Unit 2 – When Cultures Collide

Mayan ruins

Incan ruins Machu Picchu

Arriving at Jamestown

French furtraders

Christopher Columbus

Migration of people from Central Asia dates back 13 to 16,000 years ago. At that time, the Bering Strait was a land

bridge connecting North America and Asia. It was called Beringia.

From migration, we get the word immigrant. Today, an immigrant is a person who moves from one

country to a new country.

The AztecEmpire

The Aztec Civilization began in the Valley of Mexico.

They settled on an island in Lake Texcoco, in 1325. It took time to

develop, but lasted through the early

1500s.

The Aztec people were able to change a swampy lake into a

great city, which was called Tenochtitlan. This was its capital

city.

When the Spanish arrived to the New World, Moctezuma was the

leader of the Aztecs. He demanded much from his people.

The Incas - People of the Sun!

Peru

Ecuador

Columbia

Bolivia

C

H

I

L

E

South AmericaDescendants of the Incans can be found today along the west coast of South America

in:

Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and

Columbia.

The Incan government was

able to take census and collect taxes

because of the large scale

road system that they built.

Another great achievement of the Incas was a series of canals and pipes known as aqueducts. They would bring water

to dry land.

Pachacuti became

Incan ruler in 1438.

When Europeans heard of Marco Polo’s travels and the riches that he found, many wanted to find a quicker route to the far east. Columbus began the journeys by traveling

west, not realizing that two continents and two oceans would stop him and his crew.

ArabiaSahara Dessert

China

India

Eastern Europe

Pacific Ocean

Marco Polo’s Journey

The Age of Explorers 1492 – 1630This was a time of exploration and discovery. Columbus, Hudson,

Magellan, Balboa and countless other explorers left their homelands in Europe to find shorter trade routes, at first. There is evidence that Leif

Erikson and other Vikings reached North America around 1000 A.D.

Henry Hudson sailing up the Hudson River, of all places

Balboa reaches the calm Pacific shores

Christopher Columbus

Although others made it to the Western Hemisphere first,

Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. He traveled across the Atlantic, hoping to find

a shorter route to East Indies and Asia.

When Cortes arrived in Mexico, he found many of the local tribes

were willing to assist him overtake Moctezuma.

By 1521, the Aztecs were defeated by

Cortes

Conquistadors would search the New World for riches and claim the land for

Spain.

Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador who sailed to

South America, in 1531.

By 1535, Pizarro had conquered most of the Incan empire, which

included the capitol of Cuzco.

It only took 15 years for the Spanish to defeat 2 powerful

empires in America. The Spanish had more powerful weapons, and they brought disease to America, which the Native Americans had

never experienced.

Although the Spanish had fewer men than the Aztec, they had horses and

superior weapons. They brought disease to America, which the Native

Americans had never experienced.

Within the first 50 years of Spanish colonization, the Native American

population went from approximately 25,000,000 to 3,000,000.

Within the first 50 years after the Spanish arrived, the Native

American population went from approximately 25,000,000

to 3,000,000..

.

Any ideas why this happened?

What do you think it lead to?

If you said the reasons for decline in population of Native Americans were:

Malnutrition, overwork or European diseases, you would be right!

And without the Native Americans to work the mines, and haciendas, as slaves, the Spanish began to bring

African slaves to the new world.

The triangular trade route is now complete. It starts in Europe, with trade items like guns, ammunition, cloth and salt. The ships traveled to Africa exchanging their goods

for slaves. On to the West Indies to exchange for the final load, rum and sugar. The ships then returned to

Europe.

The world got a little closer and shared its wealth as a result of the age of exploration. It was known as the Columbian Exchange. Up to that time, Europe

was without tomato, corn (maize) and cacao bean (the source of chocolate). The new world got grapes, bananas and horses to name just a few.

Canada Europe

America

Caribbean Africa Islands South America

The Spanish were not alone in the exploration of the New World. Holland,

France and England joined the exploration.

English settlers came to America for a variety of reasons – mostly to escape problems they faced in England, and to

start a new life!

Religious Freedom

Political Oppression

Indentured Servant

Escape Poverty

The first permanent English settlement was Jamestown, Virginia.

French settlers were interested in

fur trade.

As a result of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, Great

Britain gained complete control over

Canada.