their Native identities and culture, including language.
Identify one difference between the WA and US constitutions. What value does this reflect about WA?
-The WA constitution was more explicit or specific regarding the Bill of Rights (rights of liberty and freedom).
-Women were allowed to vote earlier in WA that by the US in general.
This says that WA was more progressive than the general US.
"The law divided land into individual ALLOTMENTS."
What does ALLOTMENT mean?
An allotment is a portion or share of something.
"Article 26 of the constitution specifies that Native land and the people living there fall under the JURISDICTION of the federal government."
What does JURISDICTION mean?
Jurisdiction means the official power to make legal decisions and judgements.
Explain what tribal sovereignty means using 2 sentences.
Although Native Americans were forced to live on reservations, they still were allowed to completely govern themselves. Today that is different because although tribes have their own government, the US federal law is considered supreme.
Why did white settlers disregard treaty terms?
White settlers did not value the lives or culture of native Americans and they prioritized their own wants and needs over those of Native Americans.
How were women directly affected by Washington's quest for statehood? What was lost?
Women were given the right to vote (suffrage) sooner than most other states. They temporarily lost that right to vote for several years until women's suffrage was guaranteed in 1910.
"The US Army caught up to the Nez Perce, who then sent out a small party under a TRUCE flag."
What is a TRUCE?
A truce is an agreement to stop fighting.
"The territory's male citizens overwhelmingly approved of the constitution, and they sent it again to Congress for RATIFICATION."
What does RATIFICATION mean?
Ratification means formal approval.
Explain how the treaties represented American attitudes about Native Americans.
Americans saw Native Americans as lesser people. They felt that the needs of white settlers were more important that the livelihoods of Native Americans.
Identify one reason why Chief Joseph surrendered. Also tell what you would have done in his situation.
When gold was discovered on Nez Perce land, miners flooded their land looking for gold. The government tried to renegotiate the land treaty and so Chief Joseph prepared his people to flee.
Why is it significant that women were not being permitted to vote or run for office during the creation of the Washington territory?
This meant that white men, particularly wealthy white men, were making the laws and decisions for the state that affected everyone but benefitted wealthy white men.