The following questions refer to the excerpt below.
"In order to become literate,seventeenth-century Indians had first to make a graduated succession of cultural concessions-adopting English ways and English dress,living in towns,learning to speak English,converting to Christianity.But these very concessions made them vulnerable.Neither English nor Indian,assimilated Indians were scorned by both groups,and they were even subject to attack.Because the acquisition of literacy,and especially English-language literacy,was one of the last steps on the road to assimilation,Indians who could read and write placed themselves in a particularly perilous,if at the same time a powerful,position,caught between two worlds but fully accepted by neither."
Historian Jill Lepore,"Dead Men Tell No Tales: John Sassamon and the Fatal Consequences of Literacy"
-Which of the following historical trends led to the kinds of problems described in the passage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The increased trade between Europeans and Native Americans during the seventeenth century led to a pressure for Native Americans to assimilate to English culture in order to benefit from trade opportunities. This assimilation required adopting English ways, dress, language, and religion, which made them vulnerable as they were neither fully English nor Indian. Literacy, particularly in the English language, was one of the last steps towards assimilation and placed literate Native Americans in a particularly perilous position. Therefore, the historical trend of increased trade between Europeans and Native Americans led to the kind of problems described in the passage.

The Following Questions Refer to the Excerpt Below