The World by 1500

Chapter 1

Section 1 - Early Peoples of the Americas

Objectives

● Explain how the first people arrived in the Americas● Discuss how the Agricultural Revolution affected Native Americans● List the major characteristics of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca societies● Understand the major characteristics of the Native American cultures of

North America

The First Americans

● While Europe, Asia, and Africa had well established human populations, the American continents remained empty of human life.

● This spanned from the Arctic to the most southern tip of South America.

Life in a New Land

● Most archaeologist believe that the first people to enter the American wilderness came from Asia, but the date is controversial. ○ Estimated between 38,000 and 10,000 BC.

● During this period drastic drops in temperatures allowed the oceans to freeze, exposing Beringia, the land bridge that was used to get from Asia to present day Alaska

Life in a New Land continued

● First Americans to cross Beringia were the Paleo Indians who most likely followed a herd across the land bridge.

● Paleo Indians were hunter-gatherers or nomads, moving from place the place to find food. ○ Hunted game such as bison, caribou, & mammoths○ Provided them with clothing and supplies ○ Collected roots, berries, and other edible plants

The Changing Environment

● Around 10,000-5,000 BC the climate started to get warmer and dryer, changing the appearance of the land.

● Caused Paleo Indians to migrate south, spreading throughout the Americas and establishing cultures.

● No written records were kept at this time, so much of this information is obtained by archaeologist and oral tradition.

The Changing Environment continued

● These early cultures did develop their own unique characteristics (languages, laws, rituals, & ways of gathering food) most likely due to their varying environments.

● Many Paleo Indians who inhabited North America hunted with spears attached to stone tips called Clovis points, after Clovis, New Mexico, where archeologist originally found them.

● Large game started to due out, most likely due to over hunting, forcing the Paleo Indians to find new ways of survival. ○ Eastern Woodland Indians set fires to make it easier to spot & track small game. ○ Began trapping and fishing

The Agricultural Revolution

● The most dramatic change Paleo-Indians made was the shift from hunter-gatherers to domesticating plants and animals for human use, farming. ○ This shift=Agricultural Revolution ○ 5,000 BC communities in Mexico were growing maize○ 2,000 BC people living in the Andes were growing potatoes

● Domestication led to the surplus of foods, causing human population to increase.

● People started settling near their farms instead of traveling with the herds.

The Agricultural Revolution continued

● Small villages turned into cities as populations increased ● Caused a division of labor - women had less power than men - high classes

had more power than lower classes ○ Farmers○ Government officials○ Artisans○ Merchants○ Laborers○ Physicians ○ Priest○ Scholars○ Soldiers

Homework!

1. Imagine that you are a Paleo Indian who has recently arrived in the Americas. Create a series of cave drawings illustrating the journey (4 frames).

2. Then imagine that you are modern-day archeologist, create captions to go along with each cave drawing of your journey to the Americas.

3. Create a cause-and-effect chart on the Agricultural Revolution.

Section II - Early World-Trading Kingdoms

Objectives

● List the advances that Chinese civilization made in science and technology. ● Analyze the role of trade in the Islamic world.● Describe the role of trade in the development of African kingdoms.● Explain the impact of the fall of the Roman Empire on trade in Europe during

the Middle Ages.

China

● Chinese empire controlled much of Asia● They had many technological and cultural developments to share that arose

during the Han and Qin dynasties○ Calculated the length of a year○ Observed sunspots○ Seismograph-measure earthquakes ○ Paper○ Printing system - 1st printed book=Diamond Sutra

China continued

● 1200s Mongols invaded China and changed everything● Mongol leader=Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan ● Set up capital in present day Beijing● Under Kublai Khan's rule, China became the largest empire in the world and

traded often with the western world● After Khan's death, the Mongols power declined and the Chinese regained

power● After opening up to the rest of the world, they launched 7 sailing expeditions

to trade and explore new lands.

The Islamic World

● Trade was extremely important because it connected Africa to Asia.● Muslim merchants began to take over the trading world. ● Muslim=followers of the religion known as, Islam ● Muhammad founded Islam after experiencing a vision● Trade is how people were exposed to Islam ● Muslims preached to other through the words of the Qur’an=holy book of

Muhammad's teaching

The Islamic World continued

● By 750 much of Asia, Europe, and Africa had become apart of the Muslim Empire.

● Muslim scholars excellent at:○ Mathematics, improving algebra○ Refined arabic numeral system ○ Advanced the art of cartography

The African Trading Kingdoms

● Muslim merchants relied on trade to spread their faith in Africa● Early Africans established trade routes that were used for many years.

East African City-States

● During the 700s many people started to move to the eastern coast to get involved with trade

● The mix of newcomers created a unique culture and even their own known as Swahili

● These east African communities grew powerful and wealthy from trading

West African Kingdoms

● Ghana was the first west African kingdom, which was a trading hub. ● Early geographers nicknamed the area as “the land of gold” because of the

abundance of this precious metal, which resulted in great wealth for Ghana● Ghana's prosper began to diminish when the Muslims overran the kingdom

in 1076● Eventually was taken over by Malinke and called the new kingdom Mali.

West African Kingdoms continued

● Mali’s most famous leader=Mansa Musa● He was a devout Muslim and took a hajj to the Islamic holy city of Mecca. ● Looked at this journey as a way to display Mali’s wealth● After Mansa Musa's death, the empire crumbled

Europe During the Rise of Trading Kingdoms

● Over the centuries, European trade was somewhat inconsistent● Trade with Africa and Asia was limited, but they had been involved with

trade for many years, with the Roman Empire. ● The city-state of Rome created a republic or a system of government run by

elected officials rather than just monarchs ● Roman Republic ruled much of Europe and the Islamic world , until the

collapse of the empire in the late 400s AD, due to political issues and migrating tribes who attacked cities

Europe During the Rise of Trading Kingdoms

● Small kingdoms ruled the Middle Ages ● One of the most feared migrating groups were the Vikings of northern

Europe● They were Scandinavian sailors.● Leif Eriksson is believed to have established the first European settlement in

North America, known as Vinland.

Section III - Europe in the Middle Ages

Objectives

● List the factors that led to the rise and fall of feudalism ● Explain how the Crusades affected Europe● Describe how the Renaissance arose, and analyze its effect on Europe● Trace the factors that led to the rise of nation-states

The Early Middle Ages

● Kings relied on their nobles to protect their territory and to conduct business of government.

● To fight against invaders, such as the Vikings, rulers enlisted their nobles under a system known as feudalism (in return for land and protection, the nobles pledged their loyalty and military assistance to the rulers)

● Nobles ranked very high during the middle ages ● They managed self-sufficient estates, called manors, ran by serfs

(peasants/laborers)

The Early Middle Ages continued

● When noblemen were off fighting, then the responsibilities of the manor were left to the woman of the house

● Most people did not travel far distances from home, as life was centered around the manor and Roman Catholic Church

● All important events happened at the local church, which also played a hand in policitice. Priest even settled disputes between kingdoms

The Early Middle Ages continued

● Around 1100 feudalism started to decline due to new inventions, such as the plow were allowed more production of food to sustain large armies and cities

● As the miliaries grew, invasion happened less because most people could get what they needed by trade.

● Trading hubs turned into towns and cities, which eventually replaced manors

The Crusades and Trade

● Crusades, series of military and religious expeditions, also contributed to the demise of feudalism

● Christian crusaders fought Muslims for control of Palestine because it was sacred land for Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

● Various Muslim groups had control over the Holy land since 600s. ● The First Crusades took place to retake Jerusalem, but in the late 1100s

Muslims took control again, only leading to more crusades.

The Crusades and Trade continued

● Italian trade funded the crusades and also brought rare asian goods to back to Italy.

● This trade also changed the political and social order. ● The merchants who organized the trading expeditions formed a new social

class known as, bourgeoisie, or urban middle class. ● In return the bourgeoisie want more economic and political freedom, which

resulted in the monarch granting self-government to towns.

The Crusades and Trade continued

● Organized assemblies to make decisions on taxes and government policies. ● In 1215, English nobles who were angered by new taxes forced King John to

sign the Magna Carta, a charter limiting the powers of the monarchy and protected the trading rights of nobles.

The Renaissance

● Crusades led to the rebirth of European learning and artistic representation, later known as the Renaissance.

● During the middle ages, intellectualism was of the most importance. ● Trade brought Greek, Roman, and Muslim influence to all of Europe ● Started in Italy in the 1300s● Notable people during this time include:

○ Roger Bacon-English monk, scientist○ Johannes Gutenberg-German printer-invented a printing press that was mobile-assisted with

spreading ideas

The Rise of Nation-States

● Nation-states arose during the Middle Ages● The first to achieve national unity were England, France, Portugal, and Spain. ● Most of the time, these changes were brought about by war or marriage

between royal families.

The Unification of Spain

● Unification of Spain was complicated ● There were 5 different kingdoms-4 were Christian ruled, while 1 was under

Muslim rule. ● The first step to unified Spain was taken when Isabella of Castile and

Ferdinand II of Aragon married in 1469 ○ Kingdoms did not unify until 1479

● The banning together of Christian Kingdoms to fight against the Muslims to retake Spain is known as Reconquista, which ended in 1492

● This is when Isabella and Ferdinand made Spain a completely Catholic nation, forcing others who practiced other religions to convert to Catholicism

La Catolica

● Isabella’s efforts to promote Catholicism is Spain earned her the titled la Catolica, the Catholic by Pope Alexander VI.

● Isabella and Ferdinand's aggressive rule did assist them in achieving an all catholic nation, but consequences followed○ Among nearly 150,000 expelled Jews were some of the nation's leading bankers,

government officials, merchants, and scholars.

Section IV - The Lure of Trade and Exploration

Objectives

● List technological developments that improved sea exploration● Understand the difficulties that sailors endured ● Explain how Portugal became a leader in world exploration ● Understand how the slave trade developed in Africa ● Explain how Portugal gained control of East-West trade

Sailing in Search of Trade

● Wealthy Europeans wanted all the rare and exotic good that were being imported into their countries.

● Demand for these costly goods motivated Europeans to seek the most economical trade route possible.

Trade monopolies

● Muslim trading empires and Italian city-states controlled the trade from Asia and Africa.

● By the time these goods got back to the homeland, prices were very high because they had been through many hands to get back to their countries.

● New European city-states wanted in on the wealth because they noticed other city-states were becoming monopolies, or had exclusive control, of East-West trade

● Other European merchants began looking to the sea for other ways to obtain the asian goods

New Technology

● Poor navigational tools and the Catholic Church’s control over scientific inquiry limited mapmakers ability to chart Europe and the surrounding areas accurately.

● By the Middle Ages most educated people knew that the Earth was a sphere, but the church required geographers to follow the biblical reference that the Earth was flat.

● European navigators learned from Musim navigators how to use astrolabes to calculate latitude○ Measured the distance of the sun and stars above the horizon

New Technology continued

● By the 1200s Europeans began to use the chinese invented tool, the compass, to allow them to determine direction when the stars were hidden by clouds.

● Europeans had to adjust their shipbuilding to match the rough oceans and seas. ○ Used lateens sails, which formed large triangle that could be adjusted to take advantage of

the wind. ○ Required wider and deeper hulls, also increased cargo space○ Oars were replaced with rudders-at stern of the ship (rear)

● Portuguese shipbuilders introduced caravels-smaller versions of the European lateen boats that were more maneuverable.

A Sailor's Life

● Seas were still extremely dangerous ● Conditions were filthy ● At least one cat was typically on board to help with rat problems ● In exchange for rough conditions they were provided with wages, clothing

and occasional bonuses. ● Some were also members of of Shipmen’s Guilds, or organizations similar to

unions. ● gromets=what they called young men who had their first experience at sea

Portugal Leads the Way

● Leads the way in exploration ● Strong desire to take shares in the East-West trade● Geographical location determined the routes they would take ● Government funded and encouraged exploration

Prince Henry’s School

● Prince Henry of Portugal led the efforts to promote the study of navigation.● He believed this would assist the Christians in triumphing over Islam and

would aid in the recovery of Jerusalem. ● Although he never actually went on any expeditions, his interest and

promotion of geography and exploration earned him the nickname, Henry the Navigator

African Explorations

● By the 1430s Portuguese explorers had conquered Madeira and Azores, groups of islands on the northwest coast of Africa. ○ Very important port for sailors to restock on supplies and look over their boats.

● Exploration of Africa’s west coast started as a quest for scientific knowledge, but resulted in a profitable trading system for the Portuguese

● Once Prince Henry died, his work still continued by sending expeditions farther south down the west African coast

● Exploration increased even more when King Alfonso V of Portugal granted the monopoly on trading with Africa to his heir

African Explorations continued

● Eight years later a huge fort was built as a trading base that included most of West Africa.

● By the late 1400s trade with Africa brough Portuguese monarchs 1,500 pounds of gold, far surpassing their other means of income

The African Slave Trade

● When the Portuguese first arrived on Africa’s Atlantic coast, they mostly traded African spices and gold.

● Eventually humans started to be a highly sought after possession and dominated trade.

● Slavery was nothing new Africa, but had a different disposition. ○ Traditionally, slavery consisted of criminals or captives taken during war. ○ Their rights were restricted, but led somewhat “normal” lives - could marry, have children,

legal protection, and could earn their freedom back.

● In time, Europeans took these rights away and created slavery as we know it

The African Slave Trade continued

● Originally, Portugal had little to do with the slave industry, but eventually the demand for gold was replaced with humans.

● The portuguese assist in the development of African Diaspora, the displacement of Africans from their native lands and into horrible living conditions. ○ Many even died during to voyage to their new locations ○ African Diaspora led to unrest in Africa, many tribes were fighting one another

A Route to the Indies

● Europeans yearning for wealth from trading Asian goods prompted further explorations.

● Portuguese sailors came to the mouth of the Congo River and charted the southwest coast of Africa.

● In 1488 Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, Africa's southernmost tip, and established a route to the Indian Ocean.

● Scared to go any further, they started the journey back to Portugal.

A Route to the Indies continued

● In 1497 four ships commanded by Dias and Vasco da Gama set to complete the African voyage. ○ By early 1498 they rounded the Cape of Good Hope○ In 1498 he landed on western India, completing the route East

● Over the next 50 years, the Portuguese established trading forts in West and East Africa, India, the Spice Islands, and southern China, taking control of the East-West sea trade.

● European nation-states were envious of the wealthy and followed suit.