THE
AMERICAS
Ian Chi, Lihui Guo, Alex Libman, Yihua Wu,
Jefferey Yan, Sisi Zimmerman
Beginning to 600BCE
Beginning to 600BCE
- From 18000BCE to 14000BCE people from the Eastern Hemisphere traveled
over the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska to North America
- These people began small civilizations that adapted to the environment
around them and by 1000BCE people began to exert their political and
cultural powers over territory
- As people migrated to Latin America, they were very successful in living off
the land
- They were able to exploit animals and plants for food, and the earth for
minerals and resources.
- By 3500BCE, the Mesoamericans had survived off a strong plant diversity and
fishing. They had domesticated corn, beans, squash and manioc (calorie
rich crop).
- As a result, there were large surpluses of food and trade and cultural
exchanges began within the small communities.
Olmecs (1200BCE-400BCE)
- The Olmecs were founded around 1200BCE between what is today Mexico
and South America
- There were 3 capital cities during the existance of the Olmecs.They were San
Lorenzo (1200BCE to 900BCE), La Venta (900BCE to ~700BCE) and Tres
Zapotes (~700BCE to 600BCE)
- Each city was specialized in a product. These consisted of salts, cacao, clay,
and limestone.
- Large mounds of dirt in the cities provided an urban center for the Olmecs.
These were used mainly for ritual activities and artisans would decorate
them with carvings and sculptures. They were found in all the cities, and
were relatively easy to build because of the low-skill requirement. Some
mounds may also have been used to house the elite, raising them above
the poor.
- Eventually, every city was deserted with its monuments defaced. Some
archaeologists suggest it was a ritual associated with the change of rulers,
others say they were driven out by attacks from other cultures.
Religion, Social structure and
culture
- The social hierarchy consisted of the elite rulers at the top, shamans just under, and the
large commoner class. The rise of urban centers seemed to coincide with the
entrance of a new ruler. The elite would often live in dwellings heavily decorated and
adorned themselves with finely crafted objects and fancy clothing. The commoners
would live in small houses made of sticks and mud. Collective labor among the
commoners greatly increased food production.
- Religion played a major role in Olmec society. They were polytheistic and many of the
gods were part animal, part human. A similarity between most of the gods was the
ability to change into an animal (jaguar, snake, shark). The elites often held large
ceremonious rituals. There was often human sacrifice to achieve contact with the
gods. Shamans were also often used to achieve direct contact with the gods. They
would watch stars and make predictions, creating calendars and even writing
(undeciphered). These would go on to influence other cultures, especially the
Mayans.
- The culture of the Olmecs was an influence over a large area of the Americas. There
were many small jade and stone carvings found. However, the largest cultural
footprint was in the huge heads carved from stone. Sixteen heads have been found
and judging from their unique details, were probably sculptures of their leaders.
These heads were often found around urban centers, reinforcing the idea of them
being memorials.
Chavin (900BCE-250BCE)
- The Chavin was based off the site of Caral, which was a large area in
2600BCE. It was the basis for many other civiliaztions with its ceremonial
plazas, irrigation, pyramids and large platforms. There was also very large
agricultural areas that produced large amounts of crops.
- The capital city, Chavin de Huantar, was located at the crossroads of trade in
the densely populated region of Peru and the Andean foothills. This allowed
the city to prosper and get ahead of other settlers.
- Chavin was the centerpiece between the sea and land, which allowed it to link
economies between the sea and producers of grains, corn, potatoes, coca,
fruits and even llamas.
- Llamas were bred in Peru and were the only beasts of burden domesticated in
the Americas. They were used for labor and provided meat and wool. These
were key to the development of Chavin.
- The technology in Chavin was a major advancements. Metallurgy, or the
usage of metals in technology. Golden ornaments and breastplates have
been found, proving the ability of the Chavin to refine these metals.
Culture, Religion and Social
structure
- In Chavin society, the social hierarchy consisted of the rich elite upper class
and the commoners, similar to the Olmecs. Also similar to the Olmecs, the
religious leader was high up as the priest. However, most people treated
each other very nicely and considered each other as brothers and sisters
obligated to help the community. The elite were divided from the
commoners mainly through their clothing and adornments - the rich often
wore golden ornaments, breastplates, crowns and jewelry. The elite lived on
mounds, similar to Olmec, in houses made of cut stone or adobe (brick
made of clay and straw). The poor would live in similar dwellings, albeit
smaller.
-In terms of religion the Chavins were similar to the Olmecs in that both
believed in the idea of animals and humans joined together. Specifically in
Chavin religion, the idea of the jaguar-man was very important and provided
a strong image of their religion
-For culture, the Chavins, like the Olmecs, were well known for their finely
crafted ornaments. The Chavins also developed culture in the form of
pottery styles and religious motifs, such as the jaguar-man, that were
present throughout South America. They were also known for their
600 B.C.E. to 600 C.E.
New Civilizations Rise
By 400 B.C.E., the Olmecs had faded, but their
legacy remained.
New societies developing in the Americas built
on their achievements to make even greater
advancements.
These civilizations used agricultural innovations
that were used prior, and were still very
religious.
However, the population had divided into
classes and dominated by hereditary elites
that controlled the peasantry.
Teotihuacan (100 C.E. - 750 C.E.)
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Located near present-day Mexico City, it was one of the largest and
most important cities at its height around 450 C.E.
It was governed by an oligarchy who grew wealthier and more
powerful as the society developed.
The people worshipped a large number of gods and spirits. The city
was filled with architecture devoted to the gods. They also practiced
human sacrifice, which was viewed as a sacred task and essential for
the society's welfare.
The population was largely agricultural. They had an elaborate
irrigation system and carved terraces into hillsides. Chinampas were
commonly used, which were artificial islands in marshes that
permitted year-round agriculture. These played a crucial role in
sustaining the population.
Art was also manufactured, such as pottery and trade was very
common between themselves with other Mesoamerican civilizations.
Relative peace was enjoyed and a military force existed to protect
trade, but they were not an imperial state.
Maya (250 C.E. - 900 C.E.)
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The Maya emerged in present-day Guatemala and spread to nearby
areas.
It was never a unified state, instead consisting of about forty citystates each with its own monarchy.
The population was large, which required more intensive farming.
They drained swamps and built elevated fields to help increase their
yield. They also used irrigation and terraced farming to their benefit
depending on the seasons.
Architecture also flourished as they built impressive temples and
pyramids to honor their gods. The elite rulers were often linked to
these gods.
The military didn't particularly fight for territory, but instead, fought to
take captives that were often sacrificed or were forced to labor.
Society was patriarchal, but women of higher classes did play
important roles, such as assisting in important public rituals or
ceremonies. Women, in general, were essential to the household,
Moche (200 - 700 C.E.)
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The civilization developed by the Andes Mountains in South America,
which was a mountainous zone with high altitudes and hot climates.
Ayllu developed, which were clans that owned land communally. The
members of each were obligated to help each other, which provided
a model for labor organization. Mit'a was a labor system that worked
on public development projects.
As well as the other civilizations, the Moche had a massive irrigation
system, consisting of a complex network of canals and aqueducts.
They cultivated a large variety of crops. They also kept alpacas and
llamas for transportation, textiles, and meat.
Their society was highly stratified, but not particularly politically
unified. Priests and military leaders held all the power.
Both men and women were involved in everyday tasks, though men
generally hunted, while women worked with textiles and agriculture.
There were also many skilled artisans and they produced highquality textiles and ceramics, with ornate decorations.
The Americas(600CE - 1450CE)
Decline of the Maya
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The "Golden Age" of the Maya was from around 500 to 850 CE. Around
this time, Mayan civilization produced many great achievements. At the
heart of all of this was a tremendous city called Tikal, which may have had
as many as 100,000 people.
The Maya developed a complex calendar, which was the most accurate for
its time. This was based on a number system that included zero.
The Maya also had many large-scale building projects, which were built by
slaves acquired through battle or by people of the large peasant
population.
To this day, no one is really sure what happened to the Maya. Historians
argue that it could have been disease or drought or internal warfare.
Whatever the case was, in the ninth century CE, the Maya started to
desert their cities.
The Aztecs
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The Aztecs, appearing around the mid-1200s, controlled territory in
present-day Mexico. Their capital was at Tenochtitlan.
In their social structure, warriors were elite. This was due to their policy of
vast expansion. At their height, the Aztec Empire was of some 12 million
people. Yet, the Aztec Empire did not have a bureaucratic form of
government. Much like the classical Roman Empire, the Aztecs mostly
allowed conquered peoples to govern themselves as long as they paid the
taxes.
Women, although having a subordinate role, were important in Aztec
society. They, like most women from other early civilizations, primarily had
household duties, as well as involving themselves in skilled crafts, such as
weaving. However, unlike a lot of women from other early civilizations,
some were even involved in commerce. Also, they could inehrit property.
The Inca
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The Inca appeared around 1300 CE, and established their capital in
Cuzco. At its height, they are believed to have controlled over 2,000 miles
of the Western coast of South America.
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Women in Inca society were very much like women in Aztec society. They
were expected to do housework, weave cloth, and help in the fields. Also,
like Aztec women, they could inherit property.
In the Inca Empire, there was a well-established bureaucracy. At the top of
this was a king-like figure, who was believed to have been descended
directly from the sun god, and thus was given high respect. Then, there
was nobility, who were controlling the bureaucracy. Warriors were also
very important, as the Inca were also an expansionist society, which meant
a professional military was needed for conquering others.
The inca never had a system of writing, but they did use quipu, a set of
knotted strings, in order to record census data and keep an account of
harvests.
Religion
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Despite not having contact with each other, each of these civilizations
had similar aspects within their religion. One important similarity was
that they worshipped a sun god. Of course, this sun god wasn't the
same one throughout the civilizations, but these civilizations each had
a sun god. Most known for this were the Incas, who believed that their
leader was a descendant of the sun god, and believed that the sun god
was the most powerful, despite being polytheistic.
Another huge similarity was the use of human sacrifices. The most
known for this, however, were the Aztecs. Their military captured many
human sacrifices from conquered neighbors. Tens of thousands of
people were killed each year. Although on lower scales, the Maya and
Incas also practiced human sacrifice. Incas usually preferred to instead
sacrifice material goods or animals rather than animals.
Specific to only the Incas, rulers were mummified, much like Egyptian
rulers.
Interaction with the Environment
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It was the surplus of agricultural crops that made these cities possible in
the first place. The Maya, for example, created terraces to trap silt from the
rivers in order to grow food.
Aside from architecture, the Inca and Aztecs also built extensive road
systems in order to manage their huge empires. Because the Maya was
not such a big empire and did not expand nearly as much, they did not
build road systems. Also, these road systems facilitated trade throughout
the empires.
European Conquest - 1450-1750
• At the beginning of this period the
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Europeans were beginning their
age of exploration
1492 - Columbus discovers
America causing the Spanish and
Portuguese to draw the line of
Demarcation giving Spain control
of the Americas excluding Brazil,
while the Portuguese got Asia
The Spanish start to colonize the
Americas
o 1521- Cortez conquered the
Aztec Empire
o 1533 - Pizarro conquered the
Incan Empire
By the latter 1500's much of the
rest of Europe began exploring as
Religion - 1450-1750
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As part of the Counter Reformation in Europe Jesuits
were being sent around the world and to the Americas.
Jesuits tried to convert natives to Catholicism
Catholicism ended up mixing with native religions which
the Church frowned upon
Attempts at conversion increased intellectual life and
built schools which are still around today
The Church gained great power and wealth in Latin
America
Religion also played a role because the first English
settlements were by Puritans trying to escape religious
persecution
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Trade - 1450-1750
Columbian exchange
o exchange of goods from the Americas to the AfroEurasian continent and vise versa. This included
animals, plants, and diseases which killed off much of
the native populations in the Americas
Triangular Trade
o European manufactured goods went to Africa and were
traded for slaves and other goods. Slaves would go on
across the middle passage to the Americas and be
forced into labor of raw materials which were brought
back to Europe
Slave labor was used heavily, both natives and slaves
transported from Africa. Indentured servants were also
common
Spanish and Portuguese Settlements 14501750
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Success of the Spanish conquistadores in conquering
the Americas came from their use of horses and
gunpowder, and the spread of disease, especially
smallpox and measles, which natives had no immunities
to
The Spanish and portuguese would plant one or two
crops in an area which later became bad for the native
economies when they gained freedom, and involved
extensive labor, and harmed the environment
Strict social hierarchy was put in place by the Spanish
based on race which included the new mixed races of
Spanish and natives
Spanish encomienda - declared Native people as
slaves to the Spanish
English and French Settlements 1450-1750
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English
o The English looked to set up permanent settlements
in their colonies developing strong governments
which others originally weren't interested in
o At the end of this period tensions were rising in the
English colonies towards the American Revolution
The French got along better with the natives than most,
by adapting to their customs and trading with them.
The French and English often fought with the English
usually being the victors
For Russia and French Canada the main trade
commodity was furs rather than agriculture of mining
The Americas (1750 - 1900)
Maps
The Americas (1750 - 1900)
Interaction with the Environment
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In North America, forests are viewed as a hindrance to
development, and unlike in Europe, mass amounts of
trees are cut down. Cotton cultivation proves to be
harmful in the South.
Latin America remained for the most part very
agriculturally driven; industrialization was slow.
After the end of the slave trade, large amounts of
people mostly from Europe and Asia began migrating to
both the U.S. and Latin America. Large population
growth is seen.
New technologies from the Industrial Revolution
increase output from the land. New plants and animals
arrive in the Americas.
The Americas (1750 - 1900)
Culture and Interaction
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Ideas of freedom and nationalism spread between the
peoples of Latin America rapidly.
Most of the Americas remain catholic, with the Catholic
Church being the strongest in Latin America.
Immigrants cause anti-immigrant and racial conflict in
some places, one example being the chinese in the
U.S. where they had the Chinese Exclusion Act passed
against them.
The Americas (1750 - 1900)
State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict
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The Americas still are under European rule by 1750. The Spanish control
most of Latin America, while the British and French control upper North
America.
The Revolutionary War begins in 1775, and the U.S.A. is independent by
1776.
Haiti becomes the first Latin American nation to get independence in
1804.
With the rise of democratic ideals, many new independency movements
sprout up in Latin America. Some, such as in Venezuela and Mexico,
encompass violent conflict.
The U.S. expands their focus westwards and fends off Native Americans.
The U.S. also wins the Mexican-American War, annexing the
northernmost provinces of Mexico such as Arizona and California.
Some Southern American states also expand by conflict, such as Peru.
American Civil War happens from 1861 to 1865.
The Americas (1750 - 1900)
Economic Systems
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Newly formed nations finally gain the control of their
own resources.
North America advances much more industrially than
Latin America.
Railroads are built sporadically however in a few nonindustrialized nations, improving the economy of nations
such as Argentina where the cattle was too far from
cities.
Latin America bases their economy on agriculture while
importing manufactured goods from Europe.
New technologies such as the cotton gin allow for much
greater production.
The Americas (1750 - 1900)
Social Structures
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Slavery was dissolved in Latin America because of
democratic ideals. In the U.S., slavery was abolished
completely after the end of the. Racial tension remained
however.
The rise of an industrial class, similar to Europe, was
seen in the North.
Womens' rights were quite lacking in the Americas other
than the U.S. in the early period.
Some Latin American nations grant women the right to
an education by the 1870's. Women also start to work
outside the home in industrial jobs.
The Americas (1900 - Present)
The Americas (1900 - Present)
Human Interaction with Environment
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Economic botany and agricultural science were applied to promising
plants such as cocoa and coffee in Brazil.
With US support, in 1915 the Panama Canal is opened.
Mines and refineries in the early 1900s caused craters in the ground
and toxic runoff that polluted nearby water sources.
All over Latin America grasslands were transformed into farming
lands.
Wars (WWII for example) scarred landscape with ammunition and
damaged equipment.
Loss of Brazilian Forest due to population growth and economic
development. Deforestation and farming and grazing on marginal
land because of food necessity. Erosion and water pollution were a
result.
Global warming caused by many factors such as carbon dioxide,
fumes, emissions from machines.
The Americas (1900 - Present)
Development/Interaction of Cultures
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Ideas that the wealthy rule the country is predominant in most Latin
American countries.
Latin American countries and the US interact in a number of ways
(economically and politically).
The religion of Christianity has been dominant in the Americas for the past
century.
People in the Americas understand the ideas of liberty and freedom.
The Americas (1900 - Present)
State-Building, Expansion, Conflict
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The US and Latin America had heavy ties economically and politically.
o For most of the 1900s, US companies dominated the Latin American
economy.
o The US, during the Cold War, aided governments that were against
communism
Platt Amendment: allowed US to occupy Cuba from 1906-1909, 1912,
1917-1922. They also occupied the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and
Honduras.
Latin American countries were economically dominated by the US but still
managed to lavish in luxury; Argentina and Brazil built palaces for ex.
The US was involved in WWI, WWII, Vietnam War, Korean War to name a
few.
In Latin America there were revolutions, repressions and democratic
reform; the Dirty Wars, Somozoas vs. Sandinistas vs. Contras, distribution
of wealth.
The Americas (1900 - Present)
Economic Systems
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The idea of free-trade imperialism was dominant in Latin American
countries in the early 1900s
From both World Wars, the US flourishes.
The Great Depression: October 24 1929 the New York stock market
crashed. Stocks became worth have their original value, people rushed to
withdraw money from their bank accounts (causing banks to collapse).
Unemployment and homelessness increased in both the US and in Latin
America.
Smoot-Hawley tariff was imposed to protect American industries.
In Latin America, much of wealth was controlled by 1% of the population in
most countries.
Many revolutions in Latin America to get rid of the corrupt wealthy and
achieve economic freedom. They tried to get rid of American influence.
Economic alliances such as NAFTA and MERCOSUR start to form.
Financial crisis in 2008 setback things in the US; debt increases,
unemployment increases, collapse of housing market, unnecessary risky
lending techniques by big firms.
The Americas (1900 - Present)
Social Structures
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In the US there were traditional values in which women and those of racial
minorities couldn't get jobs that white men could because of their inferiority.
In WWII, traditional ideas were weakened when women and those of racial
minorities were recruited to work in jobs once held by white men.
In most Latin American countries 1% of population controls 85% of the
country's land.
There is a sharp divide between the wealthy and the poor.
Later via revolutions and coups, land is distributed more fairly.
o Cuba: Fidel Castro's gov't redistributes land, lowers rent, raises
wages.
In present time, much of the wealth is still in the hand's of the wealthy.
There are many poverty stricken areas in both the US and in Latin
America.
Bibliography
• Bulliet, Richard W., Pamela Crossley, Daniel R. Headrick, Steven Hirsch,
Lyman Johnson, and David Northrup. The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global
History. Fifth Edition ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2010. Print.
• "AP World History Course Description."Collegeboard. N.p., n.d. Web. 11
May 2013.
<apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/AP_WorldHistoryCED_
Effective_Fall_2011.pdf>.
• Armstrong, Monty, David Daniel, and Abby Kanarek. Cracking the AP
World History Exam. 2013 ed. New York: Random House, 2012. Print.
• McCannon, John. Barron's AP World History. 5th ed. Hauppauge, NY:
Barron's, 2010. Print.