HIST 2055 Chapter : America A Narrative History
America: A Narrative History
Chapter 1: Collision of Cultures
Pre-Columbian Civilizations
• Mayas- 300-900 AD known for superior math, astronomy and calendar.
Succumbed to Toltecs
• Toltecs- warlike people who conquered most of Mesoamerica (Mexico and
central America) in 10th century, vanished in 1200
• Aztecs- (from Aztlan) ruled most of central and Southern Mexico. Gold, silver,
copper rich. Tenochtitlan 1325. Population of 5 million before fall to Spanish.
Brutal execution rituals
• Chichibas- similar to Aztecs but smaller, located in Columbia
• Incas- (or Quechuas) Population of 12 million, sophisticated society,
encompassed most of South America.
• Pacific Northwest North America- whalers, hunters, little farming, skilled
woodworkers
• Ohio River Valley- Adena-Hopewell people had structured class systems, vast
trade networks, hunter gatherers, burial mounds
• Mississippi River Valley- Cahokia was a massive city located across the river
from St. Louis 1050-1250. Disappeared after 1400. Good farmers, effective
government and large shrines
• Southwest- Hohokam people lived in pueblos disappeared 1400
• Four Corners- Anasazi (Enemy’s Ancestors) most widespread and known culture
of southwest. Lacked a rigid class structure, disappeared 1200
Indians In 1500
• Eastern Woodlands People:
• Lived on rivers
• Alogonquian-New England Seaboard to Great Lakes and upper-midwest
and south to New Jersey Virginia and the Carolinas. Skilled fisherman and
hunters. Dugouts (canoe) wigwam (hut)
• Iroquois- Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Carolinas and Georgia.
Excellent farmers, Matriarchs, permanent walled villages
• Great Plains Indians- nomadic bison hunters
• Pacific Northwest- fisherman, whalers and sealers.
The Expansion of Europe
• The invention of new ships and sailing equipment, as well as better navigation
techniques and weapons lead to exploration; driven by the growth of modern
trade, commercial towns, modern corporations and the death of fudelism.
• Chris Columbus- Italian born scumbag set sail August 1492 and landed on San
Salvador on October 12. Left a colony on hispanola who raped the women and
eventually got killed. Made 4 trips to New World in total. He died thinking he
found Asia
• Amerigo Vespucci- namesake of the two continents because he was the
mapmaker to figure out it wasn’t Asia. 1499
• Treaty of Tordesillas- (1494) drew a line of demarcation for Portuguese and
Spanish at the Cape Verde Islands.
Biological Exchange
• Europeans received for first time- maize, potatoes, kidney beans and other beans,
peanuts, squash, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, pineapples, avocados, cacao,
chicle. Animals discovered- iguanas, bison, cougar, armadillo, turkey
• Indians Got- rice, wheat, barley, oats, wine, grapes, melons, coffee, olives,
bananas. Animals- Horses, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, chicken. Diseases- Smallpox,
typhus, bubonic plague, malaria, yellow fever.
The Spanish Empire
• Set up first in Santo Domingo which became capital for west Indes, then Puerto
Rico (1508), Cuba (1511-14)
• Set out for GGG- God, Glory, and Gold
• Treated the Indians very harshly, disease ripped them up
• Hernan Cortes- 1519 Him and 600 men set out to defeat Aztecs. He burns all but
one of their ships so they have no option of retreat. Some natives viewed him as a
God. Viewed Indians as savages for execution rituals.
• Conquistadors- Cortes’s soldier-adventures. Had distinct weaponry advantages,
Indians scared shitless of horses. Marched 200 miles through mountains
• Tenochtitlan- Aztec capital, one of the most thriving cities in the world.
Population of 200,000.
• City was taken at first peacefully because of the view of Cortes as a God; People
rebel and kill Montezuma II and Cortes has to siege city for 85 days, cutting of
food and sending in disease. Captured by 1521. Vanquished proud nation of 1
million people.
• Francisco Pizzaro- 1531 brutally subdued Incas; Spanish in control by 1538;
complete control of area by 1553.
• Spanish America worked with a system of Encomienda who were favored
officers who became privileged land owners. Required Indians to provide goods
and services. Extreme income inequality.
• By mid 1500s Indian population in area almost extinct. Population of 50 million
reduced to 4 million. Causes Spanish in 1503 to start importing African slaves.
• Encomienda gave way to Hacienda (great farm) as land ownership becomes a
more important source of wealth.
• Spain has incredible advantage over European nations with a lack of internal
disputes and extreme amounts of incoming colonial gold giving them supremacy
in Europe.
• Juan Ponce de Leon- made first exploration of Florida in 1513 looking for
fountain of youth.
• Hernando de Soto- 1539- raided up to North Carolina, west to Arkansas, died in
Natchez, Mississippi
• Francisco Vasquez de Coronado- 1540- looking for gold explored New Mexico,
Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas
• St Augustine 1565- set up as a response to a French settlement in South Carolina
• Juan De Onate- 1598 him and a group of mestizos (Indian and Spanish mix) set
up Santa Fe. Ruthless rule, massacred Indians for revolt. By 1630 3000 Spaniards
in Santa Fe.
• Pope’s Rebellion- 1680, captured Santa Fe and put Horses in Indian hands for
first time, biggest victory for Indians in history. Took 14 years for Spanish to
recapture.
• Rebellion ultimately failed put quickly brought about horse trading for Indians
across the continent
The Protestant Reformation
• Martin Luther- 1517 posted Ninety-five Theses in protest of Catholic Church.
• Spread rapidly throughout Europe, especially Germany and England.
Challenges to Spanish Empire
• French Privateers
• Giovanni da Verrazano 1524 set out as a French Explorer landed in North
Carolina, made it to Maine.
• Jacques Cartier- set out to establish French Colonies, stayed in Montreal and
Quebec, but French government lost interest.
• Spanish Armada defeated by faster British Navy in 1588
• Dutch independence 1567, not recognized by Spanish until 1648.
• Humphrey Gilbert- set out to establish British colony in 1583, landed in wrong
place (newfoundland) and went home to never be seen again.
• Walter Raleigh- Gilbert’s half brother, establishes Roanoke, Virginia (Virgin
Queen) in 1587. When he returns in 1590 colony had vanished.
• When queen Elizabeth dies in 1603 there wasn’t a single English colonist in
North America.
Document Summary
Pre-columbian civilizations: mayas- 300-900 ad known for superior math, astronomy and calendar. Succumbed to toltecs: toltecs- warlike people who conquered most of mesoamerica (mexico and central america) in 10th century, vanished in 1200, aztecs- (from aztlan) ruled most of central and southern mexico. Population of 5 million before fall to spanish. Brutal execution rituals: chichibas- similar to aztecs but smaller, located in columbia. Good farmers, effective government and large shrines: southwest- hohokam people lived in pueblos disappeared 1400, four corners- anasazi (enemy"s ancestors) most widespread and known culture of southwest. Indians in 1500: eastern woodlands people, lived on rivers, alogonquian-new england seaboard to great lakes and upper-midwest and south to new jersey virginia and the carolinas. Iroquois- upstate new york, pennsylvania, carolinas and georgia. Excellent farmers, matriarchs, permanent walled villages: great plains indians- nomadic bison hunters, pacific northwest- fisherman, whalers and sealers. Left a colony on hispanola who raped the women and eventually got killed.
