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Digital Paxton: Digital Collection, Critical Edition, and Teaching Platform

Portrayal and Popular Opinion

This lesson asks students to consider how portrayals of Algonquians shaped popular opinion.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will gain an understanding of a historical time period, including that time period's major themes.
Students will contextualize and connect primary and secondary accounts.
Students will identify bias and understand how an image shapes public opinion.

Grade Level: Grade 10

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6: Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.

Historical Background: Gaudio and Tucker readings (Materials).

Materials:

Michael Gaudio, "1585: John White paints Virginia" from A New Literary History of America, edited by Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2009.
Abigail Tucker, "Sketching the Earliest Views of the New World: The watercolors that John White produced in 1585 gave England its first startling glimpse of America," Smithsonian Magazine (December 2008).
Class Handout (White and de Bry images).

References:

Darvin L. Martin, A History of Conestoga Indiantown
Johannes van Meurs, Susquehannock Fort, 1671
Index of White Watercolors and De Bry Engravings, Virtual Jamestown.

Procedure:

Have students read Gaudio and Tucker readings as homework. Teacher may also assign textbook reading on European exploration and interaction with Native Peoples.
Opener Activity: Have students primary source image (van Meurs) with secondary source context (Martin).
1. Johannes van Meurs, Susquehannock Fort, 1671
2. Darvin L. Martin, A History of Conestoga Indiantown: "Captain John Smith referenced the Susquehannock in his account of exploration regarding the Chesapeake Bay in 1608…Smith was surprised to find the Susquehannocks trading French goods from Quebec, a colony founded just a few years earlier. The Susquehannocks were also noted by the Swedish missionary Johannes Campanius, in 1645, when he described a fort located twelve Swedish miles (about 80 English miles) from New Sweden (now Wilmington, Delaware). 'They came daily to trade with us…They live on a high mountain…there they have a fort, a square building surrounded with palisades…They have guns and small iron canon.'"
Split students into three groups. Give each group two of the six John White and De Bry engravings and watercolors. Only after students examine all six separately may they compare images.
1. John White, Indian Village of Pomeiooc (1585)
2. Theodor de Bry, The Tovvne of Pomeiooc (1590)
3. John White, Indian Village of Secoton (1585)
4. Theodor de Bry, The Tovvne of Secota (1590)
5. John White, Indian Man and Woman Eating (1585)
6. Theodor de Bry, Their sitting at meate (1590)
Have students discuss the following questions in groups:
1. What aspects of Algonquian life does John White stress in his watercolors? Does de Bry change emphasis at all? If so, how?
2. How do White's descriptions and labels help you understand Algonquian life? Does your reading of the portrayals change when de Bry alters labels and descriptions? If so, how?
3. Why do you think de Bry would alter White's images for English readers? What is his goal in doing this?
4. Have students share their answers with the class. Then discuss portrayal and public opinion as a class.

Assessment and Extensions: Have students a 1-2 paragraph reflection that responds to this essential question: How can images shape popular opinion? Students should use the historical examples from class (White and De Bry) as well as images from news that may be currently shaping popular opinion.

This lesson was created during the 2019 Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Teacher Seminar, "Native Peoples, Settlers, and European Empires in North America, 1600-1840" (July 28-August 3, 2019). You may also download a printable version of this lesson.

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Indian Man and Woman Eating (1585) An Indian man and woman eating; on rush mat, eating maize from a large round flat dish Watercolour over graphite, touched with white, bodycolour and gold. Inscribed in brown ink: "Theire sitting at meate " and in graphite: "20." For an introduction to this group of drawings by John White and a list of abbreviations used in the Literature at the end, see curatorial comment for 1906,0509.1.1, the title page inscription to the album. The following text is taken from K. Sloan, 'A New World: England's First View of America' (London, BM Publications, 2006), no. 24, pp. 144-5: The man in this watercolour is dressed like the old man of Pomeiooc (no. 19), but is showing the shaved side of his head, an ear ornament similar to the Priest's (no. 14) and a feather, which may indicate that he is younger. The woman is also young and her skin apron also seems to rise up her back and front to join on her shoulder which is covered by her hand. She is not tattooed as the other women are and her beads are not elaborate; the couple are probably not as high-ranking as the others depicted by White. They are sharing a meal, probably of hulled corn (soaked until the skins come off and then boiled until they puff up), on a wooden platter, seated on a reed mat similar to the ones shown in both village scenes. In his engraving de Bry added a significant number of artefacts to this scene which are not mentioned by Harriot in the caption but are referred to in his main text, and include a gourd for carrying water, a tobacco pouch and clay pipe, walnut, fish, corn and shell, perhaps the invention of the engraver and intended to indicate the contents of their dish, as assumed from Harriot's main account.The most significant comment appended to this image by Harriot is that the Indians ate 'soberly' and did not overindulge as he implies the English tended to do, and were healthier and longer-lived as a result. Engraved by Theodor de Bry in "America," pl. XVI: 'Their sitting at meate. 'Lit.: LB 1(21); Quinn, pp. 429-30; ECM 41; PH&DBQ 44(a); PH 41; Rountree, p. 51; Kupperman 2000, pp. 159-65
Susquehannock Fort (1671)
Indian Village of Pomeiooc (1585)