A New World Chapter1

APUSHistory

Focus Questions:

1.  WhatwerethemajorpatternsofNativeAmericanlifeinNorthAmericabeforeEuropeansarrived?

2.  HowdidIndianandEuropeanideasoffreedomdifferontheeveofcontact?

3.  WhatimpelledEuropeanexplorerstolookwestacrosstheAtlantic?

4.  WhathappenedwhenthepeoplesoftheAmericascameincontactwithEuropeans?

5.  WhatwerethechieffeaturesoftheFrenchandDutchempiresinNorthAmerica?

The First Americans �  WhatshapedthegeologicalhistoryofNorthAmerica?◦  TheGreatIceAge!

�  HowdidpeoplearriveintheAmericas?◦  Thisisahighlycontroversialdiscussion◦  CouldpeoplehavearrivedonalandbridgeacrosstheBeringSea?

◦  CouldpeoplehavearrivedbyboatssimilartothesettlingofthePaciQicislands?

◦  Didthesepeoplesfollowmigratinganimals(foodsources)?

◦  Allofthesetheoriesarepossible!�  Whatdohistoriansbelieve?◦  ThepeoplingoftheAmericas,priortoEuropeancontact,occurredoveraperiodoftime.

Peoples and Cultures of North

America

GreatBasin(NevadaandUtah)isnot

suitableforfarming.

Theeasternandplainsareasprovidedmoreopportunityforcrops.

Largestpopulation

centernorthofMexicowasnearpresent-day

St.Louis.

Peoples and cultures of central and Latin America

FirstpeoplestoreachCentralandLatinAmericawerehunters/gatherers.

Agriculturebecamethebasisforthiscivilizationasthelastice

ageended.

Centralizedgovernmentsystemswilldevelopinthese

civilizations.

Thesecivilizationswereverylargeandwilltradewitheach

other.

Truecitiesdevelopbecomingthecentersforgovernment,population,&religion.

Indian Societies of the Americas

§  NorthandSouthAmericawerethrivingregionswhenEuropeansarrived!§  Cities,roads,irrigationsystems,extensivetradenetworks,andtemplestructuresallexisted!

§  FirstcivilizationofNorthAmerica§  MoundBuilders:lowerMississippiRiverValleywhoselifecenteredonaseriesofsemicircularmounds.§  Extensivetradingnetworksacrossthecontinent.

§  HopiandZuni=northeasternArizona§  Engagedinlong-distancetrade§  CalledPuebloIndiansbySpanish

§  PaciQicCoast–denselypopulated§  GreatPlains–huntedbuffaloherds§  EasternNorthAmerica=Choctaw,Cherokee,Chickasaw,Iroquois

Native American Religion, Land and Property

§  Althoughdiverse,NorthAmericanIndiansocietiessharedcommoncharacteristics:§  Religionsandreligiouspracticeswereoftendirectlyrelatedtofarmingandhunting

§  Plants,animals,andnon-livingthingssuchaswaterandwindwereinvestedwithspiritualpower.

§  Shamans,medicinemen,andotherreligiousleadersseemedtohavesupernaturalpowers.

§  Mostreligionsheldasinglecreator–similartoEuropeanreligions.

§  Landwasnever“owned”!§  Indigenouspeoplesdidnotdevotethemselvestoaccumulatingwealth.

European Views of Indians §  HowdidtheEuropeansviewtheindigenouspeoples?§  EuropeansQirstdescribedthesegroupsas“noblesavages”oruncivilizedandbrutalbarbarians.

§  Thus,makingthesepeoplesinferiortothemselves.

§  DidEuropeanviewseverchange?§  NO!Europeanssawthesepeoplesasbarbaric.

§  Europeandescriptionsofalackofreligion,ofanabsenceofbasiclandpractices,andvastgenderrelationdifferences=inferior.

§  Menwereseenasweak.§  Europeanstriedtoimposetheirviewsonthisculture=ethnocentrism!

Indian Freedom, European Freedom

�  Whatofliberty?◦  SomedescribedNativeAmericansasembodyingfreedomandliberty.

◦  OthersidentiQiedthat“freedom”wasaforeignconcepttotheIndian.

�  Whysavages?◦  IndiansdidnotappeartoliveunderestablishedgovernmentswithQixedlaws.

◦  Lackarespectof“authority.”◦  Nosenseofdiscipline.◦  Indigenouspeopleswere“toofree”=theydidnotlivebytheEuropeanideaoffreedom.

The Expansion of Europe �  EuropeanshadlongbeenattractedtoAsia!◦  Nicolò,Maffeo,andMarcoPolo(father,uncle,andson)embarkedonajourneytotheFarEastin1271.◦  MarcoPolowroteTravels(hisaccountofthecourtsofKublaiKhanandtheFarEast)

�  TraveltotheEastbylandwasdifFicultanddangerous.◦  TheOttomanconquestsofthe14thcenturyledtoincreasedtensionandwarfarealongthetravelroutes.

�  Factorsthatencouragedexploration:“God,glory,andgold.”◦  Economicmotive=desireforwealthwasalargepartofEuropeanexpansion.�  Merchants,adventurers,andgovernmentofQicialsHOPEDtoQindpreciousmetalsandexpandtradeespeciallyspicetrade!

◦  Religiouszeal=thedesiretospreadtheCatholicfaithtonatives.◦  Adventure/Glory

The Expansion of Europe

Inthe15thcentury,theworldknowntoEuropeanswaslimitedtoEurope,partsofAfrica,andAsia.ExplorersfromPortugalsoughttoQindasearoutetotheEastinordertocircumventtheItaliancity-statesandMiddleEasternrulerswhocontrolledtheoverlandtrade.

�  Whatmadeexploration/expansionpossible?◦  Expansionastateenterprise;monarchshadtheauthorityandresources�  Bythe15thcentury,Europeanmonarchieshadexpandedtheirpowerandresources

�  Monetarily,theycouldsupportambitiousexpansion

◦  Knowledgeandtechnologybytheendofthe15thcentury�  EuropeanshadacquiredmuchoftheirnewtechnologyfromtheArabiccommunities.

�  Arabnavigatorsandmathematicianshaddrawncharts(portolani)�  Coastlines�  Distancesbetweenports

�  Compasses=showedshipsdirections�  Astrolabe=showedlatitude

◦  Seaworthyshipsthatcouldsailagainstthewind

◦  Knowledgeofthewindsystems

Contact �  ColumbusintheNewWorld◦  October1492=ColumbusarrivedintheBahamas(probablyatWatlingIslandakaSanSalvador)!

◦  ColumbuswouldcontinuetoexploreHispaniolaandCuba.�  AfterColumbus◦  From1493on,EuropeancolonizationoftheNewWorldbegan.◦  JohannesGutenberg’spressspreadinformationoftheNewWorldmuchmorerapidlyacrossEurope!

◦  Columbuswouldreturnseveraltimesfollowedby:�  JohnCabot(England,1497)–Newfoundland�  PedroCabral(Portugal,1500)–Brazil�  NicolasdeOvando(Spain,1502)–permanentsettlementinAmerica

�  AmerigoVespucci(Italian,1499-1502)–SouthAmerica�  VascoNuñez deBalboa(1513)–Panama�  FerdinandMagellan(1519-1522)–circumnavigation

Voyages of Discovery

Christopher Columbus’s first Atlantic crossing, in 1492, was soon followed by voyages of discovery by English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian explorers.

Demographic Disaster

Estimated Regional Populations c. 1500 Smallpox Pandemic