Good Day folks,
I hope that everyone has had a wonderful summer so far, and that the Fourth of July was a fun time for you and your families. As we move post the July 4th, it is time to start our summer AP program. We will be complete our first unit online before the start of school to get a head start on the year.
When does American history begin?
This seems a simple question, yet it creates much debate among historians. Traditional American history began with the arrival of the English settlers at Jamestown in the early 1600s. However, in recent decades scholars have begun to view American history as beginning with the first inhabitants of North and South American, the Native Americans. These peoples were not the silent victims of European settlement and expansion. Especially in the 15th to 18th centuries, the interactions between the Native peoples and the various European settlers created the unique societies of the Americas including the one that eventually became the United States of America.
The learning objective for the first few lessons will be the following: Explain the development of a wide variety of Native American societies due to the interaction with the environment and each other prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
Assignment#1:
Read Chapter 1 pages 4-9. Identify at least three similarities and three differences between the peoples of the future U.S.A. to the peoples of Central and South America. Be sure to have specific pieces of evidence to support your answers. Also, demonstrate which differences were the most important and the less important.
Answer in the comments sections by Monday July 20, 2015. If you have problems answering in the comment section let me know by e-mail @predmorea@grahamlocalschools.org.
The Native Americans of North and South America were similar in some ways to the Europeans, but also differed in multiple ways. One example of how they were similar is both groups of people were very religious. The Native Americans had many gods who were associated with the natural world, such as crops or weather. Most Europeans were Catholic, following the Roman Catholic Church. Another example is a spread of power throughout different peoples. Different tribes, such as the Aztec and Iroquois, were spread across the Americas. These tribes were, for the majority of the time, independent of one another. Likewise in Europe, there were only small kingdoms. These kingdoms did not try to trade with others or unite as one. Third, Native Americans and Europeans both eventually became more agricultural. This led to a more sedentary life, as opposed to a life of following animals that the Native Americans previously did. However, there were differences among them. Most important of these differences was probably technology. No Native American tribe had yet to develop wheeled vehicles by 1500. Also, the Incas had no system of writing, while Europeans had both of these. Another difference, but least important, concerned religion. Native Americans were polytheistic while Europeans were monotheistic. Finally, in the middle, was the role of women. In some Native American tribes, including the Iroquois, women controlled social and economic organization. In Europe, women had little impact on the economy and were looked at as not as good as men.
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
DeleteThis is a solid comparison of the Europeans to the Native American societies before their encounters with each other began in the 15th century. In fact, it is important to consider the levels of civilization that the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas reached in comparison to the emerging nation-states of Western Europe. Remember the Spanish and other Europeans called the Native Americans "savages" particularly because the brutal practices of the Aztecs. However, were the Aztecs any more brutal than the Spaniards where the Inquisition was taking place at the same moment?
While your answer is good it does not answer the question, which asked you to compare the Native Americans societies within the borders of what would become the U.S.A. to the Native American cultures in Central and South America? Also, note the role that environment played in these developments. Please add this to your answer.
(Sorry I misread the question) The people that inhabited the continent of the Americas were somewhat similar, but also had many differences between Central and South America as opposed to North America. Among the similarities of the two included a polytheistic religion. The Native Americans believed in a multitude of gods that were related to the natural world around them, like the weather or soil. Another similarity between them was an agricultural way of life. Most of the civilizations in both places relied on agriculture to live. Although, some peoples in the North did not have the correct environment to rely on crops. For example, the Eskimos in the Artic Circle had to fish and hunt because they lived on frozen land. Tribes in the Northwest mainly used fishing for food. A third similar trait Native Americans shared was big cities. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had a population of over 100,000. The city also had public buildings of great significance, like temples that were similar in size to the pyramids in Egypt. In the North, cities like Cahokia held populations of over 40,000. The Iroquois Confederation centered around present-day upstate New York. However, many differences were also present for Native Americans. Most important of these included the complexity of the civilizations. In South and Central America, great and powerful empires ruled, such as the Incas in Peru, the Mayas in Mexico, and the Aztecs, also in Mexico. The Mayas even had a written language and numerical system. In North America, there were large civilizations, but they were not as elaborate as the ones south of them. The closest thing they had to the civilizations of the South was the Iroquois Confederation. It was composed of several tribes, including the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk, but the peoples did not see themselves as members of one organization. Another difference, second in importance, was the environment. In South America, the climate was easily suited to farming. In North America, the climate changed dramatically based on location. In the Arctic Circle, the Eskimos could not farm, they had to fish and hunt. In the Far West, communities based on hunting, fishing, and gathering survived. The Southwest required irrigation to farm. The South had rich soil to grow grains. In the East, the Woodland Indians farmed, hunted, gathered, and fished. The third difference, and least important, involved the buildings of each. The Incas built elaborate religious structures, as did the Mayas. The Aztecs had great temples. In North America, the peoples of the Southwest built pueblos, but were not of the same magnitude of the structures of South America. Also built in North America were mounds. The Cahokia Indians built earthen mounds in present-day St. Louis. Finally, the peoples of North America built totem poles for religious ceremonies.
DeleteThe Native American societies within the borders of what would become the U.S.A. and the Native American societies in Central and South America had many cultural similarities as well as differences. An example of a similarity is a dependence on the environment for their agriculture and their daily survival during the society's start up. Societies in the South such as the Incas and Mayans may have founded centralized cities, but their main component to the economy was agriculture. Maize was a popular crop in the growing Central and South American societies. The Northern and Eastern parts of the U.S.A. had economies that revolved around agriculture, the West not as much. Hunting and fishing were essential to daily survival to these groups. Another similarity between the two regions of cultures was the prominent role of religion in their every day life. Central and Southern American religions were very harsh. They praised nature in their practices. Part of the Mayan religion was human sacrifice. At one Mayan site, Spanish settlers found around 100,000 skulls from human sacrifice. The religion of those who settled what became to be the U.S.A. was harsh as well. They followed Roman Catholicism. For years nations in Europe fought religion wars and justified killing with religion. Religion went on to be an important factor in defining both regions of cultures. The last similarity the early establishment of power among various groups. In the Central and South American cultures, there was much more power to be had. The Inca group established an empire of over 6 million people. They held a connection of many tribes under one rule. The Mayans also had a well ruled empire and were succeeded by the Aztecs. The Aztecs ruled over much of what is today Mexico. The people that settled what is today the U.S.A. established complex and diverse civilizations. Tribes settled all over every part of the region. Tribes in the West became wealthy, but most of the other regions in what is today the U.S.A. had to rely on agriculture. One difference between the two regions was the advances in technology. The civilizations of South and Central America advanced much quicker. The Incas built a system of paved out roads. The Mayans went on to develop a written language and a number system that topped the Roman system. The Aztecs built complex educational and medical facilities that could be compared to those in Europe at the time. This allowed for the construction of large cities in these areas. Most of the settlers of what is now the U.S.A. lived a sedentary lifestyle. They were behind the Southern and Central American tribes in technology when they arrived in America. Another difference was gender roles in the different societies. In the societies of the settlers of what is today the U.S.A., women played a major role in the family. Some tribal groups like the Southern Pueblos left farming tasks entirely up to men. Other groups such as the Iroquois had women perform some farming tasks. In the civilizations that settled in what is today the U.S.A., a greater role was paved for women than that of the Central and Southern American societies. The last difference is that the settlers of what is today the U.S.A. became widely dispersed in tribes all across the area. These tribes became competitive with one another. In the Southern and Central American cultures, people tended to join a larger following rather than become part of smaller, more individualized tribes. This led to more established cities and forms of organization and government. The Incas created an empire of over 6 million people. It took the tribes of what is today the U.S.A. many years to reach this height of organization.
DeleteMark an good answer. A question, were the Native Americans "savages" as the Spanish labeled them, or were they more like the Europeans? A nice detailed answer.
DeleteAndrew: Both essays were well written, but the second one uses much detail to support the points that you are making. This is good work.
Within what is now U.S.A. the Native American societies, compared to Native Americans in South and Central America have cultural similarities and differences, The first similarity is the set up of power in the early tribes. The Central and Southern tribes were the areas of most power. For example, the Incas had created a powerful empire in Peru of a estimated six million people. The Mayans had also created a well developed culture that was then taken over by Aztecs who rule over area that is now Mexico. The power was achieved by a singular rule over many tribes to create strong nations. The second similarity is the role of religion in the lifestyles of tribes. The religious practices were very harsh in South and Central America. This was evident in the Aztecs when Spanish conquerors found skulls of 100,000 victims when they arrived in 1519. The future U.S.A. had a harsh religion with the evidence of religious wars, "witch" burnings, and using religion to justify the killing of many peoples. The last similarity is the dependence of agricultural for a support in economy. In the West the economic support was in hunting and fishing. Although, in other tribes like the Incas or Mayans was the development of cities with large irrigation systems for farming on dry lands. These cities became a center for trade, crafts, and religious and civic rituals. The cash crops in the tribes were corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, and other various crops. The tribes also contain differences to the future U.S.A. in culture. The first difference, and most important, is the separation of living as a tribe. Tribes of what is future U.S.A. began to disperse into living spaces further apart. This was the cause to competition for food, shelter, and lands. As the opposite, the South and Central Americans began to join with the development of paved roads in cities and was the cause of a powerful intelligent tribal unit. The second difference is the difference in gender roles. There was a common in the tribes that the women were given jobs like gathering certain foods, preparing meals, and taking care of the home and small children. The difference is that the Pueblos in Southwest have farming reserved for men only. Yet the Algonquins, the Iroquois, and Muskogees give the responsibility of farming to women while the men are away at war, hunting, or land clearing. As a result the women became a strong figure in economy and socials affairs. The last difference, and least important, is the technology advances. The Incas developed a complex political system and many paved roads systems. The Mayans had a written language, number system, calendar, and advances is agricultural tools and ideals. The Aztecs built many administrative buildings, as well as educational and medical systems. This is opposed to the future U.S.A. of no American society producing a wheeled vehicle. Therefore, as the future U.S.A. and Central and South Americas have cultural similarities there are also differences in the lifestyles of these tribes.
ReplyDeleteDestiny, I like the differences that you found between the roles of women in the tribes of North America. Frequently, we want to generalize the experience of Native women regardless of tribe or region. It is important to understand that their experiences were complex and varied. How much do you think environment factors influenced these differences?
DeleteThe native americans of South and Central America and the native americans of what is now the U.S.A. and Canada have many simularities and many differences. The first simularty is the creation of government and society. For example the Incas, who concured Peru, had a power empire of about 6 million people that a complex political system and made many paved roads that connected many different tribes under 1 rule, the Mayas,who were later concured by the Aztecs, had created a society using a written language and an advanced agricultural system. Also the Aztecs created an Education and Medical system that covered central and southern Mexico. The second simularity is the way religon effected everyday life. For example the native americans of Central and South America had harsh religon that involved the persecution of other native americans. The furture U.S.A aslo faced this with the burning of the witches durnig the Salem witch trials. the final simularity is the reliance of nature to support thier economy. For example the native americans of Central and South America relied primarily on agriculture such as farming but, for the native americans of present day U.S.A and Canada relied primarily of hunting, gathering and fishing. The first difference of the native americans is technology advances the Incas built paved roads, mayans created a written language and an advanced agricultural system, and the Aztecs built building but as for the native americans of present day U.S.A. no Native American society built a wheeled vehicle. The second difference is gender roles in society. Commonly the wemon cooked cleaned and watched the children. But that wasn't always the case, the Pueblos located in the Southwest reserved farming for men only. However the Algonquins, the Iroquois, and the Muskogees all rely on the wemon to do the farming while the men are away at war, hunting, or land clearing. The final but the most important difference is the dispersment amongst tribes. In what is present day U.S.A. and Canada tribes were spred so far apart do to the competion for food, land and shelter. This was the exact oppisit in the central and south americas, the Incas built those roads to connect the tribes to be 1 powerful empire. Therefore, there are many simularities and differences between the present day U.S.A. and the Central and South Americas.
ReplyDeleteZach, you make a good point about the complex gender roles that women in different Native tribes and civilizations possessed.
DeleteThere were many differences and similarities between the Native Americans of the South and Central Americas and the Native Americans of what is now United States and Canada. The similarities include an agricultural focus, the ability to adapt to surroundings, and complex communities and societies. There were also many differences. The most important of these differences is the climate difference. The Native Americans were able to adapt to surroundings but they had to use different methods including irrigation. The next most important difference was the role of religion in the societies. In the North religion didn't play a large part but in the South the Aztecs used religious justification for killing hundreds of people. Finally, the least important difference was the different role of genders. In the south both genders had pretty equal roles but in the north women had significantly different roles from men.
ReplyDeleteBrendan, you have good generalizations. There just needs to be more fact and detail to support your points. Being concise is good, just remember to include more detail.
DeleteThe peoples of future U.S.A. corresponded with those of the South and Central America. For starters was their similarity in religious practices. Most tribes worshipped gods closely bound to nature upon which they depended. Some, such as the Aztecs, developed a harsh religion requiring human sacrifice eventually leading to the discovery of 100,000 skulls by their Spanish conquerors. They became considered savages despite the witch trials and burnings by the Christian world who also found religious justification for killing. A second similarity is the large and immense cities & civilizations built. Although in the northern tribes large cities and empires were not built their tribes were still dense as those empires in the South. The empire of the Incas consisted of an estimated 6 million people and had a system of paved roads. In the western tribes of the U.S.A. where wealth was common, they tended to be quite dense and scattered along the coastline. A last example of their similarity is how their economy tended to be mostly based on agriculture. Some tribes developed a trading system where they would grow one thing to trade with another tribe for other crops. Although these two groups had many things in common they also differed a lot. An example of this and the most important is how the tribes in Southern and Central America had large empires with complex systems. In the case of the Maya's where they had their own written language, a numerical system much like the Arabic, an accurate calculator, and an advanced agricultural system. Despite of not having the advanced technology the Aztecs had medical systems comparable to the most capable of the Europeans even though they were cited off as savages by their Spanish conquerors. The tribes in the U.S.A. and Canada didn't acquire these advancements. A second example showing the differing relationship between these two groups can be seen in their polictical systems. In the Inca empire many tribes were united under one rule and were connected to each other through the paved roads. This allowed for very large populations. As in the North, their tribes were separate from each other and often didn't get along having mini wars. They were dispersed all throughout the region and were very different in their ways. The last example and least differential was the role of women in the tribe. In the North American tribes, tasks were assigned based on gender such as caring for children and preparing meals. In some tribes the men were away hunting and at war so much that the women tended to control the social and economic organization of the tribe. In the Central and South American tribes probably didn't have the same roles as their political systems were far more different and advanced. These are prime examples of the similarities and differences between the civilizations of the Northern and Canadian tribes & the Central and South American tribes.
ReplyDeleteNate, a good summary. You use facts and detail to support the generalizations that you make. A question: Were the Native Americans the "savages" as portrayed by the European explorers? If not, then why did the Europeans describe the Natives as such?
DeleteWhile Native American societies were often generalized as being similar, that was not the case. In fact many of the societies were different in quite a few ways. Societies in South and Central America, as well as in Mexico seemed to resemble large empires for example the Incas had many tribes under a single rule. While in Northern Civilizations, or in civilizations located in what latter became the U.S and Canada the ‘empires’ were not what we would traditionally call an empire, mostly because there didn’t seem to be a case in which many different tribes were ruled by one person and they did not have complicated and or elaborate city like areas. In fact tribes of the Pacific Northwest fought over natural resources rather than banning together. Another difference between the two would be that the peoples of Central and South America primarily relied on agriculture, while some Northern areas were able to rely on fishing, hunting and gathering, for example the Eskimos of the Arctic Circle fished and hunted seals and their civilization spanned thousands of miles. Also not all civilizations in the north, specifically, the Northeast were stationary, many were mobile, unlike those of Central and South America. Much of what has been said so far can be closely tied to the environment these civilizations lived in, as seen with the Eskimos. The Eskimos could not farm like Central and South American tribes due to the fact that their environment was frozen, so they had to rely on hunting and fishing for survival. Also the mobile Tribes of the Northeast actually had farming techniques meant to use areas of land until they were basically unusable then move on. Some differences were more important than others, and in my opinion I believe the most important would actually be that many societies of the North seemed to rely on hunting and gathering as well as fishing. I believe this because it would be difficult to create large empires if you were moving, and it would be difficult not to move if your main source of food relied on you moving. All of this said there are similarities in these civilizations as well. One being the importance of religion among Native Americans, as seen in the Aztecs, which specifically required human sacrifice, however all cultures seemed closely tied to religion depending on the natural resources they needed most. Also despite many tribes relying on hunting and gathering as well as fishing most did end up participating in agriculture and experiencing a population growth as a result. Lastly they all had similar views of women, which differed greatly from European views. Women in many Native American cultures played important roles in the economy and in families, as seen by the fact families were traced back matrilineally.
ReplyDeleteHannah, did the fact that the Natives of South and Central America developed sedentary agriculture earlier lead to their more complex civilizations? Would the Iroquois Confederacy have developed this level of sophistication had the Europeans not arrived in the 16th century?
DeleteThis is a solid and good answer.
The societies created by the Native Americans from South and Central America, also those who lived in what is now the United States, were composed of many cultural differences and similarities. The first similarity was the economies of the time. They both mainly revolved around agriculture. Such as the “Woodland Indians” using their primitive forms of farming, and the South and Central natives growing specialized crops to suit their needs. The western U.S primarily hunted and fished to survive. A second similarity would’ve been the power of the Natives. The Incas ruled Peru with a population of around six million people. Along with paved roads, and a political system. The Cahokia (near modern day St. Louis) had a population at one point of 40,000 people. Which took an important role in shaping the future of their culture. A third similarity among the Natives would be the advanced architecture. The Natives living in the Southwest of North America built pueblos to live in. While the Aztecs built temples the size of the Great Pyramids, and the Mayans built several ceremonial structures. Though with these similarities, comes the differences as well. One example of those differences would be the gender roles. In the southwest of North America, the work on the farm was for the man to do only. But in the Iroquois tribe the women tended to the fields while the men were off hunting. A second difference would be technology, which was probably the most important difference. The Aztecs developed medical systems comparable to the most advanced in Europe, while the natives of the north never became that advanced. The third difference would be that the tribes in the North were dispersed among the entire U.S and Canada, which increased competition among them. While the civilizations in the south mainly stayed together, and built massive cities, creating a large population and being able to self sustain for many years.
ReplyDeleteRoy, a solid and well written answer. Your point about the similarities in architecture between the Pueblos and the Aztecs is very interesting. Good work.
DeleteThe old civilizations and people of the future United Stated and the civilizations of Central and Southern America had a plethora of similarities, along with many differences, within their society and way of life.. Agriculture played a key role in both the Northern and Southern societies.Agriculture led to sedentary tribes and the creation of cities. Due to the intense need for agriculture, large cities arose in both areas. The Mayans created the city of Mayapan and the tribes in southwestern North America created elaborate cities. All of these allowed the separate nations to trade and share beliefs, technology and allowed the populations of the civilizations to grow and thrive. Although both civilizations were able to create cities the North American natives could not create cities anywhere near those of the Central and Southern Americans. The Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas created cities full of beautiful buildings ,temples rivaling the Great Pyramids of Egypt and elaborate political systems while the towns of the North American tribes consisted of Adobe terraced Pueblos that were nowhere near the scale of opulence that the cities of the Southern civilizations were on. A second similarity would be that both societies relied heavily on religion to guide their culture and to shape the inner workings of each society. The similarity of the two cultures relying on their faith leads to yet another difference. The Southern and Central American tribes seemed to have a more vicious and violent religion that viewed sacrifices as a necessity to please the gods. The North American tribes had polytheistic religions that focused on nature and believed that different parts of their environment were controlled by different gods. In order to celebrate these gods the northern tribes would hold festivals for special events, such as harvest, or would create large colorful totems in order to celebrate and worship their gods. A third similarity would be that both civilizations built themselves without the important technology developed by the Asian and European people. Both nations were able to thrive without the inventions that created a more "comfortable" life for the Europeans, like the wheel which led to the invention of faster transportation. The next difference would be that the Northern civilizations were able to thrive in a variety of fields,unlike the Central and Southern Americans who relied heavily on agriculture to fuel their society. Eskimos in the north fished and hunted seals while the tribes in the northwest lived a nomadic way of life in order to hunt large animals, like the great moose. The vast landscapes in the north allowed the people in every area to find a new way to sustain themselves and create a way of life that fit their environment. Even though this was an important factor in deciding their way of life, I believe this to be the least important difference due to the fact that, even though they lived off of agriculture, the Central and South American tribes were able to create an even larger society than the varied Northern tribes. Finally we will discuss the most important difference between the two civilizations. The largest and most important difference is the civilizations views about unity. The North American tribes saw each other as a completely separate people who very rarely allied and united with each other. The Northern tribes did not see themselves as a whole people but as completely different groups and would not even come together during the genocide of their own people. This differs greatly to the Southern and Central American tribes. Unlike the cornucopia of nations and tribes in the north the Southern civilizations create few empires that were widespread, powerful and successful. This can be seen in the Inca, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations that stayed united within their empire to create large. populous and advanced societies. By having large empires these people were able to make many technological advances like written languages, a counting system, and an accurate calendar.
ReplyDeleteSophia, a well written and richly detailed answer. Your use of factual evidence was excellent. You make an interesting point that the advances by the Mayans and Aztecs resulted from their ability to create a large political entity that harnessed the resources both physical and intellectual of many peoples, while the North American tribes remained smaller and less developed. It would be interesting to study the development of other civilizations to see if this pattern continued. Good answer.
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ReplyDeleteThere were plenty of similarities, as well as differences, between the peoples of the future U.S. and the peoples of Central and South America. Both societies' economies were based on agriculture. Hunting, farming, and fishing was a major part of their early lives. Each culture held religion to religion to an important part to their daily routine. They worshiped to the gods to help their crops grow. Some people would host harvests to show their gratitude. Technology was another similarity between both societies. While they used each system differently, it brought them prosperity. The top difference between the cultures were gender roles. In the Central and South American people woman maintained their own house and children. While up North, woman tended to the whole village when the men were off hunting. The second major difference was the unity between the tribes. Northern tribes were more for themselves and southern tribes were under one major rule. The least important difference is that the southern and central societies had grander empires
ReplyDeleteAlison, you have good generalizations here. You just need to add more facts and details to support your answer. This will make it richer and stronger.
DeleteThe Native Americans of Central and South America were similar to the Native Americans of the future U.S.A. in many ways, but they were also very different. One similarity between these peoples was their dependence on agriculture. Maize was an essential crop for both civilizations. A second similarity was their religion. Both civilizations had a harsh religion and worshipped many gods that they associated with the natural world. A third similarity was the development of cities. In present-day Mexico City, the Aztecs built the city of Tenochtitlan with a population of over 100,000 people. In the future U.S.A. they built the city of Cahokia which had a population of 40,000. There were also many differences between these civilizations. One of the less important differences was the advancements of technology. The Mayas and the Incas built elaborate temples and had a system of paved roads, while the peoples of the future U.S.A. did not. Another difference between the peoples of South and Central America and the peoples of future U.S.A. was their settlements. The Mayas, Incas, and Aztecs built permanent settlements in Central and South America. In contrast, many of the Native Americans in present-day Canada lived nomadic lives pursuing moose and caribou. Also the settlements of tribes in the northeast were more mobile because their farming techniques exploited the land quickly and they moved once they exhausted the land. Lastly, the most important difference was the unity among tribes. In Central and South America, many tribes were united under one rule. In the future U.S. the Native Americans did not think of themselves as one civilization. Instead they dispersed and became competitors over food, water, and other resources. Therefore, the peoples of the future U.S.A. shared many similarities and differences with the peoples of Central and South America.
ReplyDeleteBreanne, you identify an important difference between the two regions which of the consolidation of political control and subsequent development of civilization that resulted in the Aztec and Maya empires. It is interesting to note that the Iroquois were beginning to develop this more complex political union just as the Europeans arrived. In fact as we will learn the Iroquois Confederacy played a pivotal role in the early history of both the future U.S.A and Canada. A nice summary.
DeleteThere were many differences and similarities among the peoples of Central and South America and the peoples of the future United States of America that we now know about. For example, a huge similarity would include agriculture being a huge part of life and the economy in the South, as it also was in many other parts of the world. In the Northeast, farming techniques were created to allow people to live in a less permanent way, so it would be easy for them to move if needed. Technology was also a similarity. Using different techniques because of weather purposes, allowed people to be more adaptive to the areas surrounding them. Religion was also a similarity, most tribes worshiped gods that were connected to nature. They would worship gods in hope for healthy, growing crops. Cultures were for the most part closely similar in the regions of the U.S. These tribes were becoming more sedentary, creating new things for shelters, food sources, and clothing. Along with all of the similarities came differences. Some differences include the diversity of the social, economic, and political structures that were among the North American Indians. The societies in North America had gender roles, this was a major difference. In the North women would do the roles in the villages as the men of the town would be out hunting and gathering. Whereas in South and Central America it seemed that the women would care for their own homes and for their children, instead of helping out the entire village as in the North. Tribes saw themselves as entirely different people as they had different ways of living and different beliefs. This was one of the most important differences. Also, another difference was the diversity in the empires of the Southern and Central peoples. These empires were very powerful, allowing them to make major changes and advancements, such as writing. As you can see, there were many similarities as well as differences in the peoples of Central and South America to the future United States of America.
ReplyDeleteMegan, you make an important observation that all of the Native societies were becoming more sedentary just before the arrival of the Europeans. Where they had become sedentary farmers earlier they developed the large civilizations such as the Aztec and Maya.
DeleteThe Native Americans societies within the borders of what would become the U.S.A. and the Native American cultures in Central and South America were similar but also different in many ways. With the resources and tools that these people had during this time, they all mostly depended on agriculture. Crops, such as corn and other grains, were a very important part to both societies. Both took a huge part in religion. They worshiped many gods that dealt with different things in nature such as crops or rivers. Although they were both similar because they practiced religion, they are different because of the ways they did so. In the central and south area their religions included many harsh things such as human sacrifice and were considered by the Europeans savages. The area within the borders of the U.S.A. did not use human sacrifice or any harsh measures as a part of their religion. They both had the same view for the role of women in the tribes. Women played a big role, whether it was caring for children, or helping in the fields with the men. Men were often gone, and they relied on the women, which gave them more say in their families and with the social and economic developments within the settlements. A difference that is least important is the size between the two empires. In both areas the tribes grew, but in Central and South America their empires became much larger than those in the northern area. They were ruled under one empire, while the northern area was made up of many smaller tribes, separated by language. Another difference that is more important has to deal with the size of the empires in Central and South America and the tribes that were in the north. Since the empires of Central and South America became so much larger and were united, they had more advanced technologies. For example, they had their own written language, an accurate calendar, and advances numerical system. Later the Aztecs developed elaborate educational and medical systems. In the area up north, they did not develop empires anywhere near as large to Central and South America, and did not have elaborate political systems. Instead, they had a great variety of many different civilizations that relied on different things depending on their area, for survival.
ReplyDeleteBeth, you identified one of the key differences between the Natives. However, do not forget that Cahokia had a population around 40,000 and the Iroquois nations were developing a sophisticated political union just as the Europeans arrived. Also think about whether the Aztecs, Incas and Mayas were really that different from the Spanish, English, and French nations that they would soon encounter. Good work
DeleteThere were many differences and similarities between the Native Americans of the South and Central Americas and the Native Americans of what is now United States and Canada. The similarities were agricultural, the ability to adapt to their surroundings, and to have communities and societies. there were also differences. like the climate difference, to be able to adapt to it the natives used irrigation. next was gender roles. Both in the north and the south women and different roles than men. like tending to the house but if your in the north you also tend to the village for when the men go out to hunt. The last difference was religion. Religion didn't play a big part in the north. But in the south the Aztecs would use religious justifications for killing hundreds of people. Those were some of the similarities and differences of the north and south america and central america.
ReplyDeleteHunter you have a good point about the Aztec society and its difference from others. You should look to add more specific details to support your generalizations which are correct.
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