43 pages • 1-hour read
A Century of Dishonor: A Sketch of the United States Government's Dealings with Some of the Indian Tribes
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Essay Topics
Why did the US government fail to honor so many of its treaties with Indigenous Americans?
What accounts for all the violence Jackson describes?
Why did Jackson write A Century of Dishonor?
What happened to Chief Standing Bear? Why are he and the Poncas so important to Jackson’s story?
Discuss the influence of Christianity on tribes that adopted the religion and those that did not.
What does the system of reservations reveal about the US government and its treatment of Indigenous Americans?
Were the frontier wars and tribal removals of the 19th century inevitable? Were the alternatives Jackson presents viable? Why or why not?
Why did some Indigenous Americans assimilate? What were the advantages and disadvantages of adopting white Americans’ ways of life?
In chapters 2-8, Jackson describes at length the experiences of seven different tribes. What are some of the most common features of those experiences?
Why does Jackson accuse the US government of dishonorable behavior?
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