Topic #2: Analyze the ways in which the experiences and lifestyles of Plains Indians change over the course of this time period (1700s-1876). What are some important factorsenvironmental, political, military, socialthat contribute to those changes?
Our primary source analyses are based on Our Hearts Fell to the Ground: Plains Indians Views of How the West was Lost: A Brief History with Documents by Colin G. Calloway (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1996 or 2018). For the first essay, you will choose at least six documents from sections 1-8 of the book (or sections 1-10 in the first edition) to analyze and support a thesis related to the experiences of Plains Indians in the late nineteenth century. Note: your paper must use sources from the assigned book. The following topics are just examples of how you might approach the documents and develop a thesis. You are welcome to focus on any topic or theme that the documents from this part of the book will support. (For our second essay at the end of the semester, we will use the documents in the later sections beginning with “The End of Freedom.”) Please note that citations and their format will form a larger part of the grade here than in previous assignments– this essay is similar to a research paper and it is your opportunity to practice all of the skills of a historian, including Chicago-style footnotes and bibliography!
