The First Americans & European Traditions Chapter 1 Notes
Dec 29, 2015
The First Americans&
European TraditionsChapter 1 Notes
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
2nd THEORY◦ Coastal Route Theory
First people crossed the Arctic waters by boat
3rd THEORY◦ Native Americans
believed in the creation theory
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
The First Americans
Mayas◦ 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
Three Civilizations
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
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
For what purposes were the mounds built?
Burial places and foundations for public buildings
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
Ways of Life
Far North◦ Used kayaks – boats
made from skins
◦ Hunters and gatherers
Northwest◦ Lived in permanent
settlements
◦ Hunters and gatherers
Far West◦ Housing varied
depending on geographic regions
Southwest◦ Farmed and hunted
Native Americans of North America
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
Native Americans of North America, cont.
Southeast◦ Farmers
◦ Built houses on wooden frames
Native Americans of North America, cont.
What challenges did those in the Far North and Southwest face for making a living?
North = too cold for farmingSouth = had to collect and store
rain water for dry times
What of the regions do you think Illinois is in?
Great Plains
Greek and Roman Traditions Roman government and law
gave citizens individual rights defined out to themoFormed a republic and were
able to vote and choose representatives to govern them.
oU.S. founders used this same set up when they began America
Judeo-Christian Tradition European beliefs & values
were shaped by two religions
1. Judaism
2. Christianity Judaism – first major
religion to teach monotheism
◦ Belief in only one god
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.
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.
Old Testament (Judaism)
New Testament (Christianity)
Qur'an(Islam)
Together, what are these three religions called?
The AbrahamicReligions
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.
Catholic Church
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
African Link in Trade Trade network linked
Europe, Africa, & Asia Africa became the most
powerful trading centeroMost powerful was
ZimbabweoSlave trading became
popular
Asia became the technology center of the time◦ Printing with
moveable type
◦ Gun powder
◦ Magnetic compass & navigation methods
East Asian Link in Trade
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
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.
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.