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Jefferson argued that Indian artwork, all appearances to the contrary, reflected their equality of human capacity to Europeans

a. true
b. false

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Final answer:

The statement about Jefferson arguing that Indian artwork reflected equality of human capacity to Europeans is false; Jefferson's views on American Indians were more focused on their acculturation and agricultural practices rather than artwork.

Step-by-step explanation:

Regarding Thomas Jefferson's views on American Indians, it can be said that he believed in the equality of human capacity among all people, albeit through a lens of Euro-American standards of civilization. Jefferson argued that through acculturation to American ways—specifically by adopting farming over hunting—Native Americans would become 'civilized' and would require less land, thus freeing up territory for white settlers. This Jeffersonian vision of civilization was not purely inclusive in practice, often disregarding existing native agricultural methods and autonomy. His Indian policy was deeply entrenched with the desire for land expansion and manifest destiny ideologies. Therefore, the statement that Jefferson argued Indian artwork, all appearances to the contrary, reflected their equality of human capacity to Europeans is false, as the original question posed about artwork does not align with the broader historical records of Jefferson's policies and beliefs about the American Indians' capability of becoming 'civilized.'

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