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Mexicans and Westward Expansion
Quiz by Robert Yount
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When Europeans met American Indians in the late 15th century, the people of two continents exchanged many beneficial customs and goods. Europeans received New World crops such as potatoes and corn. American Indians acquired cloth and horses. However, besides the beneficial exchanges, Europeans and American Indians often traded deadly germs–bacteria and viruses–for which they had no immunity. Smallpox and Indians Image 1: Smallpox epidemics helped Europeans conquer the Aztec and Incan Empires of Mexico and South America. North American Indians quickly concluded that contact with Europeans often resulted in devastating diseases that caused widespread death. This drawing, made in the 1500s in Mexico, shows how the disease was passed from a European to an American Indian through simple contact. Many of the diseases that were common in Europe were entirely new to the peoples of North America. Diseases such as tuberculosis and measles could be fatal, but Europeans had developed resistance to the disease, so many people survived. However, when European diseases infected American Indians with no previous exposure, the people suffered terribly. The most devastating of these diseases was smallpox which is caused by a virus (Variola major). Smallpox, like many other diseases, had a latent period of about one week between the time the person was exposed to the disease and the time when signs of the disease became apparent. During this time, the sick person might begin a journey and carry the germs along with him. Anyone the person met would be exposed to smallpox. Anything the victim touched including clothing, bedding, or unwashed dishes carried living germs of smallpox. Cotton Mather Image 2: Cotton Mather was a Boston minister. When smallpox threatened Boston, he remembered reading about how the Turks inoculated people with dried material from smallpox blisters. The inoculation usually gave the person a mild case of the disease and future immunity. The procedure was highly controversial, but it helped save the lives of 274 people who were inoculated during the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721. Symptoms of the disease began with fever, chills, and aches. The fever might raise a person’s temperature from the normal 98.6o to a dangerous 106o. After four days of misery, the victim entered the second stage when large pustules (fluid-filled bumps) appeared on the body. The rash made the person feel as if their skin were on fire. After suffering with the rash for nine days, the victim entered a new stage-if he or she had survived this long. The pustules opened and dried up. Each pustule formed a scab that turned into a scar that marked the person’s face for the rest of his or her life. Complications of smallpox for those who survived might include loss of vision or damage to the lungs, heart, or liver. Waterhouse Image 3: Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse of Harvard University brought Jenner’s smallpox preventative to the United States. It was called vaccination and used cowpox as the infective material. This much milder form of pox gave immunity to smallpox with fewer complications. Dr. Waterhouse encouraged President-elect Thomas Jefferson to promote vaccination. Jefferson responded, “Every friend of humanity must look with pleasure on this discovery, by which one evil more is withdrawn from the condition of man.” (T. Jefferson 12/25/1800 to Benjamin Waterhouse, December 25, 1800) Historians have found evidence of smallpox as far back as 1157 B.C. when the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses V apparently died of smallpox. From Egypt, where scientists believe smallpox began, the disease spread to Asia. Europeans began to experience periodic epidemics of smallpox in the14th century when Crusaders returning from the Middle East brought smallpox to Europe. People who survived the disease were immune and could not get smallpox again. This fact explains why epidemics struck periodically and the disease was not a constant threat to European societies. Smallpox Vaccination 1803 Image 4: Dr. Edward Jenner’s new smallpox vaccination (from cowpox) was widely accepted. This medical image was published by a Spanish physician to teach colonial doctors how to apply the vaccine to native Mexicans. The scratches were supposed to go through several stages of development as evidence that the vaccine had given the patient immunity. Vaccination was very effective in preventing smallpox epidemics among those who received the vaccine. In 1520, while Cortés was trying to conquer the Aztecs, smallpox broke out among the Spaniards and was transferred to the Aztecs. By 1527, the disease had migrated through Central America to Peru where it helped Pizarro conquer the Incas. (See Image 1.) In 1633, smallpox infected American Indians living near the English colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The disease traveled very quickly to tribes living far inland from the English colonies. In 1721, a smallpox epidemic threatened the English colonists of Boston. (See Image 2.) Cotton Mather, a Boston minister, wanted to inoculate people against the disease. He knew that Turkish healers took material from a dried smallpox scab and injected it into the body of a healthy person by scratching the surface of the skin. The patients developed a mild form of the disease from which they recovered. The procedure was highly controversial in Boston where about 280 Bostonians accepted inoculation. The epidemic infected more than half of the people living in Boston at the time. About 15% of those who got sick died of the disease. Among those who were inoculated, only six (2%) died of smallpox. The practice of inoculation spread to other English colonies, but not to the American Indian tribes living near the colonies. Late in the 18th century, British doctor Edward Jenner recognized that people who milked cows never came down with smallpox. They had already been infected with cowpox, a similar, but much milder disease that gave them immunity to smallpox. In 1796, Jenner inoculated a young man with cowpox virus he had collected from a milkmaid. The young man had a mild infection for less than 24 hours and recovered. Jenner’s efforts resulted in a widespread acceptance of vaccination (vaccine comes from Latin words meaning “taken from a cow”). By 1800, many Americans were receiving smallpox vaccinations. (See Image 3.) President Thomas Jefferson supported and encouraged the vaccination program in major American cities. (See Image 4.) By the middle of the 19th century, smallpox was under control, but broke out from time to time among unvaccinated people. Bismarck, Dakota Territory, experienced a small outbreak of smallpox in 1882. American Indians, however, were still subject to the disease in its most dangerous form.Easter from a Mexican and UK perspective1. Settlements Importance of Rivers Fertile Land: The soil near rivers was great for farming, thanks to regular flooding that added nutrients. Trade and Travel: Rivers made moving things and people easy, which helped trade and communication. Protection: Rivers could act as natural barriers, making it harder for enemies to attack. Food: Rivers were full of fish and other food, adding to what people could eat. Energy: People used the river's flow to power machines, for example, grinding grain. Cleanliness: Rivers were used to wash away waste, keeping settlements cleaner. Culture: Rivers often had spiritual importance, and ceremonies and stories revolved around them. Common Geographic Features of Ancient Civilizations Mesopotamia: the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in central Iraq Indus River Valley: the river runs in the northwestern part of India Nile River Valley: the major river of Egypt Yellow River Valley: a major river flowing through the southern part of China Rivers provided water, food, transportation, and shaped the way of life and development of these ancient civilizations. Impact of Mountains on Settlements Mountains served as barriers to early settlement due to the lack of technology to cross them. The Himalayan Mountains isolated much of India and China during their early development. Impact of Deserts on Migration Deserts posed significant challenges to people who wanted to migrate due to their harsh and unforgiving conditions. Notable deserts include the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia and the Sahara Desert in Africa. Changes in Migration and Cultural Blending Advancements in transportation technology post-Industrial Revolution increased cultural blending. Transportation advancements enabled global migration. Before, cultures were isolated, focusing on beliefs and local adaptations. The Industrial Revolution transformed migration and cultural blending. 2. How Humans Modify and Adapt to Their Environment Ways Humans Modify Their Environment Mining: Removing the earth's surface for precious metals. Irrigation: Diverting water for farming. Transportation: Moving goods with trains, cars, airplanes, and boats. Mining Strip mining removes large layers of the earth. Can impact the environment by removing plants and polluting water sources. Irrigation Diverting water for farming and urban development. Transportation Moving goods using trains, cars, airplanes, and boats. Human Adaptation to the Environment Adjusting to environmental conditions by changing behavior. Examples: Wearing specific clothing, using specific building materials. Human Modification of the Environment Changing the earth to meet human needs by physically altering the environment. Examples: Dams, canals, roads, bridges. Impact of Weather and Geological Events on Humans Events like earthquakes, hurricanes, and cold weather affect human settlements. Examples: Building earthquake-resistant buildings, creating levees, using ice for tourism. 3. Understanding Culture Introduction to Culture Culture refers to the way of life of a group of people who live in a particular place. It includes traditions, beliefs, values, and the way they do things. Cultural Characteristics Religious traditions Language Family values Laws Cultural characteristics make each culture unique. Cultural Representations Art Architecture Music Literature Cultural representations express a culture's creativity and show their beliefs and history to the world. Government and Culture Types of government reflect cultural beliefs and traditions. Examples: democratic republic, communist state. The way a country is governed tells a lot about its culture. Economic Systems and Cultures Economic systems reflect cultural values. Examples: bartering, modern economies (e.g., United States, China). How people earn and spend money also reflects their culture. Spread of Cultural Ideas Trade: Spreading ideas through interactions during trade. Travel: Visitors bringing new ideas. War: Conquering armies imposing beliefs. Cultural ideas spread through trade, travel, and war. Multicultural Societies Blending of multiple cultural and ethnic groups. Common in advanced societies with immigration. Multicultural societies create something new by bringing together different cultures. Cultural Adaptation Cultures can change and adapt by taking new ideas and blending them with their own traditions. Example: 'Tex-Mex' food, which blends Mexican and Texan traditions.Mexican Folklore and MythsTexas and US and Mexican War Texas Filibusters and Mexican IndependenceSpanish Colonial and Mexican National13 - Manifest Destiny and Mexican War