By Tim Lambert Early Ecuador The native people of Ecuador grew crops of maize, beans, potatoes, and squash. They kept dogs and guinea pigs for meat. Many of them were skilled potters and metalworkers in gold, silver, and copper. However, in the late 15th century they were conquered by the Incas. The Spaniards first sighted… Continue reading A Brief History of Ecuador
Category: Articles
A Brief History of Peru
By Tim Lambert The Chavin in Peru By about 2,500 BC people in what is now, Peru began farming. By about 1,800 BC they were making pottery. The first South American civilization was the Chavin. It arose in what is now Peru in about 900 BC. The Chavin did not invent writing but they were… Continue reading A Brief History of Peru
A Brief History of Venezuela
By Tim Lambert Early Venezuela For centuries the indigenous peoples of Venezuela lived by farming but also by hunting and fishing. Then in 1498, Christopher Columbus became the first European to reach Venezuela. In 1499 a Spaniard named Alonso de Ojeda led another expedition to the area. He called it Venezuela, meaning little Venice, after… Continue reading A Brief History of Venezuela
A Brief History of Uruguay
By Tim Lambert Early Uruguay In 1516 a Spaniard named Juan Diaz de Solis became the first European to reach Uruguay. In the 16th century, the Spanish took Argentina while Portugal took Brazil. What is now Uruguay was between them but its lack of mineral wealth meant that for a long time both nations took… Continue reading A Brief History of Uruguay
A History of The Incas
By Tim Lambert The Incas ruled a great empire in South America – but only for a short time. At its peak, the Inca Empire lasted less than a century before it was destroyed by the Spaniards. In about 1300 the Incas founded their capital city of Cuzco. They were only a small tribe but… Continue reading A History of The Incas
A Brief History of Algeria
By Tim Lambert Early Algeria In 150 BC Berber kingdoms existed in what is now Algeria. However, in 24 BC they were annexed by the Romans. The Romans built roads, cities, and aqueducts. Under the Romans Algeria became Christian. The famous theologian Augustine (354-430) lived in Hippo (present-day Annaba). As the Roman Empire in the… Continue reading A Brief History of Algeria
A Brief History of Africa
By Tim Lambert Ancient Africa Scientists believe that Africa was the birthplace of mankind. By 100,000 BC modern humans lived by hunting and gathering with stone tools. From Africa, they spread to Europe. By 5,000 farming had spread to North Africa. People herded cattle and they grew crops. At that time the Sahara Desert was… Continue reading A Brief History of Africa
A Brief History of Botswana
By Tim Lambert Early Botswana The earliest inhabitants of Botswana were Stone Age hunter-gatherers. some hunters carried on their simple way of life until the 20th century. However in the years before Christ was born some converted to a pastoral way of life. Then after 500 AD Bantu-speaking, people migrated to Botswana. They herded cattle… Continue reading A Brief History of Botswana
A Brief History of Angola
By Tim Lambert In the Middle Ages what is now Angola was organized into kingdoms. The people lived by agriculture. Craftsmen made things of metal and pottery. The Portuguese first reached Angola in 1483 but at first, they showed little interest in the area. The first Portuguese colony in Angola was not founded till 1575.… Continue reading A Brief History of Angola
A Brief History of The Gambia
By Tim Lambert The early Gambia By about 500 AD a sophisticated culture existed in the Gambia, which was able to build stone circles. Shortly afterward trade across the Sahara with the Arabs began and it later flourished. As a result of the trade powerful states were built in western Africa. In the 13th century,… Continue reading A Brief History of The Gambia