Ancient Native American Civilizations

• Bering Strait established different cultures and languages across the continent, raising questions about the impact of geography on how people live.
• Early inhabitants migrated across two continents to the tip of South America, later turning to agriculture due to the extinction of large animals.
• Maize, squash, and beans (the "three sisters") formed the agricultural foundation.

Ancient Native American Civilizations

• A medieval warm period around 950 AD spurred agricultural expansion and the growth of cities in North America, similar to trends in Europe and West Africa.
• Cahokia was the largest city north of Mexico, located across the Mississippi River; a major center for trade and manufacturing with mound-based housing.
• Ancestors of the Pueblos and Huhuham constructed major trading cities and irrigation systems for desert farming.
• Chaco Canyon stands as an ancient civilization built into a canyon.
• Pueblos were a significant component of the United States.
• North America was home to different Native American cultures with distinct patterns and languages.
  • Southwest: Anasazi, Hohokam, and Pueblo
  • Northwest: People lived in high mountain ranges.
  • Great Basin/Great Plains: They had a dry climate and mobile lifestyles.
  • Mississippi River Valley: East of the Mississippi, people relied on hunting, fishing, and agriculture.
  • Northeast Settlements: Great League of Peace (Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Onondaga) united to address external relations.
• Atlantic Seaboard: People were woodland mound builders.

Native American Societies Before European Contact

• Over 500 Native American tribes inhabited the land that would become the United States before Columbus, also extending into South America.
• Between 300 and 800, the Mayans had cities in the Yucatan Peninsula.
• The Aztecs had an empire in what is now central Mexico.
• The Incas, based in Peru, also controlled a vast empire in the south.
• These nations exemplify the complex societies in the Americas prior to Columbus and European contact, engaging in extensive trade and relying on a similar food supply (the "three sisters").
• Native Americans viewed land as a resource accessible to all.
• Women held more power in Native American societies than in Europe, with religions rooted in nature.
• Some Europeans perceived Native Americans as free, while most believed they lacked understanding of freedom, viewing their lack of respect for authority as "barbaric."
• Slavery existed, primarily for war captives, but was not inheritable.

European Exploration in the Americas - Technology

• A rebirth of classical learning ushered in artistic and scientific advancements.
• Gunpowder, introduced from China to Europe, led to the development of more powerful weapons.
• The sailing compass, also from China, revolutionized trade and travel.
• The printing press, developed in the 1450s, facilitated the widespread dissemination of knowledge across Europe.

European Exploration in the Americas - Religion

• Religious conflicts prompted Europeans to seek expansion and refuge.
• In 1492, Spain's Catholic victory led to the Reconquista, funding Christopher Columbus to discover new trade routes and spread Catholicism.

European Exploration in the Americas - Imperialism

• China and Portugal pioneered new ocean navigation methods.
• The Portuguese colonized parts of West Africa using the Caravel ship, establishing new trade routes, leading to gold exploration and the beginning of imperialism.
• Columbus, supported by Spain to continue the Reconquista, sailed west to find a new route to the Far East, inspired b Marco Polo's visit to China.
• Columbus sought ways to reach Asia and establish new markets, landing in the Bahamas and establishing Hispaniola.
• European countries sought trade routes for goods and later the slave trade, with figures like Henry the Navigator leading discoveries that spurred imperialism.
• Imperialism drove nations to seize resources from other parts of the world to benefit the "mother country."
• After Columbus, many nations targeted the "New World" for resources unavailable in Europe, with the Spanish and Portuguese mastering transatlantic travel.

Spanish Exploration and Conquest

• Conquistadors accompanied Columbus in search of gold, glory, and God (the three G's).
  • Hernan Cortes attacked the Aztecs and established a Spanish settlement in Central Mexico.
  • Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas, securing Spanish territory.
• These territories formed the basis of New Spain, reliant on Native American labor to extract and send resources back to Spain.
• The Encomienda System forced Native Americans to work on Spanish-owned land, with the Spanish claiming to "care" for them.

European Exploration in the Americas - Dividing the Americas

• After Columbus, the Spanish and Portuguese sought papal division of the Americas.
• In 1493, the Pope created the "Line of Demarcation" on the map, granting the west to Spain and the east to Portugal.
• The Treaty of Tordesillas altered the line westward, officially granting Brazil to Portugal and western lands to Spain.
• Other European countries desired to claim land in America, resulting in the Columbian Exchange and a blend of cultures.

Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest - Capitalism

• Capitalism replaced feudalism, shifting the economic focus.
• Capital (money and machinery) became more important than land ownership.
• Trade spurred this shift, transferring political power from landowners to wealthy merchants.
• Joint Stock Companies enabled merchants to pool investments for voyages to the Americas, reducing risk, encouraging investment, and boosting economic growth.

Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System

• Enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas to work on sugar plantations, a practice the Portuguese initiated along the African coast.
• This established a standard for other countries, with slaves enduring the Middle Passage, a horrific journey across the Atlantic.
• The Spanish Caste System created a hierarchy in New Spain based on a combination of Native American, European, and African ancestry.
  • Spaniards were at the Top ("pure blooded").
  • People of mixed heritage were in the middle.
  • People of pure Native American and African blood were at the bottom.

Cultural Interactions in the Americas - European Treatment of Native Americans

• The spanish treated Native Americans horribly which was questioned by Spanish priest Bartolome de Las Casas, who influenced the King to enact the New Laws of 1542 ending Native American slavery.
• The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 demonstrated Native American resistance and resulted in new measures by the Spanish in New Spain.
• The English had a different approach to Native Americans in both Jamestown and Plymouth, though they enslaved some in Jamestown.
• The French viewed Native Americans as potential allies and converts to Catholicism, prioritizing the fur trade.