EARLY AMERICAS Ice age and the Olmec
LAND BRIDGE Beringia- Land bridge that connects Asia and America. Large glaciers during the Ice Age locked up water so that it was possible to walk across on land Animals and humans crossed the bridge between 40,000-10,000 B.C.
HUNTERS AND GATHERERS Early American inhabitants hunted for their food and gathered resources to survive. Food, Clothing, Tools, Shelter This made them nomads never permanently settled in one location Many animals were hunted to extinction
AGRICULTURE CREATES NEW LIFE People began to experiment with farming in Central Mexico Grew maize corn People had a steady supply of food and began to settle in more large permanent locations.
THE OLMEC First known Mesoamerican civilization-flourished around 1200 BC Resources along the Gulf Coast allowed the Olmec to thrive. Salt, tar, wood and rubber Created large sculpted heads that represent rulers Had a trade network that spread from Mexico City to Honduras Not fully understood what caused their decline Outside invasion or self destruction
MAYAN, AZTEC AND INCA Rise, Fall and a little in between
MAYA EMPIRE Mesoamerican civilization located on the Yucatan Peninsula Influenced by the Olmec Built large urban centers with large pyramids, temples and ball court Ruled by a god-king Cities thrived because of agriculture and trade Decline due to civil war, outside invasion and over-farming. Mysteriously disappeared in 800s. Developed concept of zero
MAYAN RELIGION Believed in many gods Pierced and cut their bodies to offer their blood to the gods Human sacrifices thrown into sinkhole lake Created 365 day calendar that was used for planting crops Time was on the backs of gods Written language in glyphs kept in Codex
AZTEC EMPIRE Mesoamericans that established homeland on Lake Texcoco Tenochtitlan- Capital of Aztec Empire Place where eagle is perched on a cactus Based power on military conquest Let local rulers govern own region Emperor had absolute power
AZTEC RELIGION Believed in many gods over 1000 Human Sacrifices to the Sun God Carved out thousands of hearts Aztec decline under Montezuma II War within Aztec empire Spanish conquistadors
INCA EMPIRE Civilization in the Andes mountains of Peru Conquered 2,500 miles of land on the west coast of South America Government controlled everything-similar to modern socialism No private business Demanded tribute Civil war caused a decline of the empire Spanish take control
INCAN RELIGION Believed in many gods Main god was the sun god Sacrificed llamas Sun temples covered in gold Machu Picchu-rediscovered in 1911
AGE OF DISCOVERY Explorers and Conquistadors
EXPLORATION EAST Europeans explored for God, Gold and Glory New trade routes established to collect exotic resources from Asia Wanted to spread Christianity Countries wanted to expand their empires Improved technology helped Europeans travel farther Caravel Astrolabe Compass
PORTUGAL KNOWS HOW TO EXPLORE First to establish trade on the west coast of Africa Gold, Ivory and Slaves Strong support of Exploration Prince Henry the Navigator funded voyages and founded navigation school Vasco de Gama- established trade around tip of Africa to India
SPAIN WANTS IN Spain competes with Portugal over new trade Christopher Columbus- Italian explorer financed by Spain to find a trade route to Asia. Increased tension with Portuguese causing the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas Created a vertical divide of new land. East- Portugal West- Spain
SPAIN EXPANDS INTO AMERICA Christopher Columbus begins to colonize the Caribbean Islands Hernando Cortes lands in Mexico and destroys the Aztecs Wanted gold Had better guns, allied with local tribes and spread disease Francisco Pizarro- easily conquered the Inca Empire 200 vs 30,000 Gained Gold Both men are considered Conquistadors and not explorers
SPANISH INFLUENCE Relationships between Spanish men and native woman were common Created a large mestizo- mixed population Spanish leaders forced native population to farm, ranch and mine to gain valuable resources Encomienda system was harsh and many natives died
GREAT EXPLORERS Spain and Portugal weren't the only ones
ZHENG HE Chinese Muslim Admiral 7 voyages from Southeast Asia to East Africa Distributed silver and silk everywhere he went to show Chinese superiority Countries then started to pay tribute to the Ming dynasty Ships were 400 ft. long
JAMES COOK British sea captain Claimed New Zealand and Australia for the British Empire British used the new land to place convicts from their overcrowded prisons
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN French explorer Sailed up the St. Lawrence river with 32 colonists Founded Quebec in New France (Canada)
FERDINAND MAGELLAN Portuguese explorer Sailed around the world Died during a war in the Philippines Only 18 men out of 250 survived the voyage
THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF EXPLORATION The Columbian Exchange
COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE Global transfer of food, plants and animals from the Americas to Europe Corn, Potatoes, Livestock and Disease
VARIOUS FORMS OF TRADE Growth of European empires creates new systems of trade Capitalism- private business controlled the way that they make a profit. Caused inflation in Europe Joint-Stock Company investors combine money for a common purpose and then split the profits risky because some ships wouldn t make it to the new world Mercantilism- power was based on wealth. Countries wanted to be self sufficient