Chapter 1 & 2: Three Worlds Meet/North American Societies around 1492 Mr. bracero

What will I learn in this lesson? Early settlers of North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean Complex societies within the Americas Olmec, Aztec, Maya, Inca Agriculture Farmers Crops Technological advancements

Early Settlers Arrived as early as 22,000 years ago Crossed a land bridge that connected Siberia with present-day Alaska Came by foot and were hunter gatherers Ice Age ended 12,000-10,000 yrs. ago

Complex Societies in the Americas 3,000 years ago: first American communities are established 1200 BC/BCE: Olmec Southern Mexico Mysteriously collapses in 400 BC/BCE 250-900 AD: Maya Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico

Complex Societies in America 1200s: Aztec Southern Mexico 1200 AD: Inca 2,500 mile long empire on W. South America Each civilization will eventually be impacted by the arrival of the Spaniards and other European conquistadores. Between 1492 (Christopher Columbus to the New World) to 1620 (Pilgrims in New England): 95% of Native Americans are killed Disease Murdered

Primary Source Accounts "One day, in front of Las Casas, the Spanish dismembered, beheaded, or raped 3000 people. 'Such inhumanities and barbarisms were committed in my sight,' he says, 'as no age can parallel....' The Spanish cut off the legs of children who ran from them. They poured people full of boiling soap. They made bets as to who, with one sweep of his sword, could cut a person in half. They loosed dogs that 'devoured an Indian like a hog, at first sight, in less than a moment.' They used nursing infants for dog food.“ "Columbus took the title 'Admiral of the Ocean Sea' and proceeded to unleash a reign of terror unlike anything seen before or since. When he was finished, eight million Arawaks -- virtually the entire native population of Hispaniola -- had been exterminated by torture, murder, forced labor, starvation, disease and despair."

North American Societies around 1492

Land Use/Religious Beliefs Native Americans did not believe in selling/trading land Believe land was a source of life “…we cannot sell the lives of men and animals, therefore we cannot sell this land” – Blackfoot chief in 1800s “white” man does not understand this concept Natural world filled with spirits “Great Spirit,” “Creative Power,” or “the Creator” = supreme being Example: Indians would thank the spirit of the bear for feeding the community or the spirit of the river for providing fish

Essential Questions What issues would a hunt gatherer face crossing the Bering Land Bridge? Explain why Native Americans were more susceptible to diseases and illnesses than Europeans? Do you believe that for mankind to advance in civilization there must be a cleaning of a previous civilization? Why was the concept of selling land odd to the Native Americans? How do you believe the first contact between the Native Americans and Europeans went?

Shortcut From 1492 to 1620, 95% of all Native Americans were killed North America = Southwestern United States On October 12th, 1492 Christopher Columbus spotted land