Timeline Essays - , Term Papers, Research Papers

Timeline 38,000-12,000 BC Ancient hunters migrate to Americas c. 1200 BC Corn production in American Southwest 300-900 AD The people of the Valley of Mexicothe Mayabuild the city of Teotihuacan 300-1600 AD Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires in West Africa 700-1450 Cahokia and other Mississippian centers develop in North America 1337-1453 Hundred Years' War between England and France 1434 Portuguese first explore West African coast 1418 Prince Henry "the Navigator" of Portugal seeks direct trade with sub-Saharan Africa c. 1450 Introduction of the caravel 1453 Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans and practical loss of the Silk Road 1482 Christopher Columbus serves on trading vessels in Portuguese ports in Africa 1488 Portuguese captain Bartolomeu Dias rounds Africa's southern tip January 2, 1492 Spain retakes Granada, ending ten years of war August 3, 1492 Columbus and his expedition depart Spain October 12, 1492 Columbus's crew first sights land in the Americas 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas creates distinctive spheres of control for Portugal and Spain over newly discovered lands 1497 John Cabot charts northern North American coast for England 1507 Martin Waldseemller labels New World "America" in honor of Amerigo Vespucci 1519 Ferdinand Magellan initiates the first circumnavigation of the globe 1524 Giovanni de Verrazzano explores from Carolinas to Nova Scotia for France 1532 Portuguese create first permanent colony in Americas, in Brazil c. 1550 Iroquois Confederacy formed Topics A Growing World In the fifteenth century the rise of stable nation-states, combined with the loss of the Silk Road, drove European monarchies to expand the borders of their known world in search of new trade and wealth. The era of feudal domains was giving way to bureaucratic, sovereign, and indivisible nation-states vying for wealth and prestige. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 took away the rich trade with the spices, silks, and gems of the East. The search for new routes to the East touched off the Age of Exploration, which initiated a multidirectional exchange of foods, technologies, and cultures among all peoples of the Atlantic World. Native American and West African Societies before Contact Archeological evidence suggests that the earliest inhabitants of the Americas arrived ten thousand years ago. Some traveled by boat from Asia. Some crossed the Bering land bridge connecting Siberia to Alaska. By 1492, an estimated 58 to 113 million native peoples lived in the Americas. They built cities and trade networks and developed their own religions, economies, and culturesall of which varied by region and according to the available resources. Two prominent groups resided in the Valley of Mexico: the Maya and the Aztecs. The Maya: Thrived between 300 and 900 AD Built the city of Teotihuacan, which contained pyramids, temples, and palaces Extended their empire to more than 50 states Developed an advanced system of writing, mathematics, and scientific knowledge. The Aztecs: Thrived between 1200 and 1521 Established a militaristic state with Tenochtitlan as a capital Effectively controlled territories surrounding their capital from the Pacific to the Gulf Coast Were paid tribute in gold, turquoise, cotton, and human sacrifice by conquered peoples under them. Many native groups flourished throughout the present-day United States: The Hohokam, Anasazi, and Pueblo in the Southwest, with complex agricultural practices The Adena-Hopewell and Mississippi Valley peoples, who built towns and vast trade networks The Iroquois and Algonquians, who inhabited the eastern woodlands. When Europeans arrived on the African continent, they encountered diverse, complex cultures with a rich past. The Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires, in turn, dominated western Africa since before 300 AD. A largely agricultural people, Africans organized under these empires also engaged in overseas trading. A religious people, their leaders were imbued with both political and spiritual authority. Technology and Early European Exploration Portugal initiated the Age of Exploration with its exceptional navigation and technological skills. By the early 1400s, Portugal had developed the premier navy of Europe. In about 1418, Prince Henry "the Navigator" determined to find the sub-Saharan African source of wealth he saw in North African marketplaces and trade directly. Using a light, maneuverable, strong ship called the caravel, as well as new technologies such as the astrolabe, Henry's fleets sailed farther and farther south along Africa's coast. Christopher Columbus, a Genoese sailor, spent time in the 1480s on merchant vessels trading with Portuguese ports in Africa and learned of their quest for the East. In 1485, Columbus approached Portugal's King John II with the idea of traveling west to reach China and India, but he was rejected. After many rejections, in 1492 Columbus convinced Spain's King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to fund the voyage. Spain, newly unified, needed new trade to refill its coffers. Columbus's crews spotted a Caribbean island on October 12, 1492. They made their first settlement on