Meeting of Different Cultures

A Meeting of Different Cultures

Essential Question

  • How did the political, economic, and religious systems of Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans compare, and how did things change due to contacts among them?

The Native Americans

The Empires

  • American Empires

    • Maya

    • Aztecs

    • Inca

    • Characteristics: Highly sophisticated organized political, religious, and military structures.

    • Human Sacrifice: Practices involved to appease gods.

    • Control Over Trade: Empires regulated trade and tribute from surrounding areas.

    • Cultural Artifacts: Evidence from a mural depicting Mayan life and Aztec ceremonies.

    • Incan Daily Life: Structures and systems organized around agriculture and societal needs.

The Tribes of North America

Arctic Region

  • Inuit

    • Lifestyle included hunting and fishing.

    • Small village living arrangements.

Pacific Northwest

  • Characteristics:

    • Established permanent villages.

    • Dependent on salmon for sustenance.

    • Variance in tribal scope and subsistence methods.

Southwest

  • Pueblos/Anasazis

    • Known for elaborate pottery and weaving techniques.

    • Constructed complex multi-storied adobe structures.

    • Employed sophisticated irrigation farming techniques.

Far West/Great Basin

  • Lifestyle characterized by nomadic hunting and gathering practices.

  • Notable for intricate basket weaving.

  • Cliff Dwellings of the Paiute Indians as a primary feature.

Great Plains

  • Pre-1500:

    • Mixed lifestyle: hunting and farming.

  • Post-1500:

    • Shift to hunting buffalo using horses almost exclusively.

  • Example:

    • Wichita village along the Arkansas River as a cultural and economic center.

Eastern Forests

  • Tribes here had the most abundant resources.

  • Political systems were elaborate with a powerful ruling class and priests.

  • Notable Groups:

    • Hopewell: Noted for creating vast burial mounds (e.g., Kincaid site in Ohio).

    • Cahokia: Significant political and cultural center.

North American Societies

Political Organization

  • Most tribes organized into self-governing entities.

  • Governance Structures:

    • Councils of Elders: Provided leadership and advice.

    • Chiefs: Acted as primary leaders.

  • Tribal Perspective:

    • Focused on internal matters, not viewing Europeans as an external threat.

  • Loose Confederations formed among linguistically related groups such as:

    • Algonquin: Great Lakes region.

    • Iroquois: Eastern territories.

    • Sioux: Great Plains.

Native American Societies

Economic Systems

Environmental/Geographical Influences:

  • Hunting and Gathering: Primary means of sustenance.

  • Farming Techniques:

    • Included slash and burn methods.

    • Extensive farming through irrigation.

  • Trade Networks: Extensive economic systems.

The Three Sisters: Crops Cultivated

  • Corn

  • Beans

  • Squash

Religious Systems

  • Animistic Beliefs: Strong connection to nature.

  • Variability by Gender:

    • Women: Associated with fertility rites.

    • Men: Linked to hunting and warfare rituals.

  • Important Ceremonies:

    • Green Corn Ceremony: Celebration of harvest.

    • The Buffalo Dance: Rituals associated with hunting rituals.

The Edge of the Old World (500-1500)

The Middle Ages and the Feudal System

  • Nobility controlled divided lands causing regional isolation.

  • Primarily agricultural economy with limited trade.

  • Impact of the Black Death: Significant population decrease, altering social systems.

  • Medieval trade routes defined the connectivity between regions.

  • Feudal Pyramid: Hierarchical structure defining societal roles.

Religious Transformations

Christianity

  • Replaced traditional Roman religions.

  • Co-option of Pagan Rituals: Easter and Christmas adapted from pagan celebrations.

  • The Crusades:

    • Intensified religious fervor.

    • Opened European exposure to Asian goods, including sugar.

The Reformation (1517)

Key Figures and Concepts:

  • Martin Luther:

    • Authored The Ninety-Five Theses, critiquing the Church’s authority.

    • Argued that the Bible should be the ultimate authority on faith, not the Church.

  • John Calvin (1536):

    • Introduced the concept of Predestination: some are destined for salvation while others are not.

  • Emphasis on a life without luxury or frivolity.

  • Asserted that the Church holds absolute authority.

Religious Implications:

  • Puritan Movement: Emergence of Protestant nations focused on spiritual communities.

  • Ongoing Catholic Counter-Reformation efforts in response to Protestantism.