BEFORE THE FIRST GLOBAL AGE
CHAPTER 2 NOTES
Section 1 – The First Civilizations of the Americas
Reaching the Americas
1. The first people reached the Americas sometime during the last ______, which occurred between 100,000 and 10,000 years ago.
2. Glaciers covered almost ______of the Earth.
3. Glaciers – ______.
Crossing the Land Bridge
1. The glaciers held the ocean apart in sections. A narrow strip of land ran from northeastern ______to ______.
2. Most scientists think that bands of hunters crossed this Land Bridge, probably ______.
Adapting to New Conditions
1. About 12,000 years ago, the last ice age ended. ______rose and the glaciers melted.
2. The Land Bridge was covered in water, and is now the ______.
3. Around this time, large animals died out. Humans had to hunt smaller animals and eat ______.
4. About 5,000 years ago, people in Central America learned to grow crops such as ______.
5. As a result, people stopped chasing food and began to settle in ______and villages began to grow.
Olmec Civilization
1. A surplus of food caused people to settle and civilizations began.
2. Surplus - ______.
3. Civilization – ______
______
4. Earliest known civilization in the Americas was the ______in Central America.
5. Farmers supplied nearby cities with ______. Powerful leaders built stone temples.
6. They had few written records, but studied the ______and developed a ______to predict changes in the seasons.
The Mayas
1. The early Mayas lived in the rain forests of ______and ______.
2. ______held great power in Mayan society, as they performed ceremonies to bring ______and ______. They were the highest in social status.
3. ______enjoyed high status also. They served as ______and ______.
4. Near the bottom of Mayan society were the ______and ______.
5. At the bottom were ______. Many were prisoners of war or criminals.
6. The Mayas predicted eclipses and developed an ______
______. They also developed a numbering system that included the concept of ______.
7. Around 900 A.D., the Mayas abandoned their cities, probably due to either ______.
The Aztecs
1. Built a powerful empire in central ______.
2. Capital city was called ______.
3. Priests studied the ______and developed complex calendars.
4. The Aztecs paid special attention to the sun god, and sacrificed thousands of captives each year to please him.
The Incas
1. The Incas built one of the largest empires in the Americas. It stretched for almost 2,500 miles along the west coast of ______.
2. The capital city of Cuzco was located high in the Andes Mountains.
3. To unite the empire, the Incas developed a system of ______that stretched for 10,000 miles.
4. The Incas were also skilled ______who built massive temples and forts.
5. They became experts at creating terraces out of ______
______.
6. Terraces – ______.
Early Cultures of North America
1. Culture – The entire way of life of a people, including homes, clothing, economy, arts, and government.
People of the Southwest
1. At least 3,000 years ago, knowledge of farming spread northward, and reached the American Southwest. Irrigation was widely practiced.
2. The ______lived in present-day Arizona about 2,000 years ago.
3. The Anasazis lived in the Four Corners region – where Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona meet.
4. The Anasazis built large houses made of stone and ______, or sun-dried brick. The Spanish called them pueblos – Spanish for “______.”
5. Facing attacks from warlike neighbors, they built new homes on ______.
Mound Builders
1. Mound Builders – Various cultures that built ______beginning about 3,000 years ago.
2. Thousands of these mounds dot the landscape from eastern North America.
3. The first mounds were used for ______. Later they were used for ______.
4. The best-known Mound Builders were the ______and the ______.
Section 2 – Native American Cultures
Culture Areas of North America
1. Culture Area – ______
______
2. Tribe – ______
______
3. In some cultures, tribes hunted ______and gathered the ______that grew in the wild.
4. Other tribes depended on ______for food.
5. Some tribes lived off of the land, planting crops like ______.
6. Indian tribes often ______with one another for goods not found within their own region.
7. Diffusion – ______.
8. Through diffusion, skills such as ______
______spread from tribe to tribe.
Climate, Resources, and Culture
Climate and Natural Resources affected:
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
- Where climates were harsh and resources were limited, people ______
______. In favorable conditions, people were more likely to______
______.
Cultures of the Far North and Plateau Regions
1. Frozen seas and icy, treeless plains made up the world of the ______, who lived in the Arctic region.
2. Pit Houses – Houses dug into the ______and covered with ______.
3. ______and ______were made from seal blubber and skin.
Cultures of the Northwest
1. The Northwest coast enjoyed milder temperatures and abundant food supplies. The Native Americans fished from the sea and used the tall cedar for ______and ______.
2. Families often held potlatches to show off its wealth.
3. Potlatch – ______.
Cultures of the Southeast
1. The Natchez hunted, fished, and farmed along the fertile coast of the ______.
2. They used a 13 month calendar, with each month named after a different food.
3. Below them were ______, Honored People, and finally ______(commoners). The ______made up the majority of the population.
4. Marriage laws were set up to ensure that members of the classes kept changing. ______.
Shared Beliefs
- ______
- Native American prayers were designed to maintain a balance between ______.
- They believed the world was full of powerful and unseen ______and ______, which they honored.
- ______
- In farming areas, tribes held special ceremonies to ensure ______.
- The Pueblos believed that the kachinas had to bring the power to ______
______.
- Kachinas – ______.
The Iroquois Confederacy
- The Iroquois people lived in present-day ______.
- The term Iroquois literally means “______.” They lived in Long Houses, which were ______feet long and ______feet wide, and housed 12 or more families.
- The Iroquois lived in a ______society. ______owned all the household property and were in charge of planting and harvesting.
- The Iroquois included 5 nations that spoke similar languages and fought with each other frequently.
- Around 1570, the five Iroquois nations formed an alliance to end the fighting. It became known as the ______.
- Sachems met once a year to make decisions for the league.
Define Sachem –
SECTION 3 – Trade Networks of Africa and Asia
First global age – Time period when the amount of ______and ______increased dramatically in the 1400s. For the first time, far-off parts of the world began to be linked.
The Muslim World
1. Arabia’s location in the ______made it a major crossroads of the world.
2. It stood at the center of trade routes that linked the ______world in the west with Asia in the east and Africa in the south.
Rise and Spread of Islam
1. The growth of ______was also linked to the growth the Islamic religion in the 600s.
2. The founder of Islam was the prophet ______. The central teaching was the belief in ______.
3. Followers of Islam are called ______.
4. It is believed that the sacred book of Islam – ______– contained the exact word of God as revealed to Muhammad.
5. After the death of Muhammad, Islam spread rapidly through trade and conquest. As new lands were conquered, people who lived in the areas converted to Islam.
6. Muslims had a basic duty to make a ______, or journey, to the holy city of ______at least once in their lives.
Silk Road
1. Some Muslim traders traveled the overland routes called the Silk Road that crossed the ______of Central Asia and linked China and the Middle East.
2. Travel on the Silk Road was dangerous, with ______
______being constant threats.
3. Traders traveled in caravans - ______
African Trading States and Cultures
1. Long-distance trade-routes crossed the vast ______, which links West Africa and North Africa.
2. Small villages in Eastern Africa had good natural harbors and grew into busy trading centers that shipped ______and ______across the Indian Ocean.
3. City-states – ______
______.
4. Savanna – ______.
Village and Family Life
1. Families in villages made livings by ______
______.
2. Extended Family – ______.
3. In their rituals and ceremonies, Africans honored their ______as well as the ______. They believed powerful spirits could ______or ______the living.
Chinese Voyages of Trade and Exploration
1. In China, power was centered on the ______, who were often suspicious of outsiders.
2. Additionally, a trip to China required traveling long distances and crossing physical barriers like the ______. As a result, China was ______for a long time.
The Great Treasure Fleet
1. Between 1405 and 1433, the ruler Zheng He made seven long voyages in an attempt to expand ______across a wide region. The next emperor decided that China had nothing to learn from the outside world, and outlawed foreign trade.
Section 4 – Tradition and Change in Europe
Jewish and Christian Traditions
1. European civilization grew slowly from during the long period from about 500 – 1400 A.D.
2. Jews believe in ______, and feel a sacred duty to obey God’s rules.
3. The history and laws of the ancient Jews were recorded on a document called the ______.
4. Moses is credited with bringing God’s laws to the people, known as ______.
5. More than 2,000 years ago, many Jews left their homeland and spread Judaism to many different parts of the world.
Christianity and the Teachings of Jesus
1. The life and teachings of ______inspired the religion of Christianity.
2. Christianity combined Jewish traditions (like the belief in one God and the Ten Commandments) with the teachings of Jesus (love, mercy, and forgiveness).
3. Jesus taught that everyone, rich or poor, could achieve ______ – everlasting life.
4. Christianity became the official religion of the ______around 391 A.D.
5. The church sent out missionaries around the world.
6. Missionary – ______.
Greek and Roman Traditions
Greek Ideas about Government
1. Greek thinkers like Socrates and Aristotle valued ______, which helped them understand the natural world.
2. The Greeks made significant contributions to ______and ______.
3. Ancient Athens was the first ______..
4. Direct democracy – ______
______.
5. All citizens could attend the assembly and make laws for the city. However, only ______
______were citizens.
Roman Government and Law
1. In 509 B.C., the Romans overthrew their king and set up a ______.
2. Republic – ______
______.
3. Everyone was equal under the law.
4. People accused of crimes were considered ______until proven ______. Evidence could be used in courts to prove a person’s guilt.
5. Decline of Rome - ______attacked and overran many regions of the Roman Empire over time. ______and ______slowed, and Europe was splintered into many small, warring kingdoms.
The Middle Ages
1. The period from about 500 – 1400 A.D. is known as the Middle Ages.
2. Invasion and war were common, and, without the Roman armies, people had to defend themselves.
Feudalism and Daily Life
1. Feudalism – ______
______.
2. Kings and queens gave their land to ______. In return, the nobles promised to ______for the ruler when asked.
3. Most people were ______who lived on and farmed the lords’ land, and could not leave without permission.
4. KING, most powerful lords, lesser nobles, peasants/serfs.
5. Daily life revolved around the manor.
6. Manor – ______
______.
7. The most powerful force in daily life was the ______
______, which owned large amounts of land and provided education to people. ______were often the only people who could read and write.
The Crusades
1. The Crusades – A series of holy wars fought by the ______and ______between 1100 and 1300 over control of the Holy Land, which included ______and other places where Jesus had lived and taught.
2. In the end, Christians ______to gain control of the Holy Land.
3. People began travelling outside of their villages. They tested new foods, such as ______
______. They also saw beautiful silks and woven rugs.
The Renaissance Expands Horizons
1. Renaissance – French word meaning “______.” This time period lasted from the late 1300s until the 1600s, and was known for society’s focus on ______.
2. New inventions were also introduced during this time period. The printing press was invented by ______in the 1430s. Consequently, larger numbers of books could be produced quickly and inexpensively.
The Search for New Trade Routes
1. Rulers began to look for trade routes that were not controlled by other countries. Many looked for trade routes to ______and ______.
New Tools for Navigation
1. Europeans acquired sailing skills and the ______from the Muslims.
2. Another instrument was the ______, which helped determine their latitude while at sea.
3. By 1500, ______had taken the lead in this new overseas travel.
Portuguese Voyages
1. In the early 1400s, Prince Henry of Portugal, known as ______, encouraged sea captains to sail south along the coast of West Africa. He also set up an informal school to teach sailors techniques of navigation and the art of shipbuilding.
2. In 1488, ______reached the southern tip of Africa.
3. In 1497, ______rounded the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. He sailed up the coast of East Africa and across the Indian Ocean to India.