Native American Cultures Section 2

Anasazi Lived in the four-corners region (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah) Adapted to dry environment by growing corn, beans, and squash Irrigation helped increase food supply Skilled basket makers and potters Lived in pueblos: aboveground houses made of a heavy clay called adobe Like giant clay skyscrapers Lived in canyon walls to help against attack

They built kivas: underground ceremonial chambers Usually at the center of each community Sacred areas used for religious ceremonies that often focused on life-giving forces of rain and maize Survived for hundreds of years until AD 1300 It is believed that they abandoned villages because of drought, disease, or raids by nomadic tribes

Mound Builders Mississippi, Ohio, and lower Missouri river valleys Mississippian Hopewell Mississippi, Ohio, and lower Missouri river valleys Supported population with trade and agriculture Built large burial mounds to honor the dead 1000 BC – AD 700 Same area as Hopewell Skilled farmers and traders Largest city: Cahokia Hundreds of mounds for religious ceremonies Mounds were flat with a temple on top Many were gigantic

Other mound-building cultures thrived in eastern North America More than 10,000 mounds have been found in the Ohio River valley alone! Some mounds shaped like birds and snakes Societies no longer existed by the 1700s because of European explorers

Iroquois Farmers, hunters, and traders Lived in long houses with 8-10 families Formed Iroquois League Alliance/confederation established by Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca Waged war and made peace with non-Iroquois peoples Goal: strengthen the alliance against invasion Became very powerful

Shared Beliefs Religion linked to nature Spiritual forces were everywhere (heavenly bodies and sacred places on earth) Property: ownership only belonged to the crops you grew The land belonged to everyone Land should be preserved for future generations But Native Americans could not form one political unit so they never formed large empires

Native American Culture Areas Culture areas: geographic locations that influenced societies Helped to describe ancient Native Americans North America divided into several areas

Trading Kingdoms of West Africa Section 3

They would make money by forcing traders to pay taxes Kingdom Rise Role of Trade Religion Great Leader Decline/Fall Ghana Farmers along the Niger River who banded together against the threat of nomadic herders Ideal location for trade; North of Sahara; source of gold and salt; helped them become a powerful kingdom Islam (Muslims) N/A 1060s: Kingdom is attacked; trade routes cut off People of Ghana were farmers along the Niger River Soninke Threatened by nomadic herders, so they banded together Ideal for trading North of Sahara Source of salt and gold (both very valuable!) This helped rulers gain power Eventually they built armies with superior weapons And they took over trade of other merchants 800: Ghana firmly in control of West Africa’s trade routes They would make money by forcing traders to pay taxes When they came and when they left Arab traders brought the religion of Islam to Ghana Believers of Islam are called Muslims 1060s: Muslim group called the Almoravids attacked Ghana to force them to convert to Islam They weakened Ghana and cut off trade routes Without trade, the kingdom fell  But the influence of Islam remained

He wanted everyone to read the Qur’an (the book of Islam) Kingdom Rise Role of Trade Religion Great Leader Decline/Fall Mali Upper Niger River; Fertile soil; Controlled trade on the river Made empire rich & powerful; Traded for salt, gold, metals, shells, etc. Islam (Muslim) Mansa Musa: Mali was most wealthy, powerful, and famous under him; left on a hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca); Islam spreads After Mansa Musa died, Mali ended because of poor leadership He wanted everyone to read the Qur’an (the book of Islam) He stressed reading and writing Scholars sent to Morocco to study These scholars built schools in Mali He had artists and architects build mosques (buildings for Muslim prayer) throughout his lands Mali’s success came from : architectural advances, organized government, emphasis on education, and expansion of trade

Timbuktu and Gao flourished Kingdom Rise Role of Trade Religion Great Leader Decline/Fall Songhai Niger River; As Mali weakened, Songhai grew stronger Took over Mali lands, so same as Mali Islam (Muslim) “Askia the Great”; supported education and learning of Islam Weakened after Askia died Had been conquered by Mansa Musa Eventually taking over Mali lands Timbuktu and Gao flourished Great mosques, universities, schools, libraries People came from all parts of West Africa to study math, science, medicine, grammar, and law Askia created a professional army He also created 5 provinces with a governor in each province

West African Slave Trade Slavery had existed in Africa and the rest of the world for centuries Mostly between Africans But in the 600s, Europeans and Arab Muslims got involved People captured by warring groups and sold into slavery Criminals also sold as slaves Captured in village raids Or sold by relatives Slave trading became a big part of the West African economy It helped contribute to the power of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai