Native American History to 1890

Catalog description

Native American History to 1890 begins with the premise that American Indians were active participants in the creation of their own history and not merely victims of disease, oppression and societal change brought to North America by Europeans. This course is designed to explore the changing world of American Indians from the pre-Columbian period through Wounded Knee in 1890. We will be studying topics common in American history through the 19th century such as colonialism, the American Revolution, the New Republic, the Civil War, and the settling of the West. We will be looking at these events with the focus being on how Native Americans both actively participated in and were affected by them. The goal in this approach is to understand the complex nature of European/ Indian interactions as well as to gain an understanding of the rich and diverse Indian cultures present in North America from 1492 to 1890. Fulfills Core Requirements: Diversity (DIV) and Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS).