Pre Columbian Societies&

Transatlantic Encounters

Chapter 1: p. 4-24Essential Topics: 1. Early inhabitants of the Americas2. American Indian Empires in Mesoamerica, the Southwest, and the

Mississippi Valley3. American Indian Cultures of North America at the time of European

contact4. First European contacts with American Indians5. Spain’s Empire in North America

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.

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

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

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

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

Chichen-Itza - Pyramid

Chichen-Itza - Observatory

Chichen-Itza - Ball Court

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

The Aztecs WereFierce Warriors

Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring Tribes to the Sun God

Heart Sacrificeon an Aztec Temple Pyramid

Inca

● Located in Peru in the Andes Mountains

● Ruled by an emperor● Vast road system

● Extremely good engineers and mathematicians

● Amazing forms of agricultural

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Incan Terrace Farming

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

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

“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

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

European trade routes

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

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…

explorers

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

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

Cycle of Conquest & Colonization

Explorers Conquistadores

Missionarie

s

Permanent Settlers

EuropeanColonialEmpire

The Colonial Class System

PeninsularesSpanish ancestory Creoles

Spanish and Black mixture.

MestizosSpanish and

Indian mixture

MulattosWhite

American and Black

mixture

Native Indians Black Slaves

Treaty of Tordesillas (divided Spanish and Portuguese land)

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!!!

Shang and Zhou Civs

1766 B.C.- 250 B.C.

Egyptian Civ

2650 B.C.- 500 B.C.

Mesopotamia Civ

3000 B.C.- 1700 B.C.

Indus Civ

2500 B.C.- 2000 B.C.

● 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…

Reasons for Domination of Eurasian People1) East/West direction of continent

2) Many suitable wild species of plants and animals

2) Ease of species spreading

3) Many domesticated plants and animals

4) Food Surpluses and Food Storage

5) Large and Dense Societies 5) Specialization of Workers

6) Technology

6a) Guns, Steel Swords, Ocean going ships

6) Development of religion, government,

& writing

3a) Work animals- cow and ox

3a) Development of mutated diseases

3a) Military supremacy-

horse & camel

7) Large and organized societies capable of exploration and conquest