Unit 6 Essay: Connections Across the Americas

Purpose

This assignment aligns with Learning Outcomes 6, 7, and 8.

The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the extent to which trade, cultural exchange, and shared technologies connected the diverse societies of pre-Columbian North, Central, and South America, and to explore whether these interactions suggest the existence of a larger, interconnected “American” pre-Columbian world or whether these societies remained largely independent. Drawing on both primary and secondary sources, students will analyze evidence such as the movement of trade goods (e.g., Mesoamerican turquoise found in Chaco Canyon), the spread of agricultural practices like maize cultivation, and architectural parallels between the Mississippian mound-building traditions and Mesoamerican pyramids. By examining these examples, alongside colonial accounts of trade and infrastructure, the essay will assess the degree of interaction and cultural diffusion among pre-Columbian societies, ultimately addressing the broader question of whether these connections reflect regional interdependence or cultural isolation.

Task

To what extent were the diverse societies of pre-Columbian North, Central, and South America connected through trade, cultural exchange, and shared technologies? In your essay, analyze specific examples–such as the movement of trade goods (like Mesoamerican turquoise found in Chaco Canyon), the spread of agricultural practices (such as maize cultivation), and architectural similarities (for example, between Mississippian mounds and Mesoamerican pyramids). Drawing on both primary and secondary sources from the course, evaluate whether these interactions indicate the existence of a larger, interconnected American world before European contact, or whether these societies remained largely independent and isolated from one another. Support your argument with evidence, and address both the possibilities for regional interdependence and cultural isolation in your conclusion.

Materials

Please read all of the course readings for this module before completing the assignment. Then, look at the External Links to Primary and Secondary Sources below. You are encouraged to explore additional peer-reviewed materials and websites with primary sources to support your paper.

• Trade Goods: Artifacts such as Mesoamerican turquoise found in the Southwest (e.g., Chaco Canyon), which suggest trade routes between North and Central America.
  • American Museum of Natural History – Turquoise Trade
  • The museum offers insights into the turquoise trade and its significance in connecting regions across North and Central America.
  • Link:

• Agricultural Evidence: Crops like maize, which originated in Mesoamerica and spread to North and South America, as shown by archaeological findings and genetic studies.
  • Science Magazine (Archaeological Evidence)
  • Seminal studies on maizes spread, such as isotopic analysis of ancient human remains showing maize consumption.
  • Link: (Search: “maize spread Americas”)
• Architectural Similarities: Compare mound-building traditions of the Mississippian culture to pyramids in Mesoamerica for evidence of cultural parallels or diffusion.
  • Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
  • Official website of Cahokia Mounds, the largest Mississippian site, with information on its earthwork structures and cultural significance.
  • Link:
  • Smithsonian Institution – Mesoamerican Pyramids
  • Overview of Mesoamerica including their pyramids, history, construction, and cultural significance in civilizations like the Maya, Aztec, and Olmec.
  • Link:

• Spanish and European Accounts: Early colonial descriptions of trade networks, such as Spanish observations of Inca roads or Aztec markets, which highlight the scale of economic exchange.
  • Smithsonian Magazine – Colonial Observations of Native Trade
  • Articles on Spanish descriptions of Aztec markets and the Inca road system, as well as their significance in pre-Columbian economic systems.
  • Link: (Search: “Aztec markets Inca roads”)
  • Conquistadors: Voices of the Spanish Conquest (PBS)
  • PBS provides translations and analysis of Spanish accounts of the conquest, including descriptions of the Aztec markets and Inca road systems.
  • Link:

Essay Instructions

• Essays should be generally free of spelling, grammatical, and stylistic errors. They should use complete sentences and paragraphs. A paragraph is comprised of 4-6 sentences. Essays should have an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement that provides the essays argument, the main body of several supporting paragraphs that address the questions, and a conclusion that wraps up the essay and refers again to the thesis statement. Essays should be indented at the beginning of each paragraph.
• Essays should be typed in 12-point font with a simple, clean font such as Times New Roman. Use 1 inch margins on all sides and double-space the text.
• Excluding citations, essays should be a minimum of 1,000 words. or four pages in length. Essays should run no more than a maximum of 1,250 words, or five pages in length.
• Essays should provide specific examples and use evidence in answering the questions. This includes citing sources, either with direct quotes or summarized information. As a general rule of thumb, essays should have at least one citation per paragraph. Essays should avoid lengthy or block quotations.
• Students should take care to avoid plagiarism. As part of this, and in order to simplify this assignment for students, the use of outside sources is forbidden for this essay. Students should only cite the sources assigned to them in GoView for this essay.
• Essays should not use the first person, e.g. I, me, or my. Source citations should use a commonly accepted citation style such as or . You should choose one of these citation styles from the outset and use it consistently throughout your essay. For more information on accepted citation styles, please see the General Essay Guideline on the syllabus.

Struggling with your essay and deadlines?

Get this or a similar paper done in as fast as 4 hours, 24/7.

NB: We do not sell prewritten papers. All essays are written from scratch according to specific needs and instructions

✔Secure Service ✔ Plagiarism Free ✔On-time Delivery

WRITE MY PAPER