Discuss the legacies and consequences of Christopher Columbus’s excursion into the “New World”. How was his voyage in 1492 during the “Scientific Revolution” important to Europe and what opportunities or drawbacks did his presence represent during this period of world history? What groups were the most impacted and why?
Describe the Spanish conquest into the “New World” and in particular its impacts on Indigenous and Amerindian cultures in the Americas. How and when did Hernan Cortez Conquer Central Mexico and the Aztec Empire which was vastly larger than the men he had with him on the mission? What made this conquest unique?
What was the impact of Martin Luther and John Calvin? How did the Reformation of Protestantism Challenge the Roman Catholic Church and the hierarchy of Europe’s elite? How did this impact the decisions by early puritans to venture out and away from the Anglican Church (which was viewed as still imitating Catholicism) to North America and begin a new chapter in human civilization?
Life was harsh and volatile on early settlers who came to the early United States in the 17th Century and truthfully many perished and did not survive the early years. Discuss early life in specific regions of Colonial North America. In addition, how did Europeans and Indians view and interpret gender differences from one another? How was farming, animism, marriage, sex, children, family, divorce, and property ownership viewed?
What triggered the American Revolution from the point of view of reaching “Liberty” from an ideological perspective? What Philosophers and intellectuals did the American Forefathers call upon or cite during the period that challenged the British Empire in North America?
Illustrate the major critical events that led to the American Revolution. What was the response by both sides to violence, attacks, and threats? What were the legacies and consequences of the “Radicals” such as the “Sons of Liberty”? What do you believe was the height of the colonial crisis and what ultimately ended it?
