Overview Urbanization is one of the major criteria for the development of a civilization. When Europeans arrived in the Ame

Overview

Urbanization is one of the major criteria for the development of a civilization. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, the "New World," they found few urban centers and determined that the peoples of the Americas were uncivilized. This, in part, justified conquest; however, they were wrong. There were a number of urban civilizations in the Americas, some of which rivaled the greatest cities of Europe, many of which were built and flourished while Western Europe languished in the Dark Ages.

Instructions

Compare and contrast two urban civilizations in the Americas pre-contact. Your response must be based on at least two secondary sources in addition to your readings.

• Address at least three of these elements in your post about each urban civilization:
  • Religion
  • Geography
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Trade
  • Culture
  • Agriculture
  • Technology
• Imagine you were a European encountering these societies for the first time. How would you react and why?

Make sure to incorporate historical evidence from the sources and source types noted in the prompt to support your points and use proper citations. You may use sources other than those found in the Recommended Resources, but you should write at least 300 words in your response.

Reply to at least two other students' posts with substantive responses of at least 100 – 150 words, and be sure to reply briefly to your instructor as well

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