1. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction Early European observers misunderstood the New World and the people living there –Political & cultural agendas often led them to a biased perception

2. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction Native people expressed their histories and views of the world in writings and record books that they composed themselves

3. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction Once colonists established themselves in the Americas, the documentary evidence grew in volume and complexity This book examines indigenous societies throughout the Americas

4. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction It contrasts native societies in both American continents in the period just before the arrival of Europeans It also explores some history of the more distant past

5. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Coming of Humans to the Americas & the Agricultural Revolution Humans first came to the Americas at least 15,000 years ago –Possibly as early as 20,000 years ago –Hunter-gatherers New languages and ethnic identities developed

6. Coming of Humans to the Americas & the Agricultural Revolution The American peoples lost contact with, & eventually knowledge of, the Old World Around 8,000 years ago America’s agricultural revolution began –These societies had no durable metal tools Crops, animals, and cultural attainments spread slowly across the Americas © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Coming of Humans to the Americas & the Agricultural Revolution Maize cultivation developed independently in several widely separated regions The Aztecs and Incas seemed unaware of each other Metallurgy © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. Sedentary Imperial Societies Emerged in both Mesoamerica and the Andean zone about 3,500 years ago The agricultural societies of Mexico began to organize themselves into states –At least 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans

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10. Sedentary Imperial Societies Organized states apparently emerged centuries later in the Andean region Mound builder cultures had proliferated throughout the greater Mississippi River basin and in the Southeast 800-1500 Sedentary societies were organized into ethnic states or kingdoms © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

11. Sedentary Imperial Societies Put more land under cultivation and improved crop yields Monumental architecture Teotihuacan Urban orientation Complex religious systems © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

13. Sedentary Imperial Societies The population of the largest cities in the Americas far exceeded those in Spain and probably all cities in Europe except for London, Paris, and Rome Calendars Practiced limited forms of human sacrifice © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

15. Empires and Warfare Rival ethnic states habitually launched military campaigns against each other –To impose political control and to demand labor service The Aztec and Inca empires could amass enormous armies Traditions of warfare

16. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Semisedentary Societies Semisedentary peoples inhabited virtually: –The entire region south of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River –East of the Mississippi River –Large islands of the Caribbean, Central America, south of Mesoamerica –Northern half of South America east of the Andes

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18. Semisedentary Societies Tremendous variation in subsistence patterns Depended almost exclusively on swidden agriculture Some semisedentary groups made permanent improvements to the land © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

20. Semisedentary Societies Distinct male and female roles Developed a great variety of social and cultural practices Some semisedentary peoples practiced cannibalism © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

22. The Primacy of Community and Lineage The importance of the village for semisedentary peoples Maya civilization –Writing, sophisticated mathematics, and astronomical knowledge –Construction of substantial, beautiful cities & ceremonial centers

23. The Primacy of Community and Lineage Most areas reverted to subsistence- oriented, swidden agriculture –And ceased to calculate their calendars and write their histories Communities of semisedentary peoples tended to be led by chiefs Captives © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

24. Nonsedentary Hunters and Gatherers Hunters and gatherers inhabited lands unsuitable for any kind of cultivation In North America: dominated the Arctic region & area west of the Mississippi River The resource base of hunter-gatherers differed enormously

25. Nonsedentary Hunters and Gatherers Hunter-gatherers had low population densities The nonsedentary peoples had no craft or social differentiation Formidable opponents against each other Hardly isolated © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

26. The Native Population of the Americas on the Eve of Contact Before Western Hemisphere contact with Europeans, the population probably totaled approximately 60 million persons Maize was the primary grain cultivated in very substantial parts of both continents

27. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Conclusion Before the arrival of Europeans, the Americas constituted an ancient land Peoples characterized by agricultural achievements & environmental settings The Americas had no reason to be cowed by the arrival of explorers and settlers