1520, 150,000 people 5 square miles Diaz del Castillo “Gazing on such we did not know what to say, or whether what appeared before us was real, for on one side, on the land, there great cities, and in the lake ever many more, and the lake was crowded with canoes, and in the causeway were many bridges at intervals, and in front of us stood the great city of Mexico.”

Neil A. Maxwell Center: "to date neither the record itself nor the Lord through his prophets has revealed its New World setting in terms that permit conclusive linkages to modern-day locales."

Connected? Is it World History? Early Civilizations are found in Mesoamerica and the Andes of South America Postclassical-Mayan Civ. And later Mayan-Toltec Civ. C14th Aztec Empire takes power Immigrated from the north and other parts of Mexico Remained powerful through the C15th C14th the Inca Empire takes power

1. Emphasis on corn and potatoes—created large population and impressive cities by the 14 th and 15 th centuries 2. Extensive Trade Networks— 3. Art and Science 4. Territorial expansion along with cultural and economic development

1. Charles Mann recently charged world historians of leaving pre-1492 America out of World History 2. No effective contacts w/the rest of the world, which created vulnerabilities once contact was made 3. Lacked certain technology: horse, metal weapons, the wheel 4. Domesticated animals, such as cows 5. Lack of contact caused disease vulnerability 6. Easily superseded by European and African contact 7. Did anyone contact America before 1492? Why didn’t it help?

1. Divine Rulers: Inca Empire and Ancient Egypt 2. After 1492, American culture was not obliterated 1. Traces of earlier artistic impulses 2. Polytheistic religion 3. Aspects of local village organization and agriculture 3. Limited legacy-most American culture was changed to a point of no recognition or replaced

Fits well into World History patterns 1. Agriculture and Ironworking 1. Great Bantu Migrations, movement westward 2. Development of the African language groups 2. Early Civ. Focused on the Nile region 1. Kush and Aksum, following Ethiopian state 2. Connected to patterns in the Middle East

1. Two centers 1. Swahili belt, Indian Ocean coast, mix of Arab-African 2. Sub-Saharan West Africa (Sudanic)

1. Polytheistic and relationship to nature 2. Divinity of major rulers 3. Extended family relationships, connections with deceased family 4. African identity does exist

1. Islam and Christianity manipulated their long lasting traditions 2. Both major kingdoms (Sudanic and Swahili) highly affected by Islam 3. Outside of Sudanic and Swahili belt Islam had little affect

1. Active contact with World power centers 2. Still maintained a separate sphere of existence 3. Western Europe is comparable 1. Significant kingdom(s) 2. Commercial centers linked to Mediterranean and Middle East 3. Both simulated other economies years later 1. Europe was exploring the world by ship 2. African kingdoms did not exhibit similar outreach Changes Europe and Africa