Blog #6

Textbook


1. What were the different kinds of experiences that particular groups of women had as the United States expanded west to the Pacific Coast?



The different kinds of experiences that Native American women had as the United States expanded to the Pacific Coast were that, their food source was destroyed. The reason their food source was destroyed, was because the white settlers came onto their land and settled where they started to do their own farming. While the white settlers were traveling to the west they went through the lands where the Native Americans lived they burned down the food storage. The Native American women were afraid that the white men would come there and harm them and their babies. The Native American women who ended up being with the white men were left by their lovers when their lovers ended up marrying white women. So since the Native American women were not accepted by the whites or by their own people, they ended up being servants for the white women settlers and prostitutes for the white men. The different kinds of experiences that Mexican women had as the United States expanded to the Pacific Coast were that, at first the white men would marry Mexican women, because they hold a lot of land in
California, but after a while they changed the laws where instead of the women being able to have more rights like they did by Mexican laws, they changed it to the white man's law which was that men had more power. Towards the end Mexican women were deserted and treated like the Native American women which was that they became either servants, or prostitutes.




2. What kinds of historical developments brought American women into reform activities in the antebellum years?


The kinds of historical developments that brought American women into the reform activities in the antebellum years were religious and moral reform. These made women to get involved in society and gain more rights. The moral reform was established by pious women to fight against
the uprising of alcohol, prostitution, and anything that was considered a sin during those times. There was also the health reform where they developed other health facilities for women where they used different methods to help women who had problems with their health. They also started the abolition. This was a religious movement to abolish the law of having slaves. That it was considered a sin to allow slavery. The reforms also helped women who were in abusive marriages. A religious group that was started by the radical Christian notions is the Mormons. The Mormons practiced polygamy, which people say did not change the way women felt about their marriages.



Textbook Document



1. Maria responds to the strangers she encounters with both fear and curiosity. About what is she curious? What is the source of her fear and how does Maria exhibit or conceal her reaction?


Maria is curious about the strangers she encounters, because she is curious how the white men can find anyone they want, and get the things they want. So she is curious on if she can fool them and not let them find Chavez at her home while she is hiding him from the white men. Her fear is the same thing that she is curious about. She is afraid of these white men, because of what power they hold that they would imprison her brothers and they would harm her if they found out she was hiding Chavez. She conceals her fear by taking control of it as in using the strength, the adrenalin rush the fear gives her to plan how to bring Chavez to her home. Where to hide him. Who can see him and know about him. Then to convincingly hide him when the white soldiers are searching her home. Then to disguise him and send him to his next destination. This showed how strong she was that she hid her fear and used her fear to satisfy her curiosity in hiding someone from people who were able to find anyone they wanted to find.




2. What is the source of strength that Maria draws? How does the absence of men affect the way she acts?


The source of strength that Maria draws from is her fear and belief in what the man who helped her bring Chavez to her house said. Her fear helps her by giving her the strength and adrenaline rush she needs to accomplish what she accomplished during that time. The absence of men in her life affected the way she acted by making her be courageous enough to plan all this on her own. Even though she did go to her imprisoned brothers to get some semblance of what she should do. She used that to draw strength in her belief that she can do this. The significance of seeing her brothers was also for her anger towards the white soldiers would come out and give her another burst of energy and strength. Especially since the event happened when she had just had a baby and I am sure during those times they did not have the same medical treatments as we do now. So she was probably not fully recovered yet.