The Old World and the New World Lesson 1

Essential Idea The “Old World” and “New World” developed independently prior to 1492.

Old World and New World The “Old World” is the Eastern Hemisphere and the “New World” is the Western Hemisphere. Why is the term “New World” so significant? What/whose perspective would lead to the coining of the term “New World”? Eurocentric – viewing the world from a European perspective, the world literally revolves around Europe How is the term “New World” Eurocentric? How will the term impact European and Native relations? (Europeans will want to use natives to their own advantage)

The New World Ice Age Bering Strait The Great Ice Age locked sea water at the polar ice caps The overall level of the oceans to dropped, which exposed the “land bridge” The Land Bridge connected Siberia and Alaska What would close this door to the “new world”? The door “closed” about 10,000 years ago when the Ice Age ended and sea levels rose again Now that the two worlds were separate again, the two developed independently

Migration to the Americas How long was the land bridge accessible? (35,000-10,000 years ago, span of 25,000 years) What can be assumed from that fact? (many different groups came over the course of thousands of years) Eventually the Americas were populated from the Arctic Circle all the way to the southern tip of South America There were numerous cultures and over 2,000 languages spoken What would cause this diversity in culture? Migration to the Americas

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica (Middle America) – modern day Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas Why so sophisticated? Cultivation of Maize Aztecs and Mayans were sophisticated, especially in math, astrology/calendar making, and architecture. Aztecs famously sacrificed humans to appease their gods. How would Europeans react to these sacrifices? (Europeans will want to Christianize them, Europeans are more likely to use violence, they don’t want to be sacrificed next) Why would maize have such an impact on Native Americans in Mesoamerica? What is the connection between agriculture and civilization?

The Impact of Agriculture Nomadic cultures Civilizations Impact of maize Large, centralized populations What does “nomadic” mean? (moves around, never stays in one place) Why were some cultures nomadic? (following food source, such as herds) Why is it harder for nomadic cultures to grow in size and complexity? (They are constantly moving) What are characteristics of “civilization”? (cities, growing population, government, technology, institutions, specialized labor, record keeping, etc—5 or 7 elements?) What is the connection between agriculture/maize and civilization? (when able to stay in one place, civilizations have time to form) What are the pros of having a centralized population? (more complex society can grow) What are the cons of having a centralized population? (Europeans could conquer them easier because they were all in one place) It took until the late 1800s to conquer Native Americans in the United States. Why? (most were scattered and decentralized, it’s easier to conquer a city than a countryside)

Centralized Civilization farther North Maize cultivation in present day United States Anasazi Mound Builders and Cahokia Maize cultivation was limited in present day United States Anasazi – built intricate cities in the walls of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico Mound Builders – built Cahokia, a settlement in the Mississippi Valley, east of St. Louis Both civilizations disappeared by the time Europeans arrived, possibly due to drought So, what happens if you don’t have maize? (die out, civilizations were very dependent on it) Why is this important in U.S. History? (it accounts for a major difference between U.S. natives and Mesoamerican natives—in Mesoamerica, the weather was more dependable for maize cultivation, so their civilizations and populations grew much more than U.S. natives, who largely remained nomadic and small in population)

Cultivation of Maize in American Southeast Three sister farming The crops had a symbiotic relationship Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw Pre-Columbian America “Three sister” farming- growing maize, beans, and squash together What is a symbiotic relationship? (each member benefits from the others) Maize was planted first, the bean stalks grew up the corn stalks and provided protection from insects, and the squash provided shade to the ground and helped retain moisture, kept nutrient levels consistent, like rotating crops without rotation) Why isn’t this technique still used? (can’t be harvested mechanically, we can supplement nutrients with chemicals now) What was the result of this technique? (Southeastern U.S. population was densest on the continent, including Cherokee, Creek, and Choctaw) Overall, however, Mesoamerican populations were much larger and more complex

The Old World The Crusades Initial trade problems European exploration The Catholic (the only church in the “West” at that time, no Protestants) Crusades against Muslims exposed Europeans to Asian products (silk, medicines, perfume, spices, etc.) Why was initial trade expensive? (slow land travel through tough conditions and tolls, Muslims had control of many of the land routes) How could it be made cheaper? (water transport, boats carry more) What was the major driver of exploration in Europe? (not just curiosity—it was trade, specifically, finding a cheaper route to use to trade) List possible water routes (west, north through arctic, south around Africa) Which route would be attempted first? Why? (Around Africa, it’s more familiar area and a shorter trip)

What is interesting about this “Old World” map What is interesting about this “Old World” map? (most of Africa missing) Why wasn’t the rest of Africa mapped? (hadn’t been explored by Europeans) What limited exploration southward? (Sahara Desert, rough currents and winds along the coastline) Why was early cartography inaccurate? (Based on accounts, not measurements)

Portuguese Exploration Going around Africa Henry the Navigator and Portugal Caravel African slavery Portuguese Exploration Why was going around Africa initially a difficult option? (rough water and wind currents, Sahara made knowledge of southern Africa limited) Henry the Navigator, a Portuguese prince, established a school for navigation and exploration, and funded much of Portugal’s exploration around the African coast Portugal became the first country to navigate Africa’s rough coastline using new ship technology (caravel) The caravel was a smaller ship that could sail into the wind more than previous ships Portugal used the route around Africa to trade with the “Indies” (Far East) What practice did the Portuguese discover in Africa? (Slavery) Portuguese merchants began trading slaves How were slaves kept in line? (slaves were moved far from home villages, relatives were separated) Where else are these tactics seen in history? (U.S. slave codes)

Spanish Exploration Spain Queen Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon Spain unified Spanish exploration Spain was a collection of nation states, not a single country Queen Isabella and Ferdinand, from different nation states, married and unified Spain What often happens when a country becomes unified? (Germany, U.S.—both started to expand their territory, German Empire and U.S.’ Manifest Destiny) What is the consequence of a unified Spain? (more powerful, better funded, can afford to explore) What is the term for a loose organization of independent nation-states? (confederacy) What is a problem with confederacies? (weaker) What was the problem with the Articles of Confederation? (weak) What is one of the reasons that the Confederacy (south) lost the Civil War? (weak organization) Where would Spain go? (west) Why not south around Africa? (area already “claimed” by Portugal)

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus October 12, 1492- Columbus’ ships spotted land (the Bahamas) Columbus’ Journey Again, why is the term “New World” significant? (literally like finding another planet) Spain’s Queen Isabella decided to finance Italian Christopher Columbus’ attempt to find a western route to the Indies Where did Columbus think he was? (Indies—he called the natives “Indians”) Columbus had grossly underestimated the distance to the Indies, but basically got lucky and found the Americas instead What are the consequences of Columbus discovering the New World? (exploitation of natives, new resources, new trade opportunities, exchange of diseases, exchange of previously separated species) Is Columbus a hero or a villain?

The Meeting of Two Worlds Columbian Exchange- the transfer of goods, crops, diseases, etc. between the “old” and “new” worlds after 1492 The Columbian Exchange Assess the different components of the Columbian exchange. How might certain components impact the future of the New World? (gold and silver will lead to greed-motivated settlement and exploitation of natives, tobacco and cotton will create new demands in Europe, horses will impact how natives migrate/hunt, European disease will decimate native populations, demand for cotton and importation of slaves will create a slavery-dependent economy in the South, etc.) Why would disease in particular be so significant? (natives were not immune like Europeans were) Disease would wipe out up to 90% of native population in the centuries to come If estimates of 54 million inhabitants and 90% mortality are accurate, the Columbian Exchange eventually resulted in the death of nearly 50 million people—compare that to other epidemics and genocides Should Europeans be condemned for these consequences?