Development and Evolution of the Mayan Society - Assignment Example

Chapter 1 The first chapter shows the main concept of immigration, development and evolution of the Mayan society. The concept is to show how the Europeans opened up the Mayans immigration and establishments of the community. The author uses the geography and development of the Maya from Europe as the basic understanding with the point of showing how the Maya began to develop in specific regions. By using this as the basis, there is the ability to understand the physicality of the area while creating an image of how the Europeans created a connection to the Mayas. The author points out how the main concepts of the book point to economic establishment. This showed the trade and basic resources which were given to and from different places. The main point of the author is to show how the Atlantic was the significant ocean for trade and how it established relationships between Europe and the Mayans when the region began to open. This point shows that the concept of conquering the nation and discovering the new land was one that may have not been accurate because of the economic system for trade that had been established. The economic changes also relate to the discoveries for exchange. The Golden Age shows how the exchange with cultural and economic aspects helped to open both countries and began to move slowly into two globalized nations. There is also an understanding of how the globalized movements led to different geographical regions to portray a different understanding of each land. This led to a cross – cultural exchange that was regional as well as global. The document that shows the main point of the author is the Maya – Quiche Creation Myth. This particular story is based on how man was created and how God created man and woman as well as the earth for their well – being. The idea of creation through the Mayan civilization is then understood in the context of belief, culture and the way in which each lived. The lifestyles and the founding principles of the civilization are understood through this main concept. When one reads the first story before the rest of the explanations, there is a foundational understanding of what the Mayans believed and how they lived. The context of the creation story is not only essential to this chapter because of the culture and beliefs it reflects. It also establishes a relationship between the other creation stories told in different cultures. The story reflects the same story of Genesis and the Bible. Later, documentation of the Bible shows a relation to the other stories of the Mayans. The direct link between creation stories as well as the other stories of the Mayans shows that there is interconnectedness between the cultures which was established with the founding of the civilization. More important, there is an understanding that the Mayans were not an independent civilization, but either set up the culture from a different nation which held the same beliefs or continued with early trade on the Atlantic through established relationships. The main point of the author through this chapter can then be told through the documentation of the Maya creation story and the way in which it establishes a defining point of the Mayan civilization. Chapter 2 The main objective of the second chapter is to show who was involved with opening the different boundaries from South America and into the Atlantic and Europe. This is shown by dividing the geographical territories and defining which types of cultures associated in each region. The author is able to portray the way in which each region opened as well as what happened from the efforts of those that were involved. The author shows the economic relevance, resources exchanged and the cultural implications associated with each territory as well as how this affected the overall growth and expansion of each region and into Europe. There is also an understanding of which territories expanded and which didn’t specifically because of the desires and needs of both countries. When reading this chapter, one is able to understand how and why the conquests occurred in each nation. The concept that the author shows relates how each region opens up specifically for economic and cultural growth. As resources were desired by European nations, or wanted in regions of South America, the areas began to develop and open up. The intent of those that were involved was to expand economically and to have more resources available from both sides. The main individuals who were a part of this included royalty, merchants and traders. Each of these groups saw that the trade between the Atlantic was able to create growth and expansion as well as economic gain. More important, political leaders saw this as an opportunity to move forward with civilization through economic and cultural changes. The conquests which occurred in each country where specifically devised for economic gain and the ability to have more resources which could be provided to each nation. A document which shows the relevance to the author’s main point is from Mundus Novus. The document portrays the land of America with observations of the natives in the area as well as resources that were depicted. An important point to note is that the explorer is writing about the observations specifically to the king. Since this is the main audience, it shows that there is the desire to show how there is a direct link and connection to the political and economic influences of Europe as well as how the journey into the Americas can help to create stronger ties for the political and economic gain. The information provided shows what the interests are of the nation of Portugal as well as how the resources of the area can be used. The document is important specifically because it shows how Portugal and other nations intended to expand as well as what they were looking for in terms of resources. The author begins by describing the geography of the land as well as what the observations are of the region. More important, there are distinctions in which he makes from earlier explorations of Asia and Africa, which provide a different understanding of the climate, conditions and resources available. The author then goes to describe the rituals, culture and the way that the inhabitants work as a civilization. The author observes the customs that are used daily as well as how each interacts with the other. The observations from this part of the document are specifically to show how the human resources and culture interacts. The intent of the king can then respond to this to show if the area is inhabitable, whether the individuals can use resources and what resources is currently a part of the land. It also provides information on what the kings can use for resources and gain, as well as what parts are foreign and should not be looked into for economic or political gain, as proven in the other parts of chapter 2. Chapter 3 The focus of the third chapter is in describing the conquest of different nations, wars that were approached and taking over different tribes that were on the other side of the Atlantic. The main description of the wars is used to show how the European countries had found the different resources for economic gain in which they desired then moved in to conquer the different areas. The author portrays the main intent of those who were conquering different nations as well as what the main initiatives were used for between the Americas and the Indians in the new countries. Economic gain, taking over resources and settling in the new country were the main objectives which the author displays through moving into the wars and conflicts. The concept of the opening of the Atlantic through the author also describes how it began to change other aspects of life for both the natives and the Americans. The conquest not only began to change various parts of the economics that resulted from the wars. There was also a change in religious belief, forced initiatives to change culture and the desire to take over areas which were already inhabited by the natives of each land. The capturing of rulers and the violence that was used created a different culture for the natives and allowed the resources to be taken over by others in the country. The author uses the point of war and the way in which land was inhabited to show how the desire for resources, economy and political gain were the main objectives. An example shown is through Portugal, which would move into lands which had already been conquered and would create a war with Europe over the new land and resources. This shows that each of the nations had the desire to get into a specific territory because of the native establishment and resources available while using the conquest to establish political and economic gain. The document which proves the interpretations of the author is The Warning of the Cacique Hautey to the Indians of Cuba. The main point that the author states is based on the concept of speaking with the natives and understanding how they reacted to various situations. The native describes what had happened with the wars and conquests as well as what it did to the civilizations, culture and inhabitants of the land. The document describes the viewpoint from the native specifically to show how the conquest took place and what was done in Cuba to take over the resources and the land. The point that is made with this document shows that the wars and conquest that were taken over by Europe were unexpected and were specifically for resources. The native describes the specific components of the war, which includes the “cruel nature of the Spaniard” (141). There are specific associations with the way that the wars took place, specifically which was unexpected and unjust. The native also states that the main idea was to cast out all of the natives from the land, specifically because there was the need to get the resources of the land. The native recounts the Spaniards taking the gold, killing the men and women and taking the rest into slavery. The desire for resources becomes the main objective that is told by the natives, with the recognition that the desire for resources is one which led to the cruelty and conquering spirit of the Spaniards. The chapter then is able to show how the war was specifically to take resources and build economic ties and political gain to the European countries. Chapter 4 The objective of Chapter 4 is to show how the conquering spirit of the Spaniards to the Americas completely changed the economic gain and the resources available to those who settled in the region. When the natives were kicked out of the land, the Europeans were able to move in and build their own resources within the area. The author shows how the natives were able to live off the land; however, the Portuguese conquering spirit led to complications with the land. When the natives were kicked out, the European style of gathering resources began to be used. This created complications in the countries which had the most resources and portrayed problems with the systems which had been established. The author draws on the history of Portugal in the conquered countries through the 1800s. The establishment of plantations, slaves and thousands of different types of crops show how the wars led to the ability for Portugal to get the resources desired. Political, social and economic transformations were established from the main components of the land. The main point is to show how the Portugese not only established these places differently, but also went through several years of problems. Using the land in a different way, newer wars, others who wanted to conquer the land and objectives to connect the Atlantic from Europe to South America changed the way in which economics were looked at. The author shows that the perseverance of the Spanish and the knowledge they found through conquering the land created an interdependency of resources on both lands and established a strong connection from Spain and into North America. The document which shows how the Portuguese were able to establish the land is shown in The Island of Saint Thomas. Descriptions are given in this document of how the Portuguese worked with the land and tried to establish a different component of culture in the area. The document shows how the new land began to change, specifically because of the way that the Portuguese worked with the resources. References to the changes in soil, establishment of different types of growth and agricultural explorations are made through the document to depict how the Portuguese had to work to establish a different commodity for resources. The second part of the document also describes the beginning change in culture. The description begins with the understanding of the Portuguese, mulatos, slaves and natives to the land. There is a distinct line and boundary that the document draws between the two; however, the author also shows that both the natives and the inhabitants began to work together for the resources of the land. The intertwining of cultures that is shown in this document shows how the conquest of Portugal also led into an interexchange of resources, education and natives as well as those from Portugal. The main point of this document is to show how the cross of cultures and the establishment of the new country was one which changed the face of both Portugal and South America. The cultures became intertwined and the establishment of Portugal led into a different country with the areas that were conquered. The examples given in the document directly relate to the understanding of how the establishment in the land changed the resources available to both countries and established a link with the cultural exchange of natives and those in Portugal. References Benjamin, Thomas. The Atlantic World: Europeans, Africans, Indians and Their Shared History, 1400-1900. Cambridge University Press: UK, 2009. Read More