Week 2 Forums Question

--How were eastern woodland Indian societies organized and governed?
Self governing tribes called clans. Clan elders and village chiefs enforced customs but lacked spiritual authority. Eastern woodlands people did not believe in ownership of land. Some eastern woodlands people used their women to do the farming.
Woodland Indians used the resources of their environment intelligently. The entire population was involved in gathering, growing, and hunting for food, although work was generally divided along gender lines. Men were hunters, fishers, warriors, and toolmakers, while women managed the household, made mats, pots, baskets and clothing, and preserved hides. Women were also the botanists and farmers. In between and around the rest of their duties, they raised the children. Just as in our society today, most Woodland Indian women were working mothers. Generally speaking, men and women in Eastern Woodland Indian society did not spend much of the day together, men did not expect to control women, and both genders were respected for the contributions they made to the sustenance of the entire community.
What was the Treaty of Tordisillas and what does this have to do with the Pope?
Treaty of Tordesillas , 1494, agreement signed at Tordesillas, Spain, by which Spain and Portugal divided the non-Christian world into two zones of influence. In principle the treaty followed the papal bull issued in 1493 by Pope Alexander VI, which fixed the demarcation line along a circle passing 100 leagues W of the Cape Verde Islands and through the two poles. This division gave the entire New World to Spain and Africa and India to Portugal. However, the Treaty of Tordesillas shifted the demarcation line to a circle passing 370 leagues W of the Cape Verde Islands and thus gave Portugal a claim to Brazil. There was little geographic knowledge at the time the treaty was signed, and it remains controversial whether the Portuguese then knew of the existence of Brazil.
The big powers of those times were Spain and Portugal so they had the power to decide together with the Pope. The Treaty of Tordesillas was agreed upon by the Spanish and the Portuguese to clear up confusion on newly claimed land in the New World. The early 1400s brought about great advances in European exploration. In order make trade more efficient, Portugal attempted to find a direct water route to the India and China. By using a direct water route, Arab merchants, who owned land trade routes, were not able to make a profit off the European trade merchants. After Columbus discovered the New World in 1492, it was clear that conflict would soon arise over land claims by Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese also wanted to protect their monopoly on the trade route to Africa and felt threatened. It was only after the realization that Columbus had found something big that land became the important issue. The newly discovered land held great potential wealth, which would benefit European nations.

--Why and how did Portugal and Spain pursue overseas commerce and conquest?
Portuguese initially were looking for gold and slave trade in Western Europe and Africa. Then sought new route to Asia and spice islands by going around Africa. Spain were sought a new route to Asia by going West
How did Spain conquer the Indians of Central and South America?

--Compare the Indian uprising in Virginia in 1622 to uprising in Georgia and New England.
--Discuss Bacon's Rebellion in 1675 and what does this have to do with the American Revolution?

--Explain the causes and the results of the Glorious Revolutions in England and America.

--Why did the Patriot movement wane in the early 1770s? Why did the Tea Act reignite colonial resistance?