Chapter Chronology

Quiz for Visualizing History: “Games Among the Sioux”

Select the best answer for each question. Click the “submit” button for each question to turn in your work.

Question

1. Despite their differing views on slavery by the 1850s, one thing the North and South had in common was that neither cared about the Native Americans living in the West but they both cared about

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. While neither Northerners nor Southerners cared much about the Native American people who lived in the West, both groups coveted the western land that was, by the 1850s, still heavily controlled and occupied by Native Americans. Both regions wanted to expand their populations (and their perspective on slavery) westward.
Incorrect. The answer is b. While neither Northerners nor Southerners cared much about the Native American people who lived in the West, both groups coveted the western land that was, by the 1850s, still heavily controlled and occupied by Native Americans. Both regions wanted to expand their populations (and their perspective on slavery) westward.

Question

2. What made Seth Eastman’s depictions of Native Americans different from the way many other artists depicted Native Americans in the mid-nineteenth century?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is a. Eastman’s painstakingly detailed and realistic paintings are unlike many of his contemporaries’ paintings because most artists in this period used their paintings to depict Native Americans as either backward savages or admirable victims. Eastman did neither, instead preferring to convey—with a sympathetic eye—as faithful a portrayal of Indian life as possible.
Incorrect. The answer is a. Eastman’s painstakingly detailed and realistic paintings are unlike many of his contemporaries’ paintings because most artists in this period used their paintings to depict Native Americans as either backward savages or admirable victims. Eastman did neither, instead preferring to convey—with a sympathetic eye—as faithful a portrayal of Indian life as possible.

Question

3. The game Seth Eastman depicted in Ball Playing Among the Sioux Indians in 1851 is similar to the modern American game of

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is c. The ball game depicted in Ball Playing Among the Sioux Indians is similar to the modern game of lacrosse. The players used sticks with nets on the end, and tried to move a small ball across a goal line.
Incorrect. The answer is c. The ball game depicted in Ball Playing Among the Sioux Indians is similar to the modern game of lacrosse. The players used sticks with nets on the end, and tried to move a small ball across a goal line.

Question

4. How might ball playing, as depicted in Seth Eastman’s painting, have trained young Native American men for war?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. The ball game portrayed in Eastman’s painting was, in the words of his wife Mary Henderson Eastman, “rough play,” for “limbs are often broken and lives lost.” This roughness and physicality—as well as the strategy and teamwork required for a successful match—would all be instructive lessons for young men who would grow up to fight in wars.
Incorrect. The answer is b. The ball game portrayed in Eastman’s painting was, in the words of his wife Mary Henderson Eastman, “rough play,” for “limbs are often broken and lives lost.” This roughness and physicality—as well as the strategy and teamwork required for a successful match—would all be instructive lessons for young men who would grow up to fight in wars.

Question

5. How is Eastman’s painting consistent with his relationships with, and attitude toward Native Americans?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is d. While stationed at Fort Snelling, Seth Eastman became close to the local Native Americans living nearby—he even married a Dakota chief’s daughter. Eastman learned Indian languages and carefully observed their customs and daily life. His sympathetic feelings toward Native Americans, and his interest in learning about their culture, are both evident in this painting, which is a faithful recreation of Native American life.
Incorrect. The answer is d. While stationed at Fort Snelling, Seth Eastman became close to the local Native Americans living nearby—he even married a Dakota chief’s daughter. Eastman learned Indian languages and carefully observed their customs and daily life. His sympathetic feelings toward Native Americans, and his interest in learning about their culture, are both evident in this painting, which is a faithful recreation of Native American life.