IB History Semester 1 Essay Questions 

Early Europeans tended to view the Native Americans as barbarians and savages, beneath the Europeans in terms of lifestyle, culture, and social organization, but ==clovis tradition and Inca aqueducts and road systems== are two examples of evidence to counter this view.

Analyze the evidence that the Americas was far more populated prior to 1492 and the impact that Columbus’ reporting of the “New World”: ==artifacts and remains of cities show high population. Columbus brought european diseases, killing at least 50% of Native Americans (maybe as much as 90%). This meant that when later Europeans arrived, including conquistadors like Pizarro and Cortez, the native american populations were diminished and weakened. easier to conquer, led to modern assumptions==

Identify Cahokia and explain its role in Pre-Columbian America: ==Cahokia was capital city of the Cahokian culture, also called mound-builders and mississippians. they built ceremonial burial mounds. it was a major trading city because of location. artifacts can be found across americas==

d) Was Columbus a “hero” or “villain”? How should history examine and record the impact of Columbus and his American Voyages: ==Villain, but a product of his time. examine his actions through the lens of time period, don’t judge morality but recognize negative impact on native americans.== Give at least TWO examples==: example 1: diseases he brought to the americas. example 2: treating the native americans/describing them as inferior from the beginning (his journal, enslaving them for gold) (he thought they were Indians)==

e) Compare and contrast the fall of the Aztec Empire with that of the Inca Empire: ==Both were weakened as a result of european diseases prior to conquistadors. both were conquered by spanish conquistadors. both did not treat conquered neighbors well, little loyalty. different conquistadors. aztecs initially defeated spanish, inca didn’t.== To what extend was technology a factor: v==ery little. the spanish were able to conquer both because of different reasons.==

f) To what extent did Religion play in the expansion, success, and challenges of the Aztec Empire: ==played a large role. founded tenochtitlan because of prophecy. fought other cultures to take sacrifice victims. fear factor because warrior’s garb was after gods. however, at the same time, this frustrated other groups, and they fought with cortes against aztec. also, they thought cortez was quetzalcoatl, making it easy for him to manipulate them==

g) To what extent did women’s roles in society impact the Witchcraft hysteria in Europe: and ultimately in Salem, Massachusetts Colony: they were lesser, midwives threatening jobs of male doctors, stops women from becoming rich and gaining power, etc. malleus maleficarum

h) Identify and explain the Columbian Exchange: ==the merging of disease groups, culture groups, and flora/fauna that occurred when Columbus landed in Americas. before 1492, two completely separate ecosystems. after, they began to mix. from “old world” was disease and coffee. to “old world” was syphilis and chocolate, potato, tomato, etc.== What impact did it have on human societies of both the Americas and the “Old World”? Give at least TWO examples: ==negative impact on the americas/native americans. many, many people died from european diseases that they had no immunity to. also, pigs destroyed the natural ecosystems of the americas because no natural predator. mixed impact on the old world. cuisine improved (chocolate, potato, tomato, pizza). but also, syphilis.==