1. How did the Creek living in Georgia obtain resources?
2. How did Spanish exploration of Georgia negatively impact Native Americans? List at least three ways.
A.
B.
C.
3. How were representatives to the upper house of Georgia’s first legislature selected?
4. Who could vote for representatives to the Commons House of Assembly?
1. To understand how the Creek living in Georgia obtained resources, we need to analyze their way of life and their relationship with the environment. The Creek, also known as the Muscogee, were a Native American tribe who originally inhabited parts of present-day Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. They were primarily an agricultural society, relying on farming as their main source of resources. The Creek cultivated crops, such as corn, beans, and squash, using a technique called "slash and burn" farming, where they would clear land by cutting down trees and burning underbrush. This allowed them to create fertile soils for their crops. They also engaged in hunting and fishing to supplement their diet and acquire other important resources. Hunting provided them with meat and fur, while fishing allowed them to gather fish and shellfish from nearby rivers and water bodies. Additionally, the Creek engaged in trading with neighboring tribes to obtain resources such as tools, weapons, and decorative items.
2. The Spanish exploration of Georgia had several negative impacts on Native Americans, including the Creek tribe. Here are three ways in which Spanish exploration negatively impacted Native Americans:
A. Conflict and Violence: Spanish explorers, particularly during the early 16th century, often engaged in violent encounters with Native American tribes in their quest for land, resources, and power. This led to numerous conflicts between the Spanish and the Creek, resulting in loss of life, displacement, and the disruption of the Creek's way of life.
B. Disease and Epidemics: The arrival of Europeans, including Spanish explorers, introduced new diseases to which Native Americans had no immunity. Diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza spread rapidly among Native American populations, causing widespread devastation and decimating their numbers. This had a profound impact on the Creek and other tribes in Georgia, leading to population decline and weakening their ability to resist European colonization.
C. Loss of Land and Resources: As Spanish explorers and later European colonizers established settlements in Georgia, they often encroached upon Native American territories, leading to the loss of traditional lands and resources. The Creek and other tribes were subjected to forced removals and land cessions through treaties, displacing them from their ancestral lands and disrupting their cultural and economic systems. This loss of land and resources had long-lasting negative effects on the Creek tribe and other Native American communities in Georgia.
3. In Georgia's first legislature, which was convened in 1777, the representatives to the upper house, also known as the Senate, were selected through an indirect method. The delegates to the legislature, representing different counties in Georgia, were elected by eligible voters in their respective counties. The eligible voters were typically white male property owners above a certain age, and they elected delegates to represent their interests in the legislature. These delegates then selected the representatives for the upper house, reflecting a system of indirect representation.
4. The right to vote for representatives to the Commons House of Assembly, the lower house of Georgia's first legislature, was limited to a specific group of individuals. At that time, voting rights were generally restricted to white, male property owners. Therefore, only these individuals who met the property ownership requirements were able to vote for representatives to the Commons House of Assembly. This limited suffrage excluded women, Native Americans, African Americans, and those who did not own property from participating in the election process. It is worth noting that voting rights have evolved over time, and there have been significant expansions of suffrage in the United States since then.