Worlds in Motion 1450–1550: Native Americans and European Conquest

1. Worlds in Motion 1450–1550: Native Americans and European Conquest

2. Main Themes • New Worlds for All • Native American Life Before Euros • Columbus and “The New World” • Power Dynamics from The Start • Early British Settlement

3. Worlds in Motion1450-1550 • Overview • The World of the Indian Peoples • The Worlds of Christopher Columbus • Worlds in Collision • The Biological Consequences of Conquest • Onto the Mainland

4. Worlds in Motion1450-1550 • The World of the Indian Peoples • The Archaic Indians • The Indians of the Eastern Woodlands • The Indians of the Plains • The Indians of the Deserts • The Indians of the Pacific Coast • The Great Civilizations of the Americas

5. The World of the Indian Peoples • The Archaic Indians • Native American societies spread across the Western Hemisphere between 10,000 BCE – 3,000 BCE • 1st N.A. crossed Bering Strait @ 16,000 years ago • Clovis peoples: hunter-gatherers • Native Americans developed broad cultural diversity • Adapted to different environments, climates, and developed distinctive cultures • Great variety: over 300 languages, more diversity of language than other regions of world

6. History of Human Migration

7. The First Americans Bering Strait Beringian Corridor Coastal Route Both? At different times? When did first Americans arrive? How?

8. clovis tip – dated to 9000 BCE • Clovis points (Clovis, NM) • Were the makers of these the first Americans? • Moving from Alaska to tip of S.A. in 1500 years? • Following big game?

9. Clovis Point Found with Bison

10. But what about these Pre-Clovis sites? Location of Dated North American Pre- Clovis Sites –14000 – 40000 years old

11. Topper Site video • PBS “Time Team America” Video link • Questions to answer: • Goals of the archeologists studying the Topper site? • Methods/tools archeologists use? • What questions have been answered at Topper with firm evidence? What is the evidence? • Which questions are still up in the air or controversial? • Criticisms of the show?

12. Variety of major Native American cultural areas

13. Different Types of North American Amerindian Cultures • Hunter-Gatherers – in the Arctic and Great Basin (present-day NV, UT) • Limited-Scale Tribal Societies – Canadian Subarctic, Algonquians, NW Coastal people, and others • Full-Scale Tribal Societies – Plains, Prairie, Southeast, and Eastern Woodland Indians • Complex Societies – Adena, Hopewell, and Mississippian

14. The World of the Indian Peoples • Native American Economic Complexes: • Four Geographic-Cultural Domains in North America: • Eastern Woodlands: horticulture and hunting • Mississippian mound builders • City center: Cahokia • Iroquois • Algonquians • Plains: maize and buffalo hunting • Buffalo hunters

15. The World of the Indian Peoples • Deserts: maize horticulture • Anasazi pueblos villages • Chaco Canyon • Mesa Verde: Link to online photos • Pacific Coast: fishing and hunting • The Great Civilizations of Mesoamerica • Mayas and Toltecs

16. Mesa Verde, Spruce Tree House, Winter

17. Life at Mesa Verde

18. Mayan Pyramids Chichen Itze Pyramid Indicates a hierarchical society Rituals and Rulers Priests and Ritual Blood-letting – portal to spiritual world

19. Mayan Codex

20. Mayan Bowl & Lid

21. Mayan Flints

22. Mayan Seated Figures – Copan Site

23. Mayan Gold Jaguar Jewelry

24. Aztec and Inca Empires,1300-1550 Pre-Spanish Invasion

25. Effects of Isolation in the Americas • Lacked contact with other cultures – no means of acquiring new technologies or ideas • Late to start agriculture, so social developments arose later too • Lacked immunity to diseases • Lacked large mammals for work or food

27. Ancient Societies of MesoAmerica Aztecs Mayans Olmec

28. The Aztec Empire • Founding myth stated that people were led to Lake Texcoco by the god Huitzilopochtli (Southern Hummingbird • There they saw an eagle perched on a cactus, eating a snake – a positive omen • They built their city on islands in the lake • Aztec society only existed for 200 years before Spanish invasion, but ruled over 10-20 million people

29. City in the Lake – Tenochtitlan • City built in Lake Texcoco • Chinampas agriculture – floating gardens, plenty of water, very productive & nutritious crops • Lake provided protection from invaders • 200,000 inhabitants – supported by subject peoples

30. Map of Chinampas farming methods

31. Mayan Writing – The Codices • Pictographic writing system • Carved on stone and written on tree bark paper books, called codices (plural) or a codex (singular) • Thousands of these books existed, documenting history, astronomy, philosophy • Only FOUR of these books remain – the rest were burned by the Spanish conquistadors and priests

32. Mayan Dresden Codex Codices give accounts of: Calendar of Rulers History Rulers and war Territorial battles and conquests Gods and divination rituals Healing rituals

33. Mayan Social Hierarchy

34. Aztec Imperial Beliefs • Aztec Empire established by Motecuzoma in 1468 • Based on cosmic mission theory – sun and earth needed human sacrificial victims to gain energy; w/o them, earth would go dark • Theory justified imperial growth and expansion • High demand for sacrifice = need for slaves • Also kept commoners and subject peoples under control – fear and domination

35. Like the Mayans, the Aztecs recorded history and beliefs in Codices Only a few exist This image is from the Florentine Codex, Page I, F, 6r. Human sacrifice

36. Aztec War Images from the Florentine Codex

40. Tlatelolco. The remains of 41 sacrificial victims. 30 infants and      the rest youths and adults found at the foot of the stairway of      the Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl temple.

41. Aztec Social Classes Kings & Nobles Priests, Warriors, Merchants Artisans, Farmers, Slaves

42. Social Classes and Roles • Class of Lords – Tecuhtli – successful generals, officials, priests – not hereditary • Warrior meritocracy – commoners could rise through military skill • Education for all Aztec children • Merchant class – Pochteca – closed caste • Artisan class – Tolteca • Commoners – Macehualtin – had civil rights • Slave class – Tlatlacotin

43. The Incan Empire • Developed later than Aztecs • 3000 miles long • Built upon the work of earlier societies and Andean cultures

44. Building the Incan Empire • In 100 years, Inca created one of the largest empires in human history • Two legendary rulers: • Pachacuti – 1438-1471 CE • Topa Inca Yupanqui – 1471-1493 CE • Incorporation of conquered peoples – announced attacks, used force only if persuasion failed • Resettlement and incorporation – non-discrimination against incorporated people – became Inca

45. Consolidating Empire • Common trade language • Road and bridge system through mountains connected all parts of empire • A message could be carried from one end to the other in 12 days Machu Picchu

46. Incan Class System Sapa Inca – Ruler 2 Noble Classes: Inca Caste & Curacas (Sapa Inca’s Family) (Govt. Officials) Commoner Class (Worked fields and paid tribute to higher classes)

47. Incan Building methods • Many buildings still stand • Rocks fit together so well, there was no need for mortar

48. Machu Picchu Rediscovered in 1911 1200 people could have lived there, but believed to be retreat for rulers 360 degree site tour

49. European Exploration and Colonization 1400s-1600s

50. Euro. Colonization and the World Economy • In less than 50 years, from Columbus’ first voyage to the mid-1500s, the Americas were incorporated and became a major part of a new global economy • This new global economy was based on labor and environmental exploitation • The core of the new economy was Europe • Other regions and peoples were forced into dependency, servitude, and slavery