Encounters and Foundations to 1800
Scavenger Hunt
Read page 6, “Preview: Think About…” Make a mental note of the guiding questions for this background information. Then summarize what you hope to learn below: ______
Forming New Relationships
Continue reading on page 6 and then on to page 8. The Europeans and the American Indians grew mutually curious and interdependent on each other.
- What overarching need did the Indians fulfill for the Europeans? ______
- What needs did the Indians seek in return? ______
- Why do population statistics from 1600 seem odd compared to population statistics of today? ______
Battling New Diseases
Read page 8. What geographical conditions protected the Native Americans from prior exposure to diseases that had wracked Europe over the centuries? ______
Carefully read the comments of William Bradford and historian Francis Jennings. Which one is objective? Which one is subjective? After reading these comments, what are your feelings about the battles with disease in this time period? ______
Explorers’ Writings
What kinds of writings did early explorers provide the world? ______
Why did explorers emphasize the abundant resources, peacefulness, hospitality, and promise of unlimited wealth of the Americas? ______
The Puritan Legacy
Puritan is a broad term that means ______.
Puritans wanted to return to the simpler forms of worship and church organization that are described in Christian Scripture. Religion, for them, was a very personal, inner experience, and they felt strongly that government should NOT act as intermediary between the individual and God. Give very specific details for the Puritans’ flight from their homeland: ______.
Puritan Beliefs: Sinners All?
At the center of Puritan theology was an uneasy mixture of certainty and doubt. Within this dichotomy, what were the certainties? ______
What was the central doubt for Puritans? ______
Explain exactly how a person would know if he or she were “saved.” ______
List the hallmark values of Puritan society: ______.
Puritan Politics: Government by Contract
Explain the basic views Puritans held regarding the covenant between God and humanity, as well as agreements concerning government. ______.
Even though it was well-intentioned, why did Puritan political views tend to be undemocratic? ______.
The Bible in America
Explain the Puritans’ view of the Bible and life as a journey. ______
What was the original intent of HarvardCollege? ______
What literary forms were most important to the Puritans? Why? ______
The Age of Reason: Tinkerers and Experimenters
Explain the theory of rationalism. ______
How did this theory directly conflict with Puritan philosophy? ______
How did the Age of Reason affect and/or enhance colonization? ______
The Smallpox Plague
Name the Puritan minister who was actually instrumental in the fight against the smallpox plague. ______
How was smallpox introduced into the Boston society in April 1721? ______
What modern diseases would be similar to smallpox in their epidemic nature? ______
- An Unlikely Cure
What is ironic about Cotton Mather’s investigative work into smallpox cures when you carefully consider his Puritanical views? ______
Explain the solution backed by Mather. Why was it so vehemently opposed by the community? Give religious and scientific reasons of those who opposed it. ______
Explain the statistics that supported Mather’s conclusion that inoculation was a viable solution to the smallpox plague. ______
- A Practical Approach to Change
America as a “melting pot” actually has its origins in rigid Puritan culture. How so? ______
What perspective was key to improving public welfare? ______
Deism: Are People Basically Good?
Deists were of various religious backgrounds. Explain the philosophies that unified them? ______
The best form of worship, according to Deists, is to do good for other people. How is that philosophy still relevant in today’s government? ______
Were the founding fathers rationalists or deists? Explain. ______
Self-made Americans
The primary format of early American writing was pamphlets. Why? ______
Explain how Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography was a foundation for several other literary pieces with similar recurring themes. ______