The Impact of European Colonization on Native American Civilization

PART I – MCQ’S AND THEIR EXPLANATIONS
1. What was the main reason behind the collapse of the native civilization?
a. Increase in diseases
b. Agriculture
c. Internal inter-tribal tensions
d. European colonization
The backbone to every land is its native population, and America’s indigenous tribe lost its
battle to time. Though factors like the rampant increase in disease due to exploitation of
resources, physical weakening due to agriculture, and inter-tribal civil tensions and war, the
main reason was colonization, as this lead to complete cultural change, and slavery of the
natives, leading to their collapse (Stanford University Press, 2019).
2. Why was slavery inevitable?
a. Increase in indigenous population
b. Increase in Agriculture and Trade
c. Religious indoctrination
d. Migration of the native population
The practice of slavery was a gradual progression in America, from its colonial days to even
after its independence. The increase in population and migration of native population was a
result of increasing prosperity of the land and did not have anything to do with slavery. Even
though religious indoctrination played a role, the major reason why the practice of slavery
was started was the increasing demand for workforce due to flourishing agriculture and trade
(Stanford University Press, 2019).
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3. How did the religious indoctrination impact America’s culture?
a. Rise of slavery
b. Political influences
c. Social regression
d. Rise of internal dissent
The Native American beliefs and customs were mostly lifestyle and society oriented. With
the advent of the European colonizers, religion and its various forms was brought to the land.
Attempts to indoctrinate people to subsects of religious beliefs, though did cause influences
of religious beliefs in politics, an internal dissent, and played a large role in justification of
slavery, its major role was in the development of a social regressive behavior and ideology
(Corrigan, Johnson, & McAlister, 2017).
4. Which country’s colonizers created the maximal impact to present day America?
a. Spain
b. Portugal
c. France
d. England
European colonization was indeed a face-changing experience for the United States. Though
Spain was the first nation to colonize the American land; France and Portugal to establish and
expand trade, it was the British colonizing powers that surpassed the other colonies in
economic might, leading to America’s war of Independence (Calloway, 1994).
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PART II – KEY ID’S, THEIR SAMPLE ANSWERS, AND EXPLANATIONS
ID 1 – EUROPEAN COLONIZATION OF AMERICA
Sample Answer - America was first explored by the Spanish settlers in 1492 and was a
colony of Europe for three centuries until its independence in 1763.
Explanation - The American land was discovered by Europeans, and immediately, the native
Americans were subdued, and the colonial settlements begin. This changed the course of
America’s lifestyle, snowballing many social changes such as agriculture, trade, warfare, and
slavery (Hunt, 2016).
ID 2 – SLAVERY
Sample answer - Slavery, the practice of using fellow humans as property to perform unpaid
labor, was practiced in America during the colonial days. This was a by-product of the
flourishing agricultural trade, and the practice continued till its abolishment in the 19th
Century.
Explanation - Slavery in America was an inevitable outcome of the colonial rule, wherein
both the indigenous natives and the racial castes of African origin were subject to inhuman
treatment (Angeles & Elizalde, 2017).
ID 3 – RELIGIOUS INDOCTRINATION
Sample Answer - The Colonization of the United States brought about varied religious
orders to establish their foot in the natives. This led to major cultural, social, and political
changes within the people and enabled indoctrination.
Explanation - The culture of the native Americans was greatly influenced by migration, and
by European colonization. The religious imperatives of Catholicism had justified colonialism,
thus giving rise to the various forms of Christianity (Pleck, 2018).
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