Pre Columbian Societies & Transatlantic Encounters

1. Pre Columbian Societies&Transatlantic Encounters Chapter 1: p. 4-23 Essential Topics: • Early inhabitants of the Americas • American Indian Empires in Mesoamerica, the Southwest, and the Mississippi Valley • American Indian Cultures of North America at the time of European contact • First European contacts with American Indians • Spain’s Empire in North America

2. Big Ideas • By 1600 Europeans had created the world’s first truly global economy. • Meanwhile, the "age of discovery" resulted in the greatest human catastrophe the world has ever known: 90% of Amerindians killed by 1600; slavery of 10s of millions of Africans. • Cultural differences between the European and Amerindians were so immense that conflict was tragically inevitable in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

3. Populating the Americas • Land Bridge existed for around 25,000 years that connected Eurasia to North America (35,000 – 10,000 years ago) • For 25,000 years the Americas are populated • When the glaciers melt the Americas become isolated

4. Early On…. • Native Americans were mainly Nomads • Lived off the land by hunting, fishing, and gathering • Consequences of the Lifestyle??? • Small population growth • No formal gov’t, writing system, or complex religion • Everyone is focused on survival needs

5. Early America’s Agricultural Revolution • Agricultural Revolution • Native Americans learn to grow crops • Maize (corn), pumpkins, squash, beans • Consequences of this Lifestyle??? • Population boom due to steady/increasing food supply • Specialization • As a result formal gov’t, writing system, and religion begin to form • Civilizations begin to form • By 1492 it is estimated that 54 million people lived in the Americas • Powerful empires like the Maya, Aztecs, and Inca developed

6. Maya • Located in Yucatan Peninsula • Outstanding engineers and mathematicians • Ruled by City-States • No central gov’t • Very fragmented society • Due to fragmentation the Mayas were in constant warfare that eventually led to their collapse

7. Chichen-Itza - Pyramid

8. Chichen-Itza - Observatory

9. Chichen-Itza -Ball Court

10. Aztec • Located in Central Mexico • Militaristic people • Conquered surrounding tribes forcing them to pay tribute • Ruled by an emperor • Human sacrifice commonly practiced • “Game of Death” • Created an empire containing 5 million people

11. The Aztecs WereFierce Warriors

12. Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring Tribes to the Sun God

13. Heart Sacrificeon an Aztec Temple Pyramid

14. Inca • Located in Peru in the Andes Mountains • Ruled by an emperor • Vast road system • Extremely good engineers and mathematicians • Amazing forms of agricultural

15. Machu Picchu

16. Machu Picchu

17. Incan Terrace Farming

18. Other Native American Civs • Southwest American Indians • Chaco Canyon Pueblo • Culture collapsed due to drought • Mississippian American Indians • City of Cahokia had 25,000 people living in it • Built a great mound in the middle of the city

19. Columbus Did Not “Discover” North America • 1st Europeans to reach North America were the Vikings in 1000 • Lief Ericsson and 35 Vikings stayed a winter, and made several attempts to colonize • All attempts failed • Unfortunately Vikings had an oral history, and never documented their journey

20. “Pushes” to European “Discovery” of the Americas Crusades Marco Polo Strong desire for Asian goods Portugal begins looking for a fast way to get to India, China, and the Spice Islands (Indonesia) Vasco da Gama gets around Africa in 1498 and gets to India Spain seeks a route to Asia by going West

21. Major Effect of Crusades…Large scale exchange of ideas, technology and trade goods • Ideas • Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, etc. • Islamic Science & Astronomy • Arabic Numerals • Trade Goods • Crusaders bring back goods from the Middle East which spurs demand for more products • Cotton • Silk • Spices and Sugar • Carpets • Tapestries • Technology • Paper-production

22. European trade routes

23. Christopher Columbus Makes the World a Much Bigger Place • Columbus becomes the 1st documented European to reach America in 1492 • Was an Italian born sailor sailing for the Spanish Monarchs • Goes on to make 4 voyages to The New World from 1492-1502

24. Columbus’s Legacy • Legacy • “Discovers” North America in 1492 • Columbus’s actions • Enslaves thousands more in North America and forces them to mine for gold and silver… • His voyages begin a rush of Europeans infected with greed • Within 30 years • 2 Major Civilizations crumble • Aztec Empire • Incan Empire • Columbian Exchange • World is never the same…

25. explorers

26. Columbian Exchange: interactions between Europeans and Native Americans that permanently altered world’s ecosystem and culture

27. Spain’s New World Conquest and Empire • Spanish explored and conquered for glory, God, and gold • Conquered two mighty New World empires • Aztecs conquered in 1519 • Disease is the primary reason for the fall of the Aztec • Inca conquered in 1521 • Disease and the capture of the Incan Emperor are the primary reason for the fall of the Inca • Spain’s empire was huge and long lasting • Spain got incredibly wealthy making them the richest and most powerful nation for a period of time • In the New World lands that did not have great amounts of wealth the Spanish focused on converting the natives to Christianity • The Spanish intermarried with the indigenous population and mixed cultures as well

28. Cycle of Conquest & Colonization Explorers Conquistadores Missionaries EuropeanColonialEmpire Permanent Settlers

29. The Colonial Class System PeninsularesSpanish ancestory CreolesSpanish and Black mixture. MestizosSpanish and Indian mixture MulattosWhite American and Black mixture Black Slaves Native Indians

30. Treaty of Tordesillas (divided Spanish and Portuguese land)

31. Ever Wonder Why Native Americans got Dominated??? • Guesses??? • Hint #1: North and South American are basically on a North/South axis, while Asia and Europe are on an East/West axis • Hint #2: The only pack animal in the Americas (animal capable of pulling or carrying something) was the freakin alpaca, while Africa, Asia, and Europe had the camel, horse, cow, yak, and donkey!!! • Answers!!! • Answer #1: Well the climate stays the same (for the most part) as one moves east to west… meaning crops grown in India and China can be grown in Europe…. • Hint #2: To really farm a lot of land you have to break up the soil with a plow…. The Americas did not have that animal… as a result large scale farming never took hold like it did in Asia and Europe… which meant that the Americans remained hunter-gatherers and there was no specialization… also some of the most infectious diseases known to man are mutated viruses from pack animals like small pox and the flu…. The people of the Eastern Hemisphere grew resistant to those diseases… when the Europeans brought those diseases over to the Americas…. the Native Americans had no resistance to these diseases and as many as 95% of Native Americans died from disease… Mesopotamia Civ 3000 B.C.- 1700 B.C. Shang and Zhou Civs 1766 B.C.- 250 B.C. Egyptian Civ 2650 B.C.- 500 B.C. Indus Civ 2500 B.C.- 2000 B.C.

32. Reasons for Domination of Eurasian People 1) East/West direction of continent 2) Many suitable wild species of plants and animals 2) Ease of species spreading 3a) Work animals- cow and ox 3a) Military supremacy- horse & camel 3) Many domesticated plants and animals 3a) Development of mutated diseases 4) Food Surpluses and Food Storage 5) Large and Dense Societies 5) Specialization of Workers 6) Technology 6) Development of religion, government, & writing 6a) Guns, Steel Swords, Ocean going ships 7) Large and organized societies capable of exploration and conquest