Pre-colonial America and Colonial Settlements

• UNIT 2 DISCUSSION- support your response with examples and/or quotes from the readings. Your post should be between 300 and 350 words as a minimum to get full credit. Click here to view the ENGL 2131 Discussion Guidelines 2021. Click here to see the Rubric for the Discussion Post. Click here for some Helpful Hints about posts. Click here to see a Sample Discussion Post.
Once you have completed your initial post, read, and respond to at least 1 of your peers.
1. Why do you think Smith depicts the Amerindians as “savage devils”? Is it just cultural biases that are driving his opinions, or could he be thinking of his audience in England? If so, imagine you are a reader in 1624. How would his descriptions affect you? Why do you think it was so difficult at that time to see the Amerindians as human beings?
2. What characteristics of promotional literature are found in Columbus’s Letters OR in Smith’s History and Description of New England? Do you think these writers are always being honest in their presentation of events, or do they “fudge” things at times? If so, why would they do that?
3. Compare Winthrop’s definitions of “civil liberty” and “natural liberty” from his “Speech to the General Court.” In what ways does his “Speech” exemplify the ideals of a theonomic society grounded on biblical law and mores? In what ways could his definitions of liberty have affected his attitude toward Anne Hutchinson? Make sure you rely upon Winthrop’s definitions of the two liberties; do not confuse them with modern-day ideals of natural rights and civil liberties.
4. Winthrop’s opening sentence in Model of Christian Charity presents a providential world view, in which a sovereign God is in control and all things are in the place he wants them to be, all for the good of man and society. What points or illustrations does he present in the speech to support this view? What is Winthrop’s purpose? Does he have a self-interest in promoting a class structure?
5. Discuss the way(s) in which “The Prologue,” “The Author to Her Book,” OR the poem on Queen Elizabeth reflects Bradstreet’s attitude toward the role(s) of women in the mid-seventeenth century. Or you may discuss how one of Bradstreet’s poems illustrates a Calvinistic philosophy or a rebellion against this theology.
6. At times Rowlandson demonstrates a heroic sense of mission, exhibiting traits under duress that bespeak a remarkable courage and strength of character; at other times, she seems to not always uphold her Christian ideals during her captivity. Discuss her heroism and “backslidings,” to use a Puritan word. If she did assimilate somewhat into the Amerindian culture (i.e., food), why would that be such a problem to the Puritans? Does she have a blind spot in relation to the Native Americans? Does she have a legitimate reason at times not to dislike them, or should her faith overrule her passion? Narrow and focus.
7. Discuss at least three primary characteristics of the Native Americans as depicted in the accounts by Hariot, Hakluyt, and Eliot. How do these accounts square with the spoken and written responses by the Native Americans and their actions, such as those by the two chiefs and even a young Zitkala-Ša? Use the texts for support with specific examples.
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Quizzes

Due June 8 at 11:59 PM
Reading Quiz – Unit 2: Pre-Colonial America and Colonial Settlements
IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to review the “Questions for Study” sections in this Unit prior to beginning this quiz. These questions are designed to help you prepare for this reading assessment. There are a total of 20 questions. Questions are drawn from each of the readings and the course lesson content in this unit.