The Growth of Civilization Early Peoples – The Renaissance

Pre-Historic Americas Last Ice Age: Glaciers cover 1/3 of the Earth, as far down as present-day Kentucky. Glaciers lock up water and expose low lands, including a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska. The first bands of hunters track herds of animals across the land bridge and keep moving south over time to Central and South America.

Early Civilizations Farming advanced – cities emerged As people traveled deeper into the Americans, where are they most likely to settle? Civilization: a society that has certain basic features Olmecs: Earliest known civilization in the Americas. Studied the stars and developed a calendar that would predict the seasons and mark the passage of time

Early Civilizations Mayas Aztecs Social Classes - Priests held great power Advances in Learning Predict eclipses 365 Day Calendar System of Numbers that included the Concept of Zero Aztecs Nomads Tenochtitlan Religion - Sun God – thousands of sacrifices each year

Early Civilizations North American Natives People of the Southwest Irrigation to farm the desert Roads to link towns ADOBE HOUSES: Known as Pueblos. Sun dried brick. Mound Builders Originally used for burials Later for Religious Ceremonies

The First Global Age 1400s: Travelers and Trade Goods moved along land and sea routes that connect Africa, The Middle East, and Asia. For the first time, far off parts of the world begin to be linked – i.e. the first Global Age

The Muslim World The growth of trade and conquest is simultaneous with the spread of Islam. Muslim merchants carry the faith to people living along trade routes of Asia and Africa and unites Muslims from many lands. Silk Road: Overland routes that crossed the grasslands, mountains, and deserts of Central Asia and linked China to the Middle East. Prized Chinese silks were carried along them for more than 2,000 years. Travel was dangerous.

The Greek Empire 500 B.C. – Greece enters a Golden Age Socrates, Aristotle – great minds. Reason. Lived in City-States Athens –first created Direct Democracy – form of government in which ordinary citizens have the power to govern. All citizens could attend assembly and make laws for the city. However, only free men whose parents were born in Athens were considered citizens.

The Roman Empire 509 B.C. – Rome overthrows their king and set up a Republic. Republic: a system of government in which citizens choose representatives to govern them. Senate & Assembly Make Laws Everyone is equal before the law/Innocent until proven Guilty Rules about evidence used in court Discuss: Compare Greek and Roman ideas about Government

The Middle Ages 500 – 1400 A.D. Feudalism: system of rule by lords who ruled their lands but owed loyalty and military service to a monarch. Most Powerful Force: The Roman Catholic Church Large amounts of land Source of education (clergy often the only people who could read and write)

The Middle Ages The Crusades 1100 – 1300 Series of wars fought by the Christians to control the Holy Land (Jerusalem and other places where Jesus lived and taught). Muslims had ruled the Holy Land for centuries. After nearly 200 years of fighting (very bloody) the Crusaders failed to win permanent control of the Holy Land However, during the Crusades, trade increased tremendously as the Crusaders came in contact with other civilizations.

The Renaissance Great “burst of learning” which occurred from the late 1300s – the 1600s New discoveries in art, medicine, astronomy, and chemistry Printing Press Johannes Gutenburg (German Printer) – 1430s Large numbers of books could now be printed quickly and at a low cost. More people began to read, spreading learning faster

The Renaissance Search for New Trade Routes European rulers began to increase their power Eager to increase wealth, saw trade as the way to new profits Search for valuable spices Portugal: Early Leader Bartolomeu Dias – 1488 – reaches southern tip of Africa Vasco de Gama – 1497 – rounds the Cape of Good Hope and sails up the coast of East Africa, across the Indian Ocean to India.