Final answer:
Cultural diffusion in the context of the Cherokee Nation includes the adoption of an American-style government, acculturation to American lifestyles including literacy and religion, and economic assimilation with plantation ownership and industry development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of cultural diffusion is evident in the historical context of the Cherokee Nation, particularly in how they adapted aspects of American society for survival. Here are three clear examples:
- The adoption of a government structure modeled after the American system, including a written constitution with a separation of powers comprising a principal chief, a legislature, and an independent judiciary with a Supreme Court.
- Acculturation to American lifestyles, such as dressing like Americans, some Cherokee converting to Christianity, and the development of a Cherokee written syllabary leading to widespread literacy and the publication of their bilingual newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix.
- Economic assimilation through the existence of wealthy Cherokee who owned plantations and slaves, the production of cotton, and the development of various types of mills and workshops akin to American settler industries.
This cultural convergence, however, paradoxically led to increased pressures from white settlers on Cherokee lands, culminating in the implementation of the Indian Removal Act and the tragic Trail of Tears.