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The History Highway: The Movie

Pre- Columbian (Before 1492): Developing the Concept

In this era, after the end of the last Ice Age, the people were advancing, and the development of

farming allowed the flourishing of several complex civilizations whose advances are still presentin our world today. On the other side of the world, These events were just the prequel to the story

of the Americas.

Event One (30,000 - 10,000 years ago): The Arrival = Finding the IdeaThe first people arrive in the land that was to one day be America, the hunters. Many scientistsbelieve bands of hunters crossed a land bridge that connected Siberia to Alaska, while others

believe they traversed the sea by boat. Though prehistory cannot be certain, what is certain is thatonce they arrived they kept moving in search of food and consequently settled all across the

Americas.

Event Two (5,000 years ago): The Key Advance = Developing on the IdeaA crucial event in this era was the development of farming, which brought great changes to thosewho practiced it and the course of history. Because farmers no longer had to pursue their food,they began making permanent settlements. Soon, cities and civilizations emerged because of the

large populations farming could support.

Event Three (1400s): The Muslim Traders = Spreading the IdeaOn the other side of the world, the growth of trade was linked to the emergence of a new religion,

Islam, which was rapidly spreading through trade and conquest. Muslim sailors had greatknowledge of sailing the Indian Ocean, so merchants traveled across seas and land, trading and

sharing the new faith. Soon, Muslim merchants sold goods such as Chinese fine porcelains, Indiancloth, African ivory and gold, and Asian spices, starting a craze for trade.

Person One: Ibn BattutaIbn Battuta was a North African scholar who set out to see the world at age 21 in 1325, covering

more than 73,000 miles in the following 30 years. He wanted to learn as much as possible at theland, people, and culture of the Muslim world. Once he had done so, he wrote fondly of his world

travels in a book. He is a great representation of the travelers of the time who had desires to goout and discover the world around them.

Person Two: Mansa MusaIn West Africa, two major trading kingdoms rose: Mali and Songhai, and the trading center for

both was the prosperous city of Timbuktu. The ruler of Mali was a Muslim, and in 1324 when theking went to make pilgrimage in Mecca, rumours of his tremendous wealth reached Europe. Had

he not gone for pilgrimage, it may not have sparked the desire in Europe to want to join thetrading frenzy.

Person Three: Zheng He

Zheng He was hired by a young emperor eager for trade in 1402, and his task was to command amassive fleet of more than 300 ships. The fleet carried around 28,000 sailors and tons of tradegoods, with the largest ships being over 400 feet long. From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He made seven

great voyages, expanding Chinese trade and influence across a vast area. But when Zheng He diedin 1435, the new emperor decided no more voyages were needed, and foreign travel was outlawed.

But had Zheng He reached the Americas before Columbus (for Zheng He had a much greaterchance) it would have changed the course of history forever. But because of the new law,

European countries were even more eager to find new trade routes to Asia, making dangerousjourneys to do so.

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Exploration Era (1492-1600s): Location Scouting

This was an era of making treacherous voyages across land and sea and exploring the worldaround us. European nations competed to be the wealthiest by pioneering new routes to Asia.

Columbus set out in 1492 with his idea to sail west across the Atlantic and made one of historysmost important voyages: his voyage to America. Thus began the flow of explorers coming to see

what the new land held in store.

Event One: The Historical Voyage = Stumbling Upon the Perfect Location

In August 1492, Christopher Columbus ventured into the Atlantic with his three ships (theNia,thePinta, and theSanta Mara) and a crew of around 90 sailors. Once they set sail, a month

passed before they saw land. They still sailed on, and finally on October 12 at 2 PM the lookout onthePinta spotted land. Columbus explored the islands in the Caribbean Sea he thought was India,and found signs of gold. He eagerly sailed back to report his discovery. This voyage was a turning

point in history.

Event Two: First Circumnavigation of the Earth = Exploring the Location

Now that the Spanish were exploring the world, they needed to know how wide the world reallywas. They had no idea until Ferdinand Magellan set out in 1519 on an expedition to find out. Hehad 5 ships and 250 crew membersof which only 1 ship and 18 sailors returned in 1522. But theywere the first people to circumnavigate, or sail all the way around the world. Now they had founda new all-water western route to Asia. This expedition helped the Europeans finally figure out just

how expansive the Earth is.

Event Three: The Columbian Exchange = Getting to Know the Locals

Now that the people of the Eastern and Western hemispheres were connected, a global transfer ofgoods, ideas, and cultures had begun. It was named the Columbian Exchange for it was the voyageof Columbus that started it all. The swap benefited both sidesEuropeans and Native Americans

each learned from each other and were influenced by each other. Europeans gave the NativeAmericans many domestic animals that changed their way of life, such as chickens, pigs, cattle,

and horses, which Indians learned to use to help with labor. The Indians contributed many oftheir crops they had learned to farm, while Europeans gave their own plants.Europeans adopted

Colonization Era (1600s-1763): Cast & Crew

Revolutionary Era (1763-1789):

Early Republic Era (1789-1825): Creating the Script

Jacksonian Era (1825-1840): Budget Issues

Expansion Era (1840-1860): Shooting the Film

Civil War Era (1861-1865): Disputes on Set

Reconstruction Era (1865-1877): Completing the Film

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- Citations -

Web

Hassler, Jr., W.W. (2011). American civil war. In EncyclopdiaBritannica online. Retrieved from

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/19407/American-Civil-War

Print

Freedman, R. (2004). 100 people who changed america. New York, NY:Scholastic Inc.