The American Pageant Chapter 1 New World Beginnings: 33,000 B.C. - A.D. 1769

The Shaping of North America Pangea –225 million years ago a single continent containing all of the worlds land. –Continents began shifting and came to rest about 10 million years ago

Ice Age Aprox 2 million years ago 2 mile thick ice sheet over Canada and part of U.S. Retreated only 10,000 years ago Great Lakes Lake Bonneville –Only Great Salt Lake remains

Peoples of the Americas Controversial evidence suggests the earliest inhabitants came in crude boats, most came by land. The Ice Age caused sea levels to drop as most of the water was frozen. A land bridge was formed between Siberia and Alaska in the Bering Sea.

followed migratory birds they hunted into N. America. ice melted and the bridge was covered with water People continued to move southward until they hit the tip of S. America. Prominent civilizations –The Mayans in Central America – Incas in Peru – Aztecs in Mexico.

Possibly 54 million people were in the Americas by the time Columbus came in These civilizations displayed exemplary agricultural techniques planting maize Aztecs sacrificed humans to please their gods. Mayan Maize God

The Earliest Americans Agriculture showed how sophisticated the Native Americans were. Most of the crops were corn B.C. corn became staple crop in Mexico –foundation to the Aztec and Incan Empires –hunters-gatherers to settled people B.C. - –Corn planting reached the present-day American Southwest resulting in a powerful Pueblo culture. irrigation system using the Rio Grande Valley. They lived in multi-storied buildings when the Spanish explorers arrived.

Cliff Palace

Mound Builders in the Ohio River Valley and the Mississippian culture of of the Midwest Cahokia - housed people at one time.

Anasazi Southwestern Desert Chaco Canyon (modern day NM) Faded in 1300’s

Maize, bean and squash cultivation in SE Atlantic area in about year three-sister farming used with beans growing on the trellis of cornstalks. Squash on the planting mounds to restore soil moisture. The rich diet resulted in strong civilizations such as the Creek, Choctaw, and Cherokee.

Iroquois

The Iroquois civilization equivalent to the Incas and Aztecs Iroquois were inspired by Hiawatha. political and organizational skill that would establish military alliances with neighbors, even Europeans. They weren’t massive and they were not always organized, most of them scattered about. Authority to female figures

At one with nature Native Americans did not feel the necessity of modifying the natural surroundings –Spiritual properties –Burning of trees Europeans felt that humans dominated the earth and had the right and the ability to alter the face of the earth with their technologies.

Columbus In October 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Little did the Native Americans know, their world was about to be opened up to the rest of the world.

Indirect Discoverers Europeans did not know America existed. Norse seafarers from Scandinavia came upon the Northeastern corner of America Wild grapes grew in the area causing them to name the area Vinland. Year 1000 These people did not wish to settle there so they eventually left. The discovery was forgotten except in Scandinavian folklore.

Mercantilism the amount of gold and silver determines the wealth of the country led to the ambition of many governments to look for a wider world with conquest and trade.

Christian crusaders from Europe came to try to evict the Muslims from the Holy Land of Jerusalem. developed a taste of Asia, craving silk, medicines, perfumes, draperies, and spices esp. sugar. Very expensive Muslims in the middle charged heavy tolls for traveling routes. eager to find a less expensive route to Asia.

Reasons for Exploration Africa was now a source of cheap slave labor. Portuguese proved long-distance ocean voyages were possible. Spain was united and became a powerful, wealthy nation ready for discovery, conquest and colonization. Renaissance period also contributed to the spirit of optimism and adventure Printing presses introduced in 1450 made the spread of information The mariner’s compass made navigation easier.

Columbian Exchange Tobacco, maize, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes Three-fifths of the crop cultivated around the world originated in the Americas. Europeans gave the Indians some Old World crops and animals. Columbus returned to Hispanola (currently Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in 1493

Apaches, Souix, and the Blackfoot tribes used horses transforming themselves into mobile hunter Columbus brought sugarcane seedlings that grew well in the Caribbean. Unintentionally, the European brought seeds of Kentucky bluegrass, dandelions, and daisies. They also brought along smallpox viruses. However, the Indians gave a disease back. Syphilis was brought back by the Europeans.