Exploration and the Colonial Era Chapter 1 Section 1

Ancient Cultures in the Americas Ice age allows land bridge to form between Asia and Alaska so people cross into Americas As climate warms, large game disappear, people hunt smaller animals and gather nuts and berries Between 10,000-5,000 years ago, agriculture develops in central Mexico Farming spreads throughout Americas Ancient Cultures in the Americas

Ancient Agricultural civilizations Olmecs—1,200 B.C.—Mexico Mayans—A.D. 250-900—Guatamala/Yucatan peninsula Aztec—A.D. 1200—Valley of Mexico—what is today, Mexico City Incas—A.D. 1400—Western mountain coast of South America Hohokam and Anasazi—A.D. 300-1400—Western North America

Native American Societies of the 1400’s Group Region Goods traded Algonquin Eastern Woodlands Colored feathers, copper Apaches Plains Meat, hides, salt Navajo Southwest Pottery, blankets, crops Kwakiuti Northwest Coast Fish oil Ute Great Basin Hides, buffalo robes Choctaw Southeast Deerskins, bear oil

West African societies of the 1400’s 3 Powerful Kingdoms grew rich by taxing goods that passed through territories Songhai: controlled the trade across the Sahara Benin: controlled forest region around the Niger Delta Kongo: controlled along the lower Congo (Zaire) River City of Timbuktu was hub of a well-established trading network between West Africa and ports of North Africa along Mediterranean Sea

Traders from North Africa also brought Islam to West African cultures The Portuguese opened West Africa to direct trade with Europe in 1440’s **enslaved mainland Africans to work sugarcane plantations on two islands off coast **began European trade of enslaved West Africans

European societies of the 1400’s Social Hierarchy of society Monarchs Aristocracy Clergy Artisan/Merchants Agricultural Labor/Peasants Main religion: Christianity *Leader is the Pope *1096-Crusades-military expeditions to rid the Holy Lands of Islam ~failed ~did open trade routes between Europe and Asia ~weakened nobles

1450-John Gutenberg invents the printing press 1400’s—Renaissance-rebirth of interest in physical world -applied to arts, writings, paintings 1450-John Gutenberg invents the printing press Publishes works of explorers, writers, new ideas 1500’s—Reformation *Pope’s authority being challenged due to corruption within the Catholic Church. *Martin Luther posts 95 Theses *Henry VIII breaks away/starts Church of England *Splits Church into Catholics and Protestants

Sailing Technolgy improves Compass and Astrolabe Explorers: Henry the Navigator adds experienced mariners, geographers, cartographers, navigators to crew Bartolameu Dias sails around the tip of Africa Vasco de Cama reaches India 10 years later Christopher Columbus thinks there has to be an easier and faster way…