1. Exploration and the Colonial Era
Chapter 1 Section 1

2. 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

3. Ancient Agricultural civilizations
Olmecs—1,200 B.C.—Mexico
Mayans—A.D —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 —Western North America

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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…