Unit 1 Primary Sources
Document 1.3 Chief Powhatan’s Deerskin Cloak
Identify: Chief Powhatan’s Deerskin Cloak depicted himself, surrounded by two deer, and many circles, which likely represented the many territories he governed. All detailing on the Cloak was done with shells, which were of high value to the Pamunkey people.
Analyze: The materials suggest that the Pamunkey people were a resourceful group. To them, natural and common objects, such as the shells used, were of great value. Presumably, to an outsider the economy of the Tribe was less than stellar, as their precious shells appeared to be nothing more than shells.
Evaluate: Powhatan’s placement at the center of the cloak may have fostered conflict with the Europeans, because the colonists desired to claim …show more content…
The author explains the accusation of premeditation with the reasoning that the natives did wait until as soon as the Spanish were divided to unleash an attack.
Analyze: The speaker’s audience would likely be other Europeans who spoke his Spanish language. This led to his choice of highlighting the details that made the Spanish sound defenseless and the natives to sound like bloodthirsty savages, though there clearly had to be more to the story that the author chose to leave out.
Evaluate: The speaker may have left out details that showed the Spanish causing fair reason for the natives’ attacking them, such as unreasonable behavior or provocation. He either overlooked details of his own sides’ faults, or chose to exclude them merely for self-preservation.
Document 1.11 Voyage to the St. Lawrence
Identify: Cartier emphasized how joyous and welcoming the natives were towards the Europeans. He went into detail of how they danced and sang for their visitors, and strived to build a positive relationship with one