NCERT Solutions for Class 11 History Chapter 6 - Displacing Indigenous Peoples

85. Comment on any points of difference between the native peoples of South and North America.

Ans. The people inhabiting the regions of South America were generally the hunters-gatherers, herders and were involved in the agricultural activities.
On the other hand, the native people in North America inhabited generally in bands and lived near river valleys. Their main diet was fish and meat and they generally cultivated vegetables and maize.

86. Other than the use of English, what other features of English economic and social life do you notice in nineteenth-century USA?

Ans. (a) The people from the different European nations has their own requirements and needs of land. Most of the people from France and England were the younger sons of their fathers due to which they did not inherited any land. This prompted them to own land in America.

(b) There were large sections of immigrants from Germany and Sweden who lost their lands to the big farmers. They were also eager to own large amount of lands.

(c) Also the people of Poland liked working in the Prairies as it exhibited many similarities with the Steppes. They were happy with the fact that the lands were available at reasonable prices.

(d) The lands were cleared and used for the purpose of growing commercial crops. Crops like cotton and rice were grown extensively and sold in Europe for high profits.

87. What did the ‘frontier’ mean to the Americans?

Ans. The Americans after becoming independent from the rule of the British started their policy of expansionism. This expansionist policy dragged the natives further to the outskirts of the American boundaries. These external boundaries came to be known as the frontiers.

88. Why was the history of the Australian native peoples left out of history books?

Ans. The native people did not follow the practice of keeping documented records about their cultural and political history. Initially, when they were displaced by the European people they did not maintain any record. It was only after when the discussion of the rights and liberties of the natives came into picture that the things started getting documented about them.

89. How satisfactory is a museum gallery display in explaining the culture of a people? Give examples from your own experience of a museum.

Ans. Museums and archives are important sources of information about the culture of the native people.

(a) The museums are the storehouses of the information about the languages, dialects and cultural traditions of the native people.

(b) The archaeological excavations like potteries, clothes, and other precious ornaments are also found in the museums.

(d) The museums contain all the necessary elements that can represent the culture of a community