Accidental Conquerors

1
Accidental Conquerors

• November 26, 2012

2
1492

• Eurasia iron tools, writing, agriculture,
  large, centralized states, oceangoing ships, and
  on verge of industrialization
• Americas agriculture, a few large, centralized
  states, writing in one area, technologically and
  politically a few thousand years behind Eurasia
• Australia stone tools

3
Racism

• Continental differences in level of civilization
  arose from geographys effect on the development
  of our cultural hallmarks, not from human
  genetics - Diamond

4

• Civilization is based, not only on men, but on
  plants and animals Haldane
• Conquest due to worse germs, more advanced
  technology, writing, and political organization
• By 4000 BC, Eurasia domesticated sheep, goats,
  pigs, cows, and horses
• East Asians, instead of cows, had yaks, water
  buffalo, gaur, and banteng
• Americas dogs, turkey, guinea pig (food),
  alpaca (wool), and llama (pack animal)