The History of Science Fiction Unit Final:

          Science fiction literature did not originate at one specific time. It was brought up alongside literature starting in the times of the Greeks and Romans. These ancient authors were not shy about writing novels that today would fall under the title of fantasy literature. However, stories about gods and heroic adventures are not to be called the first cases of science fiction. 

Lurking among these well known epics at the time were the first real examples of science fiction. Mundane in exploration of ideas and Earth-bound, these stories were hindered by the lack of knowledge at the time of the cosmos. That taken into consideration, voyages to the moon were not uncommon. The moon was seen as in the air or atmosphere where as the stars were thought to belong to the realm of the gods and would be related to religious beliefs. An example of ancient Greek science fiction is Lucian's True History, written in 160 to 180 AD. Lucian has been commonly regarded as the father to science fiction and a classical writer in ancient Greece. He was one of the first to start the life of science fiction. 

Sci-fi literature would not see a rise until after the end of the dark ages when the Renaissance was at its start in society. "Science fiction was reborn in one year, 1600," (Adam Roberts, 36) with the introduction of Giodano Bruno into society. Bruno was a Neapolitan speculative thinker. Inspired by the Copernican model of the universe, he spread his ideas across Europe, and at the same time created the basis of the idea of the infinite universe that is so crucial in science fiction today. Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei also helped to contribute to the ideas of sci-fi with his support of the Copernican model of the cosmos. At the time of the Enlightenment there were many French philosophers who contributed to the ideas that support the science and technology behind science fiction. Two big sci-fi texts of the eighteenth century were Irish poet, Jonathan Swift's, Gulliver's Travels, and French writer, Voltaire's, Micromégas. Starting in the nineteenth century science fiction migrated to the United States, and in the twentieth century, most of the current day well known sci-fi stories were written. Science fiction was still very present in Europe at the time. Arguably, the most well known science fiction authors of  the nineteenth century were French author, Jules Verne, and Englishman, H.G. Wells.  

Science fiction as a literature did not move too much in its early history. This is mainly because science fiction was present where science was present. The philosophers of Athens would be one such example. They held knowledge that led to educated thought about unknown subjects. With their scientific theories, they were able to start the path of sci-fi throughout its spread around Europe and eventually to America. France and England were the main epicenters for authors of the genre. This is because both countries were powerful, and experienced the Enlightenment which sparked new creative thought. This was the midpoint of my book The History of Science Fiction by Adam Roberts. 

French Revolution Final Assessment: women's rights

In current day society there has been continuous controversy about the equality between men and women. Women have the same influential roles in the economy when compared to men, but many women are very disturbed by the difference in payment between women and men. Not so clear to the public eye however, there is also a difference in the distribution of jobs between sex's. Women are physically weaker than men in general, leading the employers of labor intensive jobs to more likely choose a male for the job over a female. Women also are usually not present in the personal and commercial retail job businesses. 

From the mid twentieth century to today, there have been many increases in the equal sharing of jobs between men and woman. In government, the appearance of women has been rising. This also goes for financial, transportation, and professional business services. Women have always been the majority of workforce in education and health services, maintaining an average of 75%.

Society has seen an overall climb in women's employment over the years, emulating a climbing equality of rights. The constitution of the US embodies equal rights to all citizens. However, this does not mean that society has promoted fare distribution of jobs and salary for both genders. There are still some inequalities, but at the same time things are getting better for woman. 

Here and There the People Rule: thoughts and reflections

           The Enlightenment was the upbringing of new ways of thinking using the scientific method. This created new ideas. One of the ideas created was the rights to man and citizen. For the first time the subjects of monarchies questioned the ways that they were treated. This lead to many different revolutions agains monarchs. Two such revolutions would be the French Revolution and the South-American Revolution. They both sprung up from ideas concerned about rights for all subjects and rights for citizens in general. Because of the oppressive rule of the current king of France and the Spanish governor Hidalgo, the people rose up and retaliated. 

Edmund Burke: thoughts and reflections

          In the reflections of Edmund Burke, the man established a new light to the events of the French revolution. He himself did not agree with the revolutionaries' want for the new free government with equal rights to man and woman. Edmund described the overthrow of the existing king and queen as the loss of honor in the existing system of rule. He thought that the revolution was not going to establish a solid rule for the people. The esteemed court of the principality was lost, and along with it was the pride of the country. Edmund Burke also did not like the way the people retaliated. It was an uprising comprised of more hate, outrage, and fury than retaliations of citizens being ruled by illegal monarchs with strict unforgiving rule. Edmund also does not agree with the way that rulers are brought up in France. They are taught to cower at their advisors and put full faith of what to do in situations in their people. In the events of the French revolution, Edmund Burke simply saw the revolutionaries as fighting to destroy the preexisting monarchy with vengeance and little ability to reestablish a new government.

John Locke Interview: video

The link to the video - https://vimeo.com/113668259


Script Questions/Answers:

Welcome John Locke, It’s a pleasure to have you.
- Pleasure to be here.

Great. Now I understand that you were born in England?
- Yes, born in Wrington England.

And um, What is your field of study?
- I study political philosophy, metaphysics, education, and economics.
My main focus is on the natural rights of humans.

Very cool, What unique ideas did you develop on the natural rights of humans?
- I propose that to protect our freedoms, we need security. But with that protection comes a lack of freedom in turn.

Interesting, now, How did those ideas conform to the overall philosophy of the Enlightenment?
- The idea of having freedom while not maintaining security can be seen in governments of the 15th century. If the church had power over its citizens, influencing what their rights were in favor of protecting the people of church, then the natural freedoms of man are taken away. In farther places of the country where the ruler’s hold is less sturdy, the populace has the freedom to act as they choose because they have their natural rights. In turn, this would be a lack of security, and a lack of overall control and governing.

So Why was Freedom and Security important during the 15th century?
- Freedom and security were important in the time of the Enlightenment because of the amount of power the church possessed. It acted as a government, aside from the existing monarchy that ruled the people, religion had much power. {laws of the 15th century influencing security - if no laws, security was needed at the time}

Wow, Why is freedom or security an important discussion?
-It is important for people of power to realize that there is no way for citizens of a government to have complete, natural freedom and security protections at one time.

That is quite the statement, To what extent did your work represent a rejection of traditional authority?
- At the time of the Enlightenment the church held power over the citizenry, limiting what they were able to do. For most of history, men have not been able to escape authority of those in greater power than themselves. It is probable that this will not change, making absolute freedom an impossibility. In this way, my work did not represent a rejection of traditional authority, but instead pointed out that with authority came security.

What is a present day problem one could solve through the application of your ideas? What is it and explain what that would look like to us?
- In governments around the world, and especially in democracies where freedoms are supported, people of power have an ongoing struggle between keeping freedoms and/or the the populace safe. Um, pardon the intrusion, but, what’s with the fish?

What do you mean?
- Nevermind, for instance, many Americans complain about airport security and that fact that it takes away our freedoms in an airport environment; but the government believes it is a necessary step towards safety and protection. Because these two ideas cannot live at the same time, compromises must be made. The people must realize that there is no way to make both sides happy.

Well, I am so glad to have spent this time with you to hear about your philosophies.
- Thank you….?

Until next week.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen: thoughts and reflections

         The Enlightenment was the time when new ideas were being created. People began to express their ideas and wanted to change their bad living conditions as commoners. This new way of thinking, using the scientific method for reasoning, established a basis for change yet to come. People started to challenge their governments' authority. This can be seen in the French revolution. When every citizen was starving and the aristocracy was still well fed, the people rebelled against their government declaring new rights for themselves. This revolution can be seen as very shocking because of the dramatic impact it had on peoples' rights. There was a huge change in the system of law. Creating equal trials to fairly punish the guilty in accordance to how sever their crime was. The people now had rights of freedom of speech, and women were given rights equal to those of men. The new ways of thinking brought on by the Enlightenment truly changed the coarse of history.

Research Book - Post #3: 21-31

          Unlike what pop-culture likes to believe today, that science fiction literature was only a recent creation, the literary genre had actually been around since around 430 BC. Writings of that time collected more religious and fantasy elements into them than modern sci-fi. Today, they would seem to be fantasy works of literature. They were adventure-romances that integrated flight into the sky and space. Both were seen as the same thing. Space was an extension to the sky, and so it was thought possible for people to fly to the moon or sun. However, other objects in the sky were still thought of as perfect "heavenly bodies". One such example would be the stars, which you could not reach like the sun and moon. An early writer, Euripides was the first to creat stories of sci-fi, but he would never go farther than the sun and moon during his adventures into space. Restricting his stories to "arial exploration". The author Marcus Tullius on the other hand was the writer of the earliest surviving text of cosmic travel. He depicted seeing other stars that could to be seen from the Earth, and the Milky-way Galaxy as well. Moving further forward in time to around 120 AD, the author who was thought to be the first to write science fiction, Lucian, emerged. Said to be a father of science fiction, Lucian wrote stories of a more mystical sense than modern sci-fi. Ending the time of previous writers of romance-science fiction, he was the first to have famous works, such as the True History, and Ikaromennippos. From the very early beginning of science fiction until Lucian, not much changed. The science fiction of that time could be described more as mystical fiction, with some science added in. 

Research Book - Post #2: 10-20

          Science fiction is a genre that is well know for its involvement in the creative expression of thought. However, in most modern works of science fiction the focus is more Protestant. They take a situation derived from reality and change the technological aspects of that situation in their new world. This can also be called 'hard science fiction'. Mainly based on fact, and exploring physical advancements or differences from modern day. The less known side of science fiction that most non-science fiction fans don't know about, is the philosophical approach to the creation of ideas. This type of science fiction is focused on the idea of 'being', and what is right and wrong to do or believe. These claims would be primarily based on pondering by the author of what could be, and not so much of what could exist within the rules of reality. This is a more open ended form of science fiction called 'soft science fiction'. 

          There are many biases related to the sci-fi genre. Some relating to the characteristics of the fans. It is widely perceived that they are inactive, unsocial, and are apart of the 'occult' fan base of fiction. There are also biases relating to science fiction itself. However, science fiction should be perceived as a collection of creative ideas that are constantly criticized by their respective fandoms to further the development of the human mind. Not a group of fictional nonsense that seems too improbable to care for. 

The Enlightenment - A Brief Summary:

          The enlightenment is the belief that science and reasoning are able to change the current state of the world. Unfair social situations and oppressive governments are able to be overturned for new and betters ways to run the economy. People that believe in the enlightenment and support its ideas are sure that progress in current affairs can be made, and can better the world by doing so. 

The Influential Invention of the Telescope: Essay

The optical telescope, created by Hans Lippershey during the renaissance was one of the most influential inventions of history. For the first time, people were able to widen their senses, and observe into the heavens. Galileo Galilei, was the first to use this invention to observe celestial bodies. The telescope allowed Galileo to record his observations and learn more about the world beyond Earth. The telescope also transferred the authority of how to observe nature to an instrument instead of human hands.
This step forward in observation, if applied to today, would solve the problem facing current astronomers; not being able to see planets because of the existing light from nearby stars. Scientists are currently inventing better ways to see into deep space. One such invention is the external occulter, which is more commonly known as a starshade. This screen blocks the light of stars and creates a highly contrasted image so the the observer can only see the light reflected by rocky exoplanets. For many scientists this is a welcome innovation.  

          During the renaissance the telescope was the tool that furthered much understanding of space. The well known Galileo observed many new characteristics of heavenly bodies with this new instrument. The moon, he found to be different from what was inferred. It was thought to be a perfect object, smooth and spherical, but Galileo recorded it to be rough and covered in seas and valleys. He also deduced from his observations that Jupiter had orbiting moons. Galileo recorded four in all; Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa. These were among many other discoveries Galileo found using the telescope. Starting in 1608, the telescope was available for general use, and would thus further studies of the unknown heavens. Currently, the instrument is being used to help observe other solar systems from our own. It has seen many changes as science and technology have advanced in the area, and has given people a great insight into the universe outside the Earth.

David, Leonard. "Innovative 'Starshade' Tech Could Illuminate Rocky Alien Planets." Space.com. N.p., 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.space.com/27765-starshade-tech-alien-planet-search.html>.

"Galileo and the Telescope." Australia Telescope National Facility. CSIRO, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.atnf.csiro.au/outreach/education/senior/astrophysics/galileo.html>.

The Start and Spread of Coffee - with Bob the bean

Link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6S297qVT8g&feature=youtu.be

Research Book - Post #1 - Beginnings:

          Science fiction is a very broad subject of literature. In itself, science fiction can encapsulate ideas of what could be, or things that could be created. This, all the while has to be relating to science. Science is the study and recording of observations that by themselves can not ever be proven true. They can only be falsified by other data. Science fiction has been defined differently by people throughout history. Some people claim that science fiction is like the intuitive, suggestive, and imaginative characteristics of the arts. But others relate science fiction to logic and deductive reasoning. Between both of these views however, science fiction has always been connected to experimentation. In asking the question; "what if?", science fiction is exploring what could come to be when using some scientific knowledge to back up its claim. A common example would be faster-than-light travel. What if it were possible to go faster than the speed of light? This has been pondered in many works of literature that have different scientific theories to support their claims. Some works have more evidence than others, but at the same time can be called science fiction. With so manny different views of its definition, science fiction has continued to influence arguments throughout history.   

Medici Presentation Part 3

 

Summery of Chapter 7 - The Great Soberer:

Starting in the seventeenth century, there was one drink that was capable of supporting commerce and global economies. The great soberer; coffee. Originating in Arabia, the drink started to gain attention with its ability to quench thirst while not being possible contaminated. This made it an intimidating rival to beer. Many new commercial ideals about how to appear during business were consequentially created. One being the promotion of awareness instead of being slightly intoxicated for work. This idea was more associated to the business and scientific fields. Thus giving rise to those types of innovative jobs in the economy. By the eighteenth century, coffee had found its way from the hands of the Arabic, to the Dutch, and French. During its travel, coffee met many who opposed its arrival. One such example would be in Europe. Religion at the time was opposed to coffee, thinking it evil, and those who drank it to be dammed to do so. However, that view on the consumer item changed when Pope Julius VIII tried the drink before his passing. His reaction to its splendid taste was so vibrant, that he changed the christian's view on the beverage forever. This commodity, has had one of the greatest impacts on society that has shaped the world until common day. 

Raphael - The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple: essay

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, more commonly known as Raphael was considered a master of the Renaissance. He was famous for his grace, emotion, and spacial geometry shown in his works. He contributed to the movement of Mannerism and Classicism in the Renaissance. Mannerism being excessive incongruity or stretching of human figures, and Classicism being rational, strict, and restrained forms of art. During his time as an artist, Raphael moved from using more of a Classicism and controlled art form to a dynamic form starting from his fresco painting, "The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple" in 1512, onward. 

This work was commissioned by Julius II. It depicts a scene of Heliodorus stealing treasure in a Jewish temple, and bystanders, including Pope Julius, watching the commotion. The fresco can be described as chaotic, desperate, authoritarian, and aghast. The painting shows these qualities because of the emotion showed by the crowd of onlookers in the scene. Most of them seem to be struck with terror and astonished at what is taking place. During this however, Julius the second is sitting in a chair representing the power of the church. 

Marin Luther - The Freedom of a Christian: thoughts and reflections

Marin Luther states in his passage of The Freedom of a Cristian, that a christian is subject to everyone and none at the same time. He explains that their souls is free to delight in righteousness and liberty of a christen spirit. This happens while their physical body may be enduring harm, but this outward hardship has no effect on the freedom of the soul. Marin Luther also explains the faith of christians. Their faith belongs to the word of God which brings salvation to ones soul. In christian faith, God teaches His lessons through the mind and soul and is above all else in spiritual power. Spiritual power is strength made by one's weaknesses, and is when a person can turn all things into those that profit for their salvation. In other words, the more one suffers from physical hurt, the more of a christian they are. This is why there is no gain for the well being of one's physical body. 

To me, an atheist, spiritual power means the embodiment of one's beliefs of what is good or wrong, happy or sad, and what they should do with their life according to their ideals. Spiritual power is also the capability of believing in one's self in life, and having hopes for the future. It is the power of a soul to keep going, and making the most out of life. 

The Prince: thoughts and reflections

According to Machiavelli, the writer of The Prince, there are a few things that a ruler must do to best control his state. A ruler should be self reliant. When he is self reliant he will be respected by his citizens, those around him, and those he has conquered. A ruler should also needs to understand that his power always depends on internal support, and as the ruler he should find it a necessity to gain that support. This idea of internal support is also related to obtaining the support of one's people. If a ruler's people are insured that they will be able survive through hard times, then they will fortify the city and the ruler of that city.

          Another point that Machiavelli put forth in his novel was the idea that a prince must use violence and deceit when necessary. Machiavelli states that a prince must be extremely cruel to his those he rules and then cease his involvement so his subjects forget about what he has done. The reason why he believes it is ok for the prince to act this way towards his citizens is because if the prince is to compassionate he will create a atmosphere of disorder. This would mean that those who are disloyal, would not be properly punished. The prince must also enforce hardship to uphold his strength and control over his subjects. More will bow and obey his rule if they are scared of being punished rather than being rewarded for their good deeds. With all these ideas, Machiavelli lastly states, that a Prince while inducing fear must not create hatred towards himself, for that is something that would threaten his position of power. 

The Aztecs and Spanish Comic: Brutality to the Brutal

Ellie Enichen

Amanda Soper

Timon Thume

Marianne Zhu

Period 3

World History II 

Brutality on the Brutal

                                                                        Project Outline

Intro into the time period 

-Siberians cross tundra bride linking Asia and North America

-Glaciers melted, oceans rose, and stormy water causes bridge to go away

-People in the Americas begin to farm, settle down, and form cities

Intro into Aztec story and life

-Brutal civilization rises (the Aztec)

-Aztecs can’t find a place to live so they wander

-Reach Lake Texcoco

-Build a civilization called Tenochtitlan

-Tenochtitlan becomes one of the largest cities in the world (held almost five million people) 

-Society possessed a government that worked, handsome buildings, painters, poets, historians, even historians

-However, Aztec society characterized by human sacrifices

-Christopher Columbus arrives in the new world

-Sails home and tells others about his journeys  

-Others follow (many of them were Spaniards)

Hernan Cortez 

-Cuba’s governor chose Cortez to lead expedition to America’s mainland

-Burns ships when they reached mainland so they couldn’t leave 

-Many different indians disliked the Aztec so they joined the Spaniards on their conquest

Spanish Strength/takeover 

-The Spanish had superior weapons, horses, guns, swords of steel, pikes, and crossbows

- 508 soldiers 

-IMPORTANT: POSSESSED THE WILL TO WIN

The Spaniards crushed the Aztec army 

-Spaniards destroyed temples, stole royal’s gold, 

-Spanish lost ⅓ of their men

-The Aztec ruler, Montezuma, was killed

-Spaniards raped Indian women, kill their soldiers.

Disease 

-Smallpox started in 151

-At the same time they brought back the smallpox. 

-Spread out in the Europe.        

                    

Christianity 

-Church- powerful, but power decrease, but still powerful in new world. 

-Force native to believe in christianity. 

-Force them to give up native religion

Society afterward

-Bring Christianity to native nation

-Develop mine and farming, and improve domestic animals

-Extend Spanish rule through the country

Conclusion

-Nationalism

-Desire for power

-Because of their superior weapons and will to win, they did.

                                                           List of Images Needed

Ellie needs:

Tundra bridge linking Asia and North America

Siberians walking across America 

The ocean

 Ancient farming

Map of South America

Growing of corn

Ancient Aztec city

Drawing of the brutal Aztec

Map of Aztec migration to Lake Texcoco

Lake Texcoco city

Intricacy of canals and bridges of Lake Texcoco

Aztec killing

Aztec sacrifices

Prosperous Aztec city

Timon needs:

Columbus arrives to the new world in a boat 

Columbus goes home on a boat 

Spanish come to the new world - Hernan Cortez

The spanish talking next to boats about what they want 

For background info on Cortez, a picture of Cuba’s governor at the time (Velasquez)

Another picture of the Spanish (maybe) of the arriving on the coast of Mexico where the Aztecs lived

Cortez burning their ships 

Soldiers talking among themselves that they are stranded in the new world and have to fight 

Indians joining the Spanish

Other indians fighting against them 

Amanda needs:

Spaniards with swords, guns, horses, cannons

Aztecs afraid (of spaniards?)

A bunch of spanish soldiers, cheering if possible

Spaniards in a solid ranks and/or Aztecs charging in an unorganized mob

Spaniards conquering and taking aztec gold

assassination of Montezuma if possible (if not, just spaniards killing aztecs)

other indians fighting spaniards and dying

Aztecs dying of disease 

Europeans dying of disease

Marianne needs:

Christian war

Aztecs change believe

Society of Aztecs before conquer and after. 

Mining/farming

Aztecs type of Christianity

Conquer 

Ellie needs for conclusion:

Spanish Flag

Gold

Spanish conquistador

The cross

Guns, horses, swords

Disease

                                                           List of Essential Details

A handful of Siberians travel the tundra bridge linking Asia and North America

Siberians scatter throughout North America

Glaciers melt, oceans rise, stormy water cuts of bridge from Asia to North America

Indians of the Americas learn to farm, settle down, begin to live in cities

Area of rapid change occurs mainly in Mexico, central America, and a portion of Peru

Indians learn how to grow corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cocoa, avocados, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, string and lima beans, tobacco, and shrubs that yield cocaine

As farming begins, peasants in the area begin to have more to eat, their numbers grow, they settle down, and so on and so forth

City states develop

Brutal civilization of the Aztec develops

Aztec forced to leave northern Mexico (possibly because they became too numerous)

Aztecs become nomads and wander southward toward the Valley of Mexico

Reach swampy islands off of the southwest shore of Lake Texcoco

Create a civilization on the islands, building bridges linking islands to the mainland, canals across the islands, etc.

Lake Texcoco becomes one of the largest cities in the world

Aztec develop a rich and ample empire using trickery and deceit

Aztec empire stretches across Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific 

Aztec empire characterized by human sacrifice

Every year Aztecs would sacrifice 15,000 prisoners 

However, Aztec had a working government, buildings, painters, poets, astronomers, historians, and their own form of politicians, soldiers, priests, and tax collectors 

Christopher Columbus arrives in the new world

Sails home and tells others about his journeys 

Others follow (many of them were Spaniards)

One of these Spaniards was Hernan Cortez 

They wanted adventure, treasure, land, and people that they could rule

Hernan Cortez

Cuba’s governor chose Cortez to lead expedition to America’s mainland

He gathered ships to sail to the eastern coast of Mexico (where the Aztecs were) 

Burns ships when they reached mainland so they couldn’t leave 

This made his soldiers either have to conquer or die 

Many different indians disliked the Aztec so they joined the Spaniards on their 

Other Indians tried to drive them back 

Spanish Strength/Takeover 

The Spanish had superior weapons 

horses, guns, swords of steel, pikes, cannons, and crossbows

The weapons were not only powerful and deadly but they terrified the Aztecs and other indians

508 soldiers 

Possessed the will to win

Indians charged in yelling mobs, Spaniards fought in ordered ranks

The Spaniards crushed the Aztec army 

Spaniards destroyed temples, stole royal’s gold, 

Spanish lost ⅓ of their men

The Aztec ruler, Montezuma, was killed

Spaniards raped Indian women, kill their soldiers.

Other indians besides the Aztec tried to fight them but they failed as well

Disease 

Smallpox started in 151

 At the same time they brought back the smallpox, measles, and dysentery.

The indians had never been exposed to these diseases and therefore had no immunity or treatment.

The diseases changed while they were in the New World. When the diseases were transported back to Europe, they spread quickly and killed many people.

Christianity 

Church power decrease-- need more believer

Force native to believe in christianity. 

 Force them to give up native religion

Use violence

Society afterward

Bring Christianity to native nation

Develop mine and farming, and improve domestic animals

Extend Spanish rule through the country

Cortes conquered Aztecs in 1521

Destroy the old Mexico building and build the new city over the ruins

Within 2 years, the Aztecs empire is totally destroyed. 

                                                         Brutality on the Brutal Script

Ellie’s part:

Slide 1- Our story begins with the journey of a handful of Siberians, Siberians who embarked upon the route to the New World by crossing the tundra bridge linking Asia and North America.

Slide 2- The Siberians arrived in the New World to find an utterly undiscovered continent. They separated and dispersed throughout the land, some venturing down into what we today call Central and South America. 

Slide 3- Meanwhile, as centuries passed, glaciers melted, oceans rose, and stormy water cut off the bridge the Siberians used.

Slide 4- And the ancestors of the Siberians who traveled to the New World began to learn to farm, settle down, and live in cities.

Slide 5- And rapid change began to occur, especially in Mexico.

Slide 6- Many of the peoples in Mexico began to learn how to grow corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cocoa, avocados, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, string and lima beans, tobacco, and even shrubs that yielded cocaine. Not long after, city states began to develop.

Slide 7- And along with that came the development of the brutal civilization of the Aztec.

Person 1 in photo: “Kill!”

Slide 8- The Aztec developed in Northern Mexico, but they were forced to leave, possibly because they became too numerous.They wandered southward toward the Valley of Mexico until they reached Lake Texcoco.

Slide 9- When they reached Lake Texcoco, they began to build a city, complete with bridges linking islands to the mainland, canals throughout the islands, and more. 

Slide 10: This city soon became one of the biggest in the world at the time.

Slide 11: However, while the Aztec were able to create this spectacular city and an empire stretching across Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, they did this through means of trickery, deceit, and violence.

Person 1 in photo: “You were supposed to be our ally!”

Person 2 in photo: “Kill him.”

Slide 12-  The Aztec also actively participated in human sacrifice. Every year the Aztec would sacrifice 15,000 prisoners.

Person: “For you, my god. I am sure you are hungry.”

Slide 13- However, despite the violent ways of the Aztec and their society, they still flourished. They had a working government, buildings, painters, poets, astronomers, historians, and even their own form of politicians, soldiers, priests, and tax collectors.

Timon’s part: 

Slide 1- As the Aztec's society reached its peak, the early explorer, Christopher Columbus, left for the new world from Spain, where queen Isabella saw him off to his voyage. 

Slide 2- Columbus arrived on the eastern coast of the new world. 

Slide 3- After which, Columbus sailed back to Spain to report his findings to the queen. 

Columbus: "These are the spoils of my venture." 

Slide 4- After Columbus, other explorers followed. One of which was Herán Cortés, a spanish conquistador. 

Slide 5- Cuba's governor, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, chose Cortés to lead an expedition to America's mainland. 

Cortés: "I am to lead the expedition?"

Slides 6 & 7- Cortés then gathered ships and sailed to the eastern coast of Mexico. He proceeded to burn his ships so he and his men couldn't leave and had to either conquer or die. 

Crew: "We want adventure, treasure, land, and people we can rule!"

Slide 8- Different local indians disliked the brutal Aztecs, and so joined the spaniards in their quest for power. These friendly indigenous people helped with hauling weapons, giving out provisions, and fought beside the spaniards. 

Cortés: "Fight on!"

Slide 9- At the same time however, they fought against other indians, driving Cortés and his men back as they resisted. 

Ellie’s conclusion: 

Slide - How could this happen and why? Well, it partially had to do with the nationalism felt by the countries in Europe at the time...the competition among the countries that encouraged exploration.

Slide - And the greed for gold among countries.

Slide - And the greed for glory, and power, among countries.

Slide - And the need to convert the people of the New World into Christians. The fear of difference felt by the Europeans, and their desire to transform the South American empires into empires of their own largely drove the violent European conquests. 

Slide - And because the Europeans had superior technologies such as horses, guns, swords of steel, pikes, and crossbows and the will to win.

Slide - And because they brought over diseases that wiped out entire populations, they were able to win.

Italian Renaissance Courtier:

The Human Story - The New World Falls to the Old: thoughts and reflections

          During the 15th and 16th centuries native american civilizations would come to a close with the arrival of Europeans in the new world. The Spanish were the first to create a dramatic impact on the natives of the new world. Their goal was to conquer and pillage the land. With the overthrowing of the Aztec empire the Spanish destroyed the cultural transitions of the race as well as appointed themselves at the top of the economic and political systems. The spanish also did the same with the Incan civilization. The Europeans also brought with them epidemics that killed off many of the native people. These diseases were then morphed and brought back to Europe and spread throughout the whole of Africa, Asia, and Europe.