David Questions
David Questions
David Questions
1. Why did Columbus follow the birds overhead? Why did his sailors
distrust him?
Chapter 2
1.How does the shape of a funnel affect the climate of North America? How are
the shapes of Europe and Asia different?
Funnel shapes affects the climate by concentrating all the water or vapor at one
place like a funnel. Mountains can have an impact on the climate.
2.Give several examples of the way that the climate and the geography of North
America would shape the history of the United States.
??????????
3.Locate the Caribbean Sea. What are its three biggest islands? Why is it
important to be familiar with the Caribbean region if it is not part of the United
States?
3.When did the first humans reach North America? From where did they come?
The first human beings to arrive in North America had come over a land bridge
from Asia and Siberia approximately 13,000 to 13,500 years ago.
4.How long ago did the age of dinosaurs end in North America? Why did it end?
Sixty-six million years ago, dinosaurs had the ultimate bad day. With a
devastating asteroid impact, a reign that had lasted 180 million years was
abruptly ended.
Chapter 3
1.What animal common in North America today was not present before 1492?
Why?
4. What people dug some 600 miles of canals in North America? Where and
when? What were the canals used for?
The canals were primarily used for transportation and trade, making it easier and
more cost-effective to move goods and people over long distances. The
construction of canals in North America involved immigrants, local workers,
and enslaved individuals.
5.Give three examples of how the environment shaped the way Indians lived.
6.Before 1492, where was the most complex civilization in North America
located? What name did the Spanish give these people? What did they call
themselves?
the Aztec civilization, which was located in what is now Mexico. The Spanish
referred to these people as "Aztecs," but they referred to themselves as the
"Mexica" or "Tenochca."
Tenochtitlán was the economic center. It served as a hub for trade and
commerce. The Aztecs were skilled farmers and also engaged in agriculture and
aquaculture, cultivating fish and other aquatic resources.
The society of Tenochtitlán was highly stratified. At the top was the emperor,
followed by the nobility, priests, and warriors. The commoners and slaves
formed the lower strata of society. Social status was often hereditary. The
Aztecs had a system of education, primarily for the nobility and elite.
8.Where was the only city located in present-day United States before 1492?
What building forms were most striking about it? What is one guess
archaeologists have made as to why these landmarks were created?
It was Cahokia, located in what is now the state of Illinois. The most striking
building forms in Cahokia were the earthen mounds and particularly the Monks
Mound(pyramid). These were created for Religious and Ceremonial Use.
10.What did Europeans like Columbus bring to North America that changed the
way we learn about the history of North America after 1492?
They did Written Records and Documentation, New Cultural and Technological
Exchange, Geographical Exploration and Mapping, Colonization and
Settlement, Conflicts and Interactions(betwwen indigenous people and
europeans), Disease and Demographic Changes, Historical Records and
Archives, Religious and Missionary Influence(to Christianity)
Chapter 4
1. Who was Admiral Zheng He? Why does the chapter compare him with
Columbus?
Zheng He was a Chinese admiral in the 15th century. He was also a con-
fidant of the Chinese Emperor. The book compares him to Columbus be-
cause he and his vast fleet of ships visited many places in Southeast Asia
and Africa. At the end of the chapter, the author of the book thinks that
Zheng He could not have reached America because his ships were not
suitable for the voyage.
2. What was the legend of “the golden age” spoken of by ancient writers?
What reminded Columbus and other European explorers of that legend?
We will see in future centuries a continuing quest for a time of peace and
prosperity where all people live together in harmony. Sometimes hopes
are expressed in the building of a religious commonwealth; in other cases
there are dreams of establishing secular utopias. The dream is a persistent
one and we will see that it is one way that Americans hope to create a last-
ing republic.
3. What did Columbus want Indians to do in return for his red caps and
beads?
Columbus wanted gold from the Indians in exchange for red caps and
glass beads.
4. Did Columbus deserve credit for the discovery of America? Why or why
not?
Magellan and his fleet first circumnavigated the Earth, but he himself was
killed in the voyage.
7.. What
part did Indian allies play in helping Balboa and Cortés conquer Indian
kingdoms? Why would such allies want to work with the conquistadors?
Cortes and Balboa often allied with Indians during their conquests. For
example, Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire with the help of thousands
of Indians. The Indians often believed that the Europeans were gods be-
cause they were so much more advanced. In some cases the Indians saw it
better to join the advanced conquerors so they could live longer and not
die.
8.How did Cortés try to conquer Tenochtitlán, a city of hundreds of thousands,
with only several hundred soldiers?
Cortes persuaded his soldiers to fight for him on the basis of their honour
and promises to his Indian allies. He then captured the smaller Aztec
towns, cutting off food supplies to the capital. During the siege, they cut
off the capital from the water, which broke the Aztecs and took the city.
9. How did the Mexica justify their practice of human sacrifice? How did the
Spanish justify conquering and enslaving Indians?
Many of the region's cultures, including the Maya and the Mexica,
believed that human sacrifice nourished the gods. Without it, the sun
would cease to rise and the world would end. And sacrificial victims
earned a special, honored place in the afterlife. the conquest of indigenous
peoples was justified by natural law, embodied in the medieval doctrine
of “just wars”, which had historically been a rationale for war against
non-Christians, particularly the Moors
10.The chapter concludes that “the new age of gold turned out to be nothing
like the legends of the golden age.” What does that mean? Why wasn’t a
golden age possible?
It means that in the ancient golden age people lived well and had
everything they needed and mutually respected and loved each other, but
this was not the case in the new age of gold. The sad truth is, the world in
AD 1500 was a brutal place. The Indians of the Americas were no more
innocent than the Spanish were gentle.”