State-Building in THE AMERICAS and AFRICA (1200-1450) [AP World History Review, Unit 1 Topics 4-5]
TLDRThis video script offers a glimpse into the state-building and societal structures of the Americas and Africa between 1200-1450. In North America, the Mississippian Culture and Cahokia civilization are highlighted, with a focus on their mound-building and rigid class systems. The Southwest's Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations are noted for their cliff dwellings, while the Aztecs' tribute system in Central America is discussed. In Africa, the emphasis is on kin-based networks and the Hausa Kingdom's role in the trans-Saharan trade, leading to widespread Islamization. The video concludes by noting the general lack of centralized governments in sub-Saharan Africa, with societies often relying on oral literature and the influential griots.
Takeaways
- 🏰 The first large-scale civilization in North America was the Mississippian Culture, known for their construction of monumental mounds for various purposes.
- 🌾 The Cahokia, part of the Mississippian Culture, had a rigid class system with a ruler called the Great Sun, followed by priests, nobles, and the rest of the population.
- 🌪️ Around 1450, the Cahokia settlement was mysteriously abandoned, possibly due to an environmental disaster like a flood.
- 🏜 In the southwestern portion of North America, the Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations thrived until the climate became drier around 1300, leading to their extinction.
- 🏙️ The Aztecs, or Mexicas, founded the impressive capital city of Tenochtitlan in 1325, which amazed Europeans with its architecture and bustling markets.
- 📜 The Aztecs' state-building method involved a tribute system, where conquered peoples paid the Aztecs for the privilege of being conquered, allowing for political dominance without direct local involvement.
- 🌍 In sub-Saharan Africa by 1000, most societies had adopted agriculture but organized themselves into kin-based networks rather than centralized governments.
- 👨🌾 The Hausa Kingdom was an example of state building in Africa, consisting of seven states connected by kinship ties, with each state specializing in different areas like agriculture or military tactics.
- 📈 The Hausa Kingdom benefited from the trans-Saharan trade system, which also led to the spread of Islam in West Africa by the 1300s.
- 🔨 In African societies, men often performed skilled labor such as blacksmithing, while women managed farming and domestic duties.
- 🎭 African literature was primarily oral, with griots or storytellers playing a crucial role in preserving and sharing the history, narratives, and lineage of their tribes.
Q & A
What was the first large-scale civilization in North America?
-The first large-scale civilization in North America was the Mississippian Culture.
What was the primary purpose of the mounds built by the Mississippian Culture?
-The mounds built by the Mississippian Culture were primarily used for religious, ceremonial, or elite residential purposes.
Which civilization within the Mississippian Culture was known for their rigid class system?
-The Cahokia civilization within the Mississippian Culture was known for their rigid class system, somewhat similar to the Hindu caste system.
What was the role of the Great Sun in Cahokia society?
-In Cahokia society, the Great Sun was the ruler of each town, followed by priests and nobles, and then everyone else including farmers, hunters, merchants, and artisans.
Why was the Cahokia settlement abandoned around 1450?
-The exact reason for the abandonment of the Cahokia settlement is not known, but historians speculate that it might have been due to an environmental disaster like a flood.
How did the Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations adapt to their arid and treeless environment?
-The Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations adapted to their arid and treeless environment by building homes and towns in the sides of cliffs using bricks and other building materials, as they had no wood for construction.
What happened to the Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations by 1300?
-By 1300, the climate in the regions of the Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations became drier, leading to the extinction of both groups.
When and where was the Aztec capital city Tenochtitlan founded?
-The Aztec capital city Tenochtitlan was founded in 1325, roughly in the area where Mexico City is located today.
How did the Aztecs maintain control over their subjects?
-The Aztecs maintained control over their subjects through a tribute system administered by a local governor, which required conquered people to make payments to the Aztecs for the privilege of remaining conquered.
What was the general form of state-building in sub-Saharan Africa by 1000?
-In sub-Saharan Africa by 1000, state-building generally involved organizing communities into kin-based networks led by chiefs, with geographically clustered groups of villages forming loose federations and councils to solve regional problems.
How did the Hausa Kingdom benefit from the trans-Saharan trade system?
-The Hausa Kingdom benefited greatly from the trans-Saharan trade system, which brought Muslims into West Africa, leading to the kingdom largely becoming Muslim by the 1300s.
What role did griots or griottes play in African societies?
-Griots or griottes were the storytellers in African societies, holding the history, narratives, and lineage of the tribe within them, and they had a prophetic presence, believed to be able to sing of one's destruction or prosperity.
Outlines
🌎 Early Civilizations in the Americas (1200-1450)
This paragraph discusses the early civilizations in the Americas, focusing on the Mississippian Culture and the Cahokia, who built monumental mounds for various purposes. It highlights the class system of the Cahokia, with the Great Sun at the top, followed by priests, nobles, and the rest of the population. The paragraph also mentions the abandonment of the Cahokia settlement around 1450, possibly due to environmental disaster. It then moves to the southwestern part of North America, describing the Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations, which adapted to arid conditions by building cliff dwellings. However, these civilizations declined by 1300 due to increasing aridity. The paragraph concludes with the rise of the Aztecs in Central America, detailing their magnificent capital Tenochtitlan and their unique tribute system for state-building and maintaining control over conquered territories.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mississippian Culture
💡Cahokia
💡Chaco and Mesa Verde
💡Aztecs/Mexicas
💡Tenochtitlan
💡Tribute System
💡Kin-based Networks
💡Hausa Kingdom
💡Trans-Saharan Trade
💡Griot/Griottes
Highlights
The Mississippian Culture was the first large-scale civilization in North America known for their love for mounds.
The Cahokia, part of the Mississippian Culture, built monumental mounds for religious, ceremonial, and elite residential purposes.
Cahokia had a rigid class system similar to the Hindu caste system with a ruler called the Great Sun at the top.
The Cahokia settlement was mysteriously abandoned around 1450, possibly due to an environmental disaster like a flood.
The Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations in North America's southwest adapted to an arid, treeless environment by building homes and towns in cliffs.
Both Chaco and Mesa Verde civilizations thrived but went extinct by 1300 due to the climate getting drier.
The Aztecs, or Mexicas, founded the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan in 1325, which amazed Europeans with its beauty and architecture.
The Aztecs conquered much of Mesoamerica using a tribute system administered by local governors.
The tribute system allowed the Aztecs political dominance over distant lands without direct local involvement.
By 1000, most sub-Saharan Africans had adopted agriculture but organized themselves into kin-based networks rather than centralized governments.
The Hausa Kingdom is an example of state building in Africa, formed by seven states connected by kinship ties without a central authority.
The states of the Hausa Kingdom specialized in different areas, such as agriculture or military tactics.
The trans-Saharan trade system brought Muslims into West Africa, and by the 1300s, the Hausa Kingdom had largely become Muslim.
In general, sub-Saharan African governments were small communities organized by kinship ties rather than large empires.
African societies had griots or griottes, who were storytellers and historians that held significant cultural and social roles.
Literature in African societies was largely oral, with griots playing a crucial role in preserving history and lineage.
The roles in African societies were often gender-specific, with men performing skilled labor and women overseeing farming and domestic duties.
Transcripts
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