1.1 Contextualizing Period 1
Contextualization
Prior to European colonization, there were many American Indian tribes
scattered across the continent with complex societies, unique religions,
politics, and cultural beliefs.
The Mayans, Aztec, and Inca were successful due to the farming of corn.
Native Americans adapted differently due to their different environments.
Native American Regions:
Southwest: settled permanent societies through irrigation and agriculture in
the desert
Great Plains: nomadic tribes
Northeast: settled societies with mixed agriculture and hunting
European Exploration
European countries completed to conquer the "New World" with 3 primary
motives: wealth, military competition, and Christianity.
Exploitation the Americas
The economic goal of the Spanish was to exploit the natural resources of the
Americas.
Encomienda System: Conquistadores were given American Indians for the
purpose of plantation agriculture of sugar and other cash crops. This system
eventually failed due to disease, so the Europeans turned to West Africa for
enslaved labor via the Middle Passage.
Cultural Interactions
Relationships between the Europeans and American Indians were often
fraught with misunderstandings and conflict regarding not only land and
resources but also differing cultural beliefs. Both groups thought that they
were superior to the other. These violent interactions would set the tone in
New World interactions for centuries.
, 1.2 Native American Societies
Early Migration
During the Ice Ages, nomadic hunters were able to cross the Bering Strait
Land Bridge to the Americas.
Societies: Central & South America
The Inca: In the 15th century, the Incas created the largest empire in the
Americas, stretching 2000 miles along western South America, incorporating
a population of about 12 million by 1500. They developed a complex
administrative system and large network of paved roads under a single
government and emperor. Incans practiced animism, the belief that
components of the physical world could possess supernatural abilities.
The Aztecs (Mexica): Its population in 1500 numbered approximately 5
million with over 200,000 living in its largest city, Tenochtitlan. The Mexica
religion included a belief that the gods could be satisfied only by being fed
the beating hearts of humans.
Societies: North America
The Mississippians (Mound Builders): Located along the Mississippi
River, Mississippians participated in trade networks that stretched from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes and the Rocky Mountains. Its largest city,
Cahokia, was a major trading center near modern-day St. Louis. It boasted a
population of over 40,000 at its peak in 1200. The population of Cahokia
mysteriously declined after 1300, believed to be the result of major flooding.
A chiefdom developed in Mississippian culture characterized by a settlement
hierarchy and institutionalized social stratification. The chief (great sun) is at
the top, then priests and nobles, farmers and merchants, and enslaved at
the bottom. Both women and men hunted but coexisted in a matrilineal
society, meaning that social status was indicated by a woman's side of the
family.
The Iroquois: The Iroquois were a Native American group located in the
Northeastern Woodlands of the US, with thick forests with an abundance of
rivers and lakes. Their economy was a mixture of agriculture, fishing,
hunting, and gathering. Women took general charge of village affairs and
farming while men hunted and gathered.
The Pueblo: The Pueblos were located in the American Southwest region,
characterized by desert geography and arid environment. Despite a dry
climate, they maintained an agricultural economy using drying farming and
advanced irrigation techniques like Three Sister Farming. This method
combined the planting of corn, squash, and beans to naturally nurture one
another.
Contextualization
Prior to European colonization, there were many American Indian tribes
scattered across the continent with complex societies, unique religions,
politics, and cultural beliefs.
The Mayans, Aztec, and Inca were successful due to the farming of corn.
Native Americans adapted differently due to their different environments.
Native American Regions:
Southwest: settled permanent societies through irrigation and agriculture in
the desert
Great Plains: nomadic tribes
Northeast: settled societies with mixed agriculture and hunting
European Exploration
European countries completed to conquer the "New World" with 3 primary
motives: wealth, military competition, and Christianity.
Exploitation the Americas
The economic goal of the Spanish was to exploit the natural resources of the
Americas.
Encomienda System: Conquistadores were given American Indians for the
purpose of plantation agriculture of sugar and other cash crops. This system
eventually failed due to disease, so the Europeans turned to West Africa for
enslaved labor via the Middle Passage.
Cultural Interactions
Relationships between the Europeans and American Indians were often
fraught with misunderstandings and conflict regarding not only land and
resources but also differing cultural beliefs. Both groups thought that they
were superior to the other. These violent interactions would set the tone in
New World interactions for centuries.
, 1.2 Native American Societies
Early Migration
During the Ice Ages, nomadic hunters were able to cross the Bering Strait
Land Bridge to the Americas.
Societies: Central & South America
The Inca: In the 15th century, the Incas created the largest empire in the
Americas, stretching 2000 miles along western South America, incorporating
a population of about 12 million by 1500. They developed a complex
administrative system and large network of paved roads under a single
government and emperor. Incans practiced animism, the belief that
components of the physical world could possess supernatural abilities.
The Aztecs (Mexica): Its population in 1500 numbered approximately 5
million with over 200,000 living in its largest city, Tenochtitlan. The Mexica
religion included a belief that the gods could be satisfied only by being fed
the beating hearts of humans.
Societies: North America
The Mississippians (Mound Builders): Located along the Mississippi
River, Mississippians participated in trade networks that stretched from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes and the Rocky Mountains. Its largest city,
Cahokia, was a major trading center near modern-day St. Louis. It boasted a
population of over 40,000 at its peak in 1200. The population of Cahokia
mysteriously declined after 1300, believed to be the result of major flooding.
A chiefdom developed in Mississippian culture characterized by a settlement
hierarchy and institutionalized social stratification. The chief (great sun) is at
the top, then priests and nobles, farmers and merchants, and enslaved at
the bottom. Both women and men hunted but coexisted in a matrilineal
society, meaning that social status was indicated by a woman's side of the
family.
The Iroquois: The Iroquois were a Native American group located in the
Northeastern Woodlands of the US, with thick forests with an abundance of
rivers and lakes. Their economy was a mixture of agriculture, fishing,
hunting, and gathering. Women took general charge of village affairs and
farming while men hunted and gathered.
The Pueblo: The Pueblos were located in the American Southwest region,
characterized by desert geography and arid environment. Despite a dry
climate, they maintained an agricultural economy using drying farming and
advanced irrigation techniques like Three Sister Farming. This method
combined the planting of corn, squash, and beans to naturally nurture one
another.
