The Americas: Pre-Columbian Empires to Colonies

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11

TURN IN HOMEWORK

Scavenger Hunt “The Americas” (14 clues)

“Horrible Histories” Video (The Americas)

Renaissance HW 1-4 (due Friday)

Benchmark Test is Wednesday

The Americas: Pre-Columbian Empires to Colonies

This Power Point presentation goes with the Mastering the TEKS in World History book by Jarrett, Zimmer, and Killoran.

Unit 4, Chapter 12

Essential Questions

What were the major social, economic, political, and cultural characteristics of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations?

What were the major achievements of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations?

The Kellogg Institute

Background: Early Americans Nomadic Asians followed

herd animals into the Americas.

American Peoples experienced their own Neolithic Revolution.

Pre-Columbian (before Columbus) CivilizationsGrew maize (corn)Did not live in river

valleysDeveloped complex

societiesUCLA.edu

How did the Ice Age effect the population of the Americas? What if it had not occurred?

The Maya (1500 B.C. to 1546 A.D.) Present day Guatemala

Each city had a chief who was half man and half god

Social Structure

Hereditary nobility (performed sacred ceremonies and assisted ruler)

Craftsmen (made goods for nobility)

Farmers (most people)

Warlike people who

practiced human sacrifice

Harvard.edu

Based on the information above, what type of religion did the Mayans have?

Built magnificent cities with palaces,

temples, and pyramids

Developed a system of

hieroglyphics or picture

words

Mayan Achievements

Complex system of

math with use of zero, 365

day calendar

Created colorful

murals and created a

popular ball game

What similarities does this civilization have to the Egyptian civilization?

The Aztecs (1200-1521)Present day MexicoGrew crops in “floating gardens” in wet,

marshy landsComplex Social Structure:

Emperor who was all powerfulNobility served in government, army officers, and

priesthoodCommoners who worked as

farmers, fishermen, craftsmen, and warriors

SlavesReligion: Polytheistic Warlike group that conquered all

surrounding tribes Wku.edu

Built complex temples that were aligned based on the

movements of the sun and

moon

Created accurate calendars

based on the sun

Aztec Achievements

Built a large empire with a

complex government

structure and large cities

Sacrificed humans to their

main god, the Sun god. Sacrifice

was need to keep the universe in

motion

UNM.edu

wikimedia

wikipedia

Calendar SFA.edu

Compare the Aztecs to the Maya

The Inca Empire (122-1535)Present day Peru,

Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile

Terrace farmed and grew potatoes and other root crops

Raised llamas and alpacas for food, wool, and transportation

Uncp.edu

Built thousands of miles of roads to connect the

empire

Excellent engineers that built buildings

out of fitted stones

Built a large empire that

covers present day Peru, Ecuador,

Bolivia, and Chile

Used a system of knotted and colored ropes

(quipu) for communication

instead of writing

Inca Achievements

Machu Picchu

Inca Quipu Larco Museum Collection

How are the Incas different from other Neolithic Civilizations you have studied?

Pre Columbian Art

La balsa Muisca (The Muisca raft), a pre-Columbian gold sculpture representing the Muisca´s offerings of gold.

Aztec jade mask depicting the god Xipe Totec

Carved Mayan flint dagger.

Mayan jade maskInca Jar

The Aztec goddess Coatlicue, mother of earth.

Describe Pre- Columbian art based on these works of art.

Women’s Roles in Mesoamerica

Women:

Harvested grains

Prepared food (made maize into flour)

Cared for livestock

Cared for children and home

Some sold goods in markets

Some were artisans

Some worked as priestesses

Does this suggest a strictly patriarchal society? Explain.

Americas Scavenger Hunt Objective: Students will use images to determine the impact of the civilizations of the Americas. Directions: Students will work in groups of four to six (a total of 6-8 groups) to correctly match

images and clues related to the Americas. Procedures: Groups will elect one representative to go to the front of the room. The teacher will hand each representative one clue to the various pictures posted

around the room. Each representative will receive a different clue, so groups will start at different images around the room. (color coded clues work best to keep groups separate)

Students will remain at the front of the room with their clue until the teacher says “go”.

Once the teacher says “go”, the group reps can meet with their group members and find the image that corresponds with their clue.

Once they have matched the clue with the picture, they bring the clue back to the teacher.

If they have matched the clue correctly with the picture, they can move on to the next clue. If they have matched the clue incorrectly, they must go back to their source and rethink their answer.

The steps are repeated until all clues have been matched correctly by each group. Once the class has finished the scavenger hunt, students will use the clues to answer

the big picture questions about the civilizations of the Americas. Groups must be prepared to explain their answers to the class.

The Columbian Exchange

Jarett Publishing

Why the Interest in Exploration?

Asia Marco Polo’s writings

sparked European interest in Asia

Asian goods, especially spices and silk, were sought after in Europe

The Silk Road was cut off by the Ottoman Turks

Renaissance: A new spirit of inquiry

arose Europeans wanted to

explore the oceans New technology allowed

for better navigation, especially the compass and triangular lateen sail

Caravel: TAMU.edu

What impact did the Ottoman Empire have on European Exploration?

The Age of Discovery Both Spain and Portugal wanted to establish trade with Asia and financed overseas exploration

Spain’s Rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella: Captured the Muslim areas of

Spain Expelled Spain’s Jewish

Community Reunited all of Spain under

Christian Rule Sough to spread Christianity

across the world Portugal

Prince Henry developed a lighter sailing ship

He sponsored expeditions along the coast of Africa

Ferdinand and Isabella wedding portrait, unknown artist

Why would European monarchs spend so much money on exploration?

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)

Sea Captain from Genoa, Italy

Sailed west in 3 ships in hopes of finding a quicker route to Asia

Sponsored by the King and Queen of Spain

Found instead the Americas

This new land brought riches and raw materials to Europe

Why would Columbus risk his life to find a new trade route?

The Columbian Exchange

Goods from America to Europe: Tomatoes

Corn

Potatoes

Peppers

Squash

Pineapples

Chocolate

Tobacco

Turkey

Goods from Europe to America: Wheat

Sugar

Cattle

Horses

Pigs

Sheep

Chickens

Grains

Wikipedia.com

What other items might have been exchanged besides food and animals?

How is this map different from the previous one?

Later Explorers

Vasco de Gama (1460-1524): Portuguese

Discovered an all water route to India

Sailed around the tip of Africa in 1497

Ferdinand Megellan (1480-1521): Portuguese

1st to sail around the world (1519)

What dangers might these men have faced in these voyages?

Other Explorers England:

John Cabot: claimed parts of North America

France: Jacques Cartier: explored

the St. Lawrence River

Samuel Chaplain: explored the Great Lakes area

Robert de la Salle: explored the Mississippi River

Dutch: Henry Hudson: explored

Hudson Bay and Hudson River looking for a “Northwest Passage” to Asia

Lesson Suggestions

Explorers Activity

Nystrom Atlas Activity 44: Europeans Explore and Settle in the Americas

The Conquest of the Americas

wikipedia

The Conquest of Mexico

1519: Hernando Cortez sailed from Cuba to Mexico.

The Aztecs first thought the Spanish were gods

1521 Cortez attacked the Aztecs with the help of other Native Americans.

The Aztecs were defeated mainly because a smallpox epidemic had broke out and killed many of them. The Aztecs surrender to

Cortex, The British Library

The caption means “Now the Mexica (Aztecs) were finished.”

Based on what you know about the Aztecs, why would other tribes help Cortez?

The Conquest of Peru

1530 Francisco Pizarro left Panama to conquer the Incas.

The Incas just had a civil war.

The Spanish pretended to be friendly and ambushed and killed the emperor. Spain won because of their superior technology.

In 1533 Pizarro captured the Inca capital.

The Spanish forced the Inca to become Christian and were used as a labor force.

Conquistador fighting the IncasWhat advantages in technology did the Spanish have over the American natives?

Colonial Latin America Latin America= blend of

European and Native American culture

Government: Viceroys (governor) ruled each Spanish province.

Spanish born citizens filled most positions in the government and military.

Gold and silver from the Americas was shipped back to Spain. This made Spain the strongest European power.

ushistory.com

What problems in governing such a large territory might the Spanish have faced?

Colonial Society

Conquistadors: (Spanish Nobles) owned the land

Native Americans: worked the land

Priests: tried to convert the Indians to Christianity and keep them from becoming slaves

Colonial Society After a while this social

order developed: Noble officials and

landowners born in Spain (peninsulares): head of colonial society

Spanish people born in the New World (creoles)

Mixed Spanish and Native American people (mestizos)

Native Americans (did most of the hard work)

What observations do you have about this social structure?

New France

Canada and along Great Lakes down the Mississippi River

French missionaries tried to convert the Indians

By end of 17th century the territory covered 3/4th of North America

Sent animal skins and pelts back to France to make hats

How might the population of New France create problems for the ruling government?

New Netherlands

Around present-day New York

Traded with native peoples

Colony was controlled by Dutch West India Company

New Amsterdam (New York City) had a good harbor and became the center for trade.

The coastline claimed by New Netherland and some settlements shown relative to modern borders. wikipedia

The English Colonies

1607: English established Jamestown in Virginia

1620: Pilgrims establish colony in Massachusetts

1630: The Puritans settle near the Pilgrims

Eventually 13 colonies arose along the Atlantic coast

The Atlantic Slave Trade

Disease killed many Native Americans

A new labor force was needed in the New World

In Africa conquering tribes sold their captives to the Europeans

Based on the map, which European power acquired the most African slaves?

The Atlantic Slave Trade

15 million Africans were enslaved

11 million went to Spanish colonies

Many died coming across the Atlantic in what has become known as the “Middle Passage.”

Legacy of the Transatlantic Slave

Trade on Africa

Encouraged African Warfare:

captured slaves were traded for guns, rum,

and other manufactured goods

Disrupted African Culture:

destroyed Africa’s culture and heritage and

led to violence, bitterness, and social

upheaval

Increased Cultural Diffusion:

ideas, good, and cultures were

exchanged in Africa and the Americas

How has African culture effected

American society and culture?