Question

How were indigenous cultures represented in the letters and historical accounts of Europeans?

What was the relationship between religious beliefs and political or legal discourse during colonization?
How did the visual representation of the Americas change in the art from the period of contact to the later stages of colonization?
What role might the gender of a writer from the colonial period have had in shaping their work and how they addressed the contemporary audience?
How did particular figures in the Americas seek to create and express their cultural identity? Were there common strategies or notable differences in approach?
It is likely that, when considering these questions, secondary or supporting questions will emerge. Discovering a specific critical question of interest is an excellent way to develop a focus for a paper. Academic writing requires critical thinking. As we have been trying to practice in the journals, writing analysis, as opposed to summary, requires focusing on the formal details and the historical context of specific cultural artifacts. Consider the following three questions as starting points for analysis:

What is being expressed or represented?
How does the artist or author construct that expression or representation formally?
Why might the artist or author have chosen to create that specific work in that particular way?
When it is time to sit down and write, approach the task with the conscientiousness of an author or scholar. Consider the following organizational questions:

What do you most want to express via a thesis or purpose statement?
How will you accomplish expressing your analytical ideas? What organizational strategies and types of support will work best to develop your topic?
Why is your topic significant? What is the larger meaning or value for understanding the ideas presented in your writing? How does your analysis help your audience more fully comprehend the culture and/or cultural object about which you are writing? (These are the kinds of questions that can help shape your conclusion.)

Answer 1

Here are some points to consider for each question:

1. How were indigenous cultures represented in the letters and historical accounts of Europeans?

- Indigenous cultures were often represented as exotic or primitive, and were often described as inferior to European culture.

- Europeans often portrayed indigenous peoples as uncivilized and in need of conversion to Christianity.

- Indigenous cultures were sometimes romanticized as noble savages, but this was still a form of othering that reinforced European superiority.

2. What was the relationship between religious beliefs and political or legal discourse during colonization?

- Religion played a significant role in shaping political and legal discourse during colonization.

- European colonizers often used religion as a justification for their actions, such as the idea of the divine right of kings.

- Religion was also used to justify the subjugation and conversion of indigenous peoples.

3. How did the visual representation of the Americas change in the art from the period of contact to the later stages of colonization?

- In the early stages of colonization, European artists often depicted the Americas as exotic and unfamiliar.

- As colonization progressed, the visual representation of the Americas became more familiar and less exotic, as European settlements became established.

- Indigenous peoples were often represented as passive or subservient in European art, reinforcing the idea of European superiority.

4. What role might the gender of a writer from the colonial period have had in shaping their work and how they addressed the contemporary audience?

- Female writers from the colonial period were often marginalized and their work was dismissed as inferior to that of male writers.

- Female writers often had to navigate gendered expectations and stereotypes in order to be taken seriously.

- Female writers may have focused on different themes or perspectives than male writers, and may have addressed their audience differently.

5. How did particular figures in the Americas seek to create and express their cultural identity? Were there common strategies or notable differences in approach?

- Indigenous peoples often sought to express their cultural identity through art, music, and storytelling.

- Some indigenous peoples also adopted elements of European culture in order to preserve their own culture and resist assimilation.

- There were many different strategies for expressing cultural identity among indigenous peoples, and these varied depending on the specific culture and historical context.