This program studies European exploration and conquest, beginning in the late Middle Ages and leading up to the emergence of the major colonial powers. It depicts an age of radical technological innovation, atrocities for God and gold, and varying awareness of the world's true size and shape.
The Mayan civilization enjoyed a glorious period from 325 AD to 925 AD. Skilled potters, weavers and farmers, the magnificent temples at Chichen Itza and Copan are among the legacies of peace-loving people. The Aztecs of Mexico are remembered for their architecture, sculpture, art, and for their religious rituals.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores the impact of the Atlantic trading world, giving rise to powerful new kingdoms, but also transatlantic slave trade. Learn of the revolutionary movements of the 18th & early 19th centuries, including the advent of the Sokoto Caliphate.
