Colliding Worlds, 1450-1600 Chapter 1

Native American Experience Natives enter North America from Asia Last Ice Age, 13,000 to 3,000 BC Bering Land Bridge Possibly by sea

Natives adapted to environment Climate Flora Fauna Natives transformed their environment Farming (c. 5,000 BC) Extinction hunting of megafauna

Culture areas Mexico and South America Great Basin and Great Plains Transformed environment with farming, settlement and large-scale irrigation projects Maize and Three-sister farming Great Basin and Great Plains Adapted to environment Dry climate, so mobile Northeast, Mississippi River Valley and Atlantic Coast Transformed environment by “burn-offs” Permanent settlements with some hunter/gatherer and some agricultural practices Pacific Northwest and California Hunting and gathering/Fishing

Traits Small tribal groups (Iroquois Confederacy is exception) Men associated with war; women with “mother earth” Creation myths involving maize and animals Frequent warfare

Western Europe: The Edge of the Old World Why exploration? Monarchies were strong with money and organization Trade to Asia blocked by Arabs and Italians Mercantilist philosophy Crusades and Marco Polo whetted appetite Spread Christianity, especially after Reformation Scientific advances in navigation Humanism

West and Central Africa: Origins of the Slave Trade Three large West African kingdoms—Ghana, Mali and Songhai Gold and slaves were mainstay of trade Trans-Saharan slave trade gives way to Atlantic slave trade directed by Europeans Middle Passage

Exploration and Conquest Portuguese—slaves and sugar, ivory and gold Henry the Navigator Diaz Da Gama Cabral

Spanish Columbus St. Augustine founded Encomienda system Black Legend Onate at Acoma--1599 Pope’s Rebellion--1680 de Las Casas versus Sepulveda

European Exploration Who? Spanish—gold, territory and religion Magellan Balboa Juan Ponce de Leon De Soto Serra Cortes and Pizarro

European Exploration Consequences Columbian Exchange or Intercontinental Exchange Division of New World Line of Demarcation Treaty of Tordesillas Mixing of races mestizo, mulatto, zambo