Slide 1: Middle and South America
Chapter 3—Part 2 Regional History and Human Patterns
Slide 2: Human Patterns: Regional History
Where did the first people come from and when did they arrive?
Northeastern Asia
On foot and/or by ships close to shore along the Bering Strait, which at that time was covered in ice Reached the tip of South America around 13,000 yrs. ago
30,000+ to 14,000 years ago
Slide 3: Where did the first people come from? When did they arrive?
Slide 4: By 1492…
50 to 100 million people were living in Middle and South America Landscape alteration
Irrigation systems, raised fields, terraced hillsides, paved walkways across swamps and mountains Shifting cultivation (a.k.a. swidden/slash and burn) Cities with sewers, aqueducts, and pyramids Habitat alteration and hunting to extinction
Loss of species
Slide 5: The Aztecs
High central valley of Mexico Advanced technologies (city water and sewage) Advanced organization (marketing systems) All social classes lived better than Asian or European contemporaries
Slide 6: The Aztecs
Slide 7: Human Patterns: Regional History
The Incas
Southern Colombia to northern Chile/Argentina (predominantly in the Andean highlands) Cooler temps = less disease Equatorial = longer growing season Most efficiently managed empire in the world
Hierarchy of control with family units at the base Cooperative and reciprocal labor to build roads and cities Terracing, irrigation, experimental agriculture, development of staple crops
Advanced agricultural technologies
Slide 8: The Incas
Slide 9: The Incas
Slide 10: Human Patterns: Regional History
The Maya
The Yucatan Peninsula and a large portion of southwestern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador High population density Culturally vibrant—Similar to Inca and Aztec civilizations due to cultural exchange Improved upon borrowed culture traits
The only fully-developed written language of the period Made countless mathematical, astronomical, artistic, and architectural advances
Many culturally-active Mayan groups still live in the region today
Slide 11: The Maya
Slide 12: The Maya
Slide 13: The Maya Today
Slide 14: European Conquest of the Americas
1492—Columbus establishes a colony on Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic) Expansion to nearby islands
Spain’s and Portugal’s expansion into Middle and South America Kept the Spanish and the Portuguese from fighting over territory by dividing South America at 46ºW long.
The Papal Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494
Why did it only take 40 years to conquer every major city in the region?
Slide 15: The Spanish
Conquering the Aztecs
A small group of Spanish conquistadores destroyed a nation They failed at first, then smallpox won out The second time, they destroyed the capital city, Tenochtitlán (1521) and built Mexico City on the ruins Gold and silver flowed to Spain and the Philippine colony Slaves were imported from Africa to fill the labor shortage (the Portuguese later became the dominant suppliers) Similar to the Aztecs—disease won the day (or month, rather)
Conquering the Incas
Survivors were killed, enslaved, converted
Slide 16: Pizarro and Atahualpa: The Fall of the Incan Empire
Slide 17: Human Patterns: Regional History
Disease (smallpox, measles, typhus)
In 150 years, the population was reduced by 90% Horses, metallurgy, gunpowder, the wheel Trickery: a good game of chess The element of surprise Capture the king and the hierarchy will fall apart
Military technology
For more, read: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
(beware the environmental determinist…)
Slide 18: Diamond Asks:
• Why didn’t Atahualpa instead try to conquer Spain? • Why did Atahualpa walk into the trap? • What were Spain’s specific advantages over the Incan empire? • Why was the exchange of nasty germs between the Americas and Europe so unequal? • Why didn’t Native American diseases instead decimate the Spanish invaders, spread back to Europe, and wipe out 95% of Europe’s population?
Slide 19: The Portuguese
Disease and technology won out A lack of urbanized, organized culture groups made colonization easier Focus on extracting mineral wealth from the highlands and setting up plantations along the coast
Slide 21: Global Exchange of Crops and Animals
Crops brought to Middle and South America from Europe, Africa and Asia
Rice, sugarcane, bananas, citrus, melons, onions, apples, wheat, barley, and oats Potatoes, sweet potatoes, manioc (cassava), beans, sunflower, corn, peanuts, cacao (chocolate), peppers, squash, pineapple, avocado, papaya, strawberries, vanilla, and tomatoes…and don’t forget tobacco and coca (cocaine)!
Crops brought back to Eurasia and Africa
Slide 22: Population Patterns Today
Population by the numbers
560 million (2005)—double that of North America Uneven, no consistent relationship to landforms
Population Distribution
Slide 24: Population Growth
Natural Increase
More people being born (and surviving) Rates declining, but will still have a large impact Gains in well-being reduced by the costs of supplying food, social services, and housing to more and more people—especially in growing urban areas
Slide 25: Demographic Transition
Slide 26: Demographic Transition Model
Slide 27: Stage One
•High Death Rates •High Birth Rates •Children very important
There are no longer any •Example: hunter-gatherer societies (pre-industrial) countries in Stage One!
Slide 28: Stage Two
•Death rates fall
•Better food production, disease control, etc.
•Birth rates stay the same Laos •Population increases—high population growth
•Early in industrialization phase
Slide 29: Stage Two
• Better agricultural techniques • Better transportation • Improved public health
•Cleaner water, improved sewage treatment, better hygiene
More examples: Yemen, Afghanistan, Palestine, Bhutan, most of Sub-Saharan Africa
Slide 30: Stage Three
• Death rates continue to decline • Birth rates start to rapidly decline • Overall decreasing population growth Costa Rica
Slide 31: Stage Three
• Large families not needed to work the fields or contribute pay • Children living longer • Compulsory education • Higher women’s literacy and employment • Improvements in contraceptive technology
Slide 32: Stage Three
Other Countries in Stage Three Mexico Egypt El Salvador Jamaica Philippines Surinam
South Africa Algeria Lebanon Morocco Panama Ecuador
And Many More…
Slide 33: Stage Four
Stabilized population growth Approaching Zero Population Growth (ZPG) Higher standard of living Post-industrial phase
Slide 34: Zero Population Growth
(ZPG)
2.1 kids per couple
Slide 35: Stage Four
Countries in Stage Four United States Canada New Zealand Australia Brazil most of Europe Bahamas Puerto Rico Mauritius Sri Lanka
Slide 36: An Argument for Stage Five?
• Declining population • Not having enough children to replace themselves • Examples: Italy, Japan, Spain, Germany, Greece, Russia
