1. The First Americans & European Traditions
Chapter 1 Notes

2. The First Americans First people came to the Americas from Asia
1st THEORY
Land Bridge Theory
Land bridge that now lies under the Bering Strait
Became exposed when many glaciers covered the earth

3. The First Americans 2nd THEORY 3rd THEORY Coastal Route Theory
First people crossed the Arctic waters by boat
3rd THEORY
Native Americans believed in the creation theory

4. The First Americans Learning to farm
Earliest people were hunters and gatherers
Large animals disappeared
First farming took place in Mexico
Some farmers had a surplus and began trading
Farming communities grew into cities which became centers for government and religious life

5. Three Civilizations Mayas Aztecs Incas First great civilization
Built cities with public plazas, pyramids, temples, ball courts, and palaces
Aztecs
Tenochtatlan- capital of Aztec empire
Religion dominated Aztec life
Prosperity depended on the good will of the gods
Incas
Cuzco- capital city of Inca empire
Built a great network of roads

6. What is Culture? Culture means a way of life
This includes traditions, religion, art, music, celebrations, etc.
The world around us is full of many different cultures that we can all learn from

7. First Cultures of North America
Mound Builders - various groups who constructed large piles of earth
Dickson Mounds
Mississippians - mound builders who built the first cities in North America
Anasazi- built into large cliffs

8. For what purposes were the mounds built?
Burial places and foundations for public buildings

9. Ways of Life Shared beliefs Close relationship to the natural world
Believed spirits dwelled in nature and spirits were part of their daily lives
Traditions reflected these beliefs
Storytellers passed down traditions from one generation to the next

10. Native Americans of North America
Far North
Far West
Used kayaks – boats made from skins
Housing varied depending on geographic regions
Hunters and gatherers
Northwest
Southwest
Lived in permanent settlements
Farmed and hunted

11. Native Americans of North America, cont.
Great Plains
Farmers
Followed buffalo across the plains
Eastern Woodlands
Lived by farming, hunting, gathering, and fishing
2 main groups: Algonquian and Iroquois
Iroquois women had great influence in their society
5 Iroquois nations formed a league called the League of the Iroquois

12. Native Americans of North America, cont.
Southeast
Farmers
Built houses on wooden frames
What challenges did those in the Far North and Southwest face for making a living?
North = too cold for farming
South = had to collect and store
rain water for dry times

13. What of the regions do you think Illinois is in?
Great Plains

15. Greek and Roman Traditions
Roman government and law gave citizens individual rights defined out to them
Formed a republic and were able to vote and choose representatives to govern them.
U.S. founders used this same set up when they began America

16. Judeo-Christian Tradition
European beliefs & values were shaped by two religions
Judaism
Christianity
Judaism – first major religion to teach monotheism
Belief in only one god

17. Judeo-Christian Tradition, cont.
Christianity – started by a Jewish teacher known as Jesus through his life and teachings
Romans viewed Christianity as a political threat but later embraced it and it became the main religion in Europe and the Roman Empire.

18. The Muslim Link in Trade
Islam – started by a man named Muhammad
Followers are called Muslims
Qur’an (Holy Book)
Arab scholars made great advances in astrology and were able to measure the Earth, proving it to be a sphere.

19. Old Testament
(Judaism)
Together, what are these three religions called?
The Abrahamic
Religions
New Testament
(Christianity)
Qur'an
(Islam)

20. Catholic Church
Catholic Church was the power which controlled almost all European governments
No such thing as a separation of Church from State.
Most people were illiterate; Priests would be educated and they told the masses what God and The Bible expected of them.

21. New Horizons Life started to revolve around the Catholic Church
Pope Urban II started Crusades (“holy wars”) to reclaim the “Holy Land” (Jerusalem) from Muslim conquerors.
Each Crusade failed but Europe was exposed to new cultures due to the wars between Christians and Muslims

22. African Link in Trade Trade network linked Europe, Africa, & Asia
Africa became the most powerful trading center
Most powerful was Zimbabwe
Slave trading became popular

23. East Asian Link in Trade
Asia became the technology center of the time
Printing with moveable type
Gun powder
Magnetic compass & navigation methods

24. East Asian Link in Trade, cont.
Most populated country at the time was China
Hangzhou– was the world’s largest city by the 1200’s
Key trade route the Silk Road
Series of great trade routes that stretched 5,000 miles

26. New Beginnings
The Renaissance – “rebirth” of learning – caused a great flood of education and culture into European society
Started becoming interested in exploring the New World for trade, etc.

27. Reformation
Group of Catholics wanted to change the abuses of the Catholic Church…they protested the Pope.
Pope didn’t appreciate it, as you might imagine.
Church split into “Catholics” and “Protestants”…this will seriously impact the settlement of North America by European Powers.