AMSBE - přednášky-dodatečné poznámky

Native Americans didn’t know what private property is, so by giving each Native a land they “acculturated” – they took their culture

D’Arcy McNickle – he received land from the Dawes Act – he sold it and paid for his education, he studied, it wasn’t enough to get a degree but still… he was educated

• He collected stories, myths and so on to protect culture of Natives

• It was cultural resistance

• It united Natives

Period of consolidation of the USA

All these events ↑ refer to domestic issues but the USA also rose during the 19th century as an important international power – in the western hemisphere

President Monroe who came with an idea that the USA should look mostly at the countries from North and South America and pay attention to the Central Europa

Isolation – led to sense that the states from the Western hemisphere (South, North America) are special

USA also iniciated ???? – they tried to have more important role and biggest influence

A major event was the Civil war

• As Europeans colonized more land in America, they needed cheap labour force on their plantations, farms – they tried to use Native Americans – most Native Americans didn’t practice farming – so it was difficult to use them

• They had another idea – bring cheap labour force from Africa, also poor people from Europe – they promised them to be free after some time

• Race become an important element of American history

• Black workers were forced to become slaves

• First half of 19th century – century when slave trade flourished

• Millions of young strong people

• Transportation – one third of them died

• They were mostly needed in the South, the North developed mostly industry, farming was important for the economy of South – cotton, coffee – very difficult and tiring

• Slaves weren’t human beings – they were tools

• They didn’t have a name (you could choose their name), total disregard for their identity, lack of respect

• They were forced to learn English, they were punished when caught using their own language – because owners couldn’t understand it

• Most slaves were shipped from the Guinea Gulf?

• Usually slaves were obliged to convert to religion of the owner

• “broom ceremony” – man + woman holding hands jumped over broom = marriage of slaves

• Normally they weren’t given education

• Quaker [kvejkas] plantation owners – they were against slavery, they had better attitude

• Field slaves worked in fields

• House slaves – cooks, servants of Lady and Lord of the house, they have more comfortable life – some of them could know intimate secrets

• For women slavery – sexual initiation of master – sexual entertainment, pleasure

  • The wife knew what was going on, she had to pretend that she doesn’t know

  • If the black woman got pregnant, the child could be manumitted – manumission (=they weren’t slaves) – these terms are used for modern slavery

  • Children could be separated from the mother

  • Sometimes rich men had second home – one white wife and black or mulatto (mulattos were very appreciated) wife