Questions
- This is an informal paper. Make sure that the responses are at least 2 sentences per question for both Part 1 and Part
- Make sure to include examples from the videos, lecture, and readings. Just reference the lec, reading, or PPT in the responses for both Part 1 and Part
- Part 3 is a short Primary Source Analysis related to Part 2.
PART 1: Watch (9:48-17:40) The Dawes Act and the Nez Perce
Ken Burns, The West Documentary: Ghost Dance Episode
The following videos look at the political influence and expansion of the USA at the turn of the 19th century. The Dawes Act would fuel domestic imperial expansion for the USA and the consequence of the USA - Spanish War would catapult the imperial expansion of the USA.
Answer the following questions to the film:
- How was the U.S.'s Dawes Act similar to the Lerdo Law passed in Mexico?
- Did Native Americans in the USA want reservation land to be divided?
- Did the Dawes Act (a reform law) help or hurt Native Americans?
- What happened to reservation land that was not allotted to USA Native Americans?
The Lerdo Law (1856), abolished collective landholdings in Mexico. It meant to attack the landholdings of the Church by forcing them to sell their land. It also broke up indigenous communal land holdings so they could be sold to individual families. The purpose was that private ownership would increase competition, hard work, and efficiency in Mexico. Indigenous peoples in Mexico were opposed to the Lerdo Law. - From Module 2 PPT.
PART 2: Watch (2:38-19:53) Jose Marti, Cuban Independence, and the Spanish American War
Latino Americans: Episode 2 Dreams of Empire
Answer the following questions:
- What role did Marti play in the fight for Cuban Independence?
- What changed Marti's ideas about the USA?
- Why didn't Marti want the assistance of the USA in gaining Cuban Independence?
- How was Cuba able to keep its independence while Puerto Rico did not?
PART 3: Primary Source Analysis
How does the Platt Amendment connect to the events of Jose Marti and what was its impact on the Cuban Independence movement?
Link to the Platt Amendment: https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/historical-texts/platt-amendment/full-text.htmlLinks to an external site.