POST 1: When the Europeans arrived in America they found a land populated by numerous different peoples. In this activity you will learn more about these Native peoples and how historians research and study them today. Because few of them had writing, much of the research is based on what they left behind in the form of material culture, as well as documents written by the Europeans. As preparation for this discussion you will visit a virtual exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. Anthropologists and archeologists at the Field Museum study objects created by these cultures to gain an understanding of the different societies.
How did Eastern Native American tribes differ from the European invaders in religion, economics, politics and gender roles? You may choose to focus on only one or two of these. How did Europeans interpret these differences and how did it affect their interactions with them?
Explain how diversity among the Native tribes and ethnic/cultural dissimilarities among the invaders led to variations in the way that Native Americans were treated by the Europeans.
POST 2: There are two persistent historical myths that relate to Europe's desire to find a trade route to the East: "people thought the world was flat" & "spices were used to disguise the taste of spoiled food." Neither statement is true. By the Age of Exploration, scientists understood that the world was round. Before refrigeration foods were preserved primarily by salting, smoking, or drying. Even the humblest peasant usually had access to a kitchen garden with a variety of herbs that were used for medicinal and culinary purposes.
In this activity you will think about the actual causes behind European exploration and the effects it had on the Europeans who stayed at home.
What were some of the events and changes taking place in Europe in the 15th & 16th centuries that both encouraged and enabled exploration and colonization?
Discuss what impact you think the journeys of exploration had on the average European. In what ways might their lives have changed?