The Americas That Might Have Been: Native American Social Systems Through Time Project Muse Upcc Books

**Imagines the development of the Western Hemisphere without European contact and colonization.** This work answers the hypothetical question: What would the Americas be like today—politically, economically, culturally—if Columbus and the Europeans had never found them, and how would American peoples interact with the world's other societies? It assumes that Columbus did not embark from Spain in 1492 and that no Europeans found or settled the New World afterward, leaving the peoples of the two American continents free to follow the natural course of their Native lives. __The Americas That Might Have Been__ is a professional but layman-accessible, fact-based, nonfiction account of the major Native American political states that were thriving in the New World in 1492. Granberry considers a contemporary New World in which the glories of Aztec Mexico, Maya Middle America, and Inca Peru survived intact. He imagines the roles that the Iroquois Confederacy of the American Northeast, the powerful city-states along the Mississippi River in the Midwest and Southeast, the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo culture of the Southwest, the Eskimo Nation in the Far North, and the Taino/Arawak chiefdoms of the Caribbean would play in American and world politics in the 21st Century. Following a critical examination of the data using empirical archaeology, linguistics, and ethnohistory, Granberry presents a reasoned and compelling discussion of native cultures and the paths they would have logically taken over the past five centuries. He reveals the spectacular futures these brilliant pre-Columbian societies might have had, if not for one epochal meeting that set off a chain of events so overwhelming to them that the course of human history was forever changed. **Julian Granberry** is Language Coordinator with Native American Language Services in Florida and author of numerous publications, including __A Grammar and Dictionary of the Timucua Language.__ Additional reviews: "Offers the latitude to explain a model of cultural evolution based on kinship categories while speculating about hjow several Indian nations might have developed __sans__ colonialism."—__North Dakota Quarterly__ "Granberry offers scenarios that should have us thinking of the innumerable possible trajectories that these societies might have followed had they not been impacted by Europeans."—__Journal of Anthropological Research__

Imagines the development of the Western Hemisphere without European contact and colonization.

This work answers the hypothetical question: What would the Americas be like today—politically, economically, culturally—if Columbus and the Europeans had never found them, and how would American peoples interact with the world's other societies? It assumes that Columbus did not embark from Spain in 1492 and that no Europeans found or settled the New World afterward, leaving the peoples of the two American continents free to follow the natural course of their Native lives.

The Americas That Might Have Been is a professional but layman-accessible, fact-based, nonfiction account of the major Native American political states that were thriving in the New World in 1492. Granberry considers a contemporary New World in which the glories of Aztec Mexico, Maya Middle America, and Inca Peru survived intact. He imagines the roles that the Iroquois Confederacy of the American Northeast, the powerful city-states along the Mississippi River in the Midwest and Southeast, the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo culture of the Southwest, the Eskimo Nation in the Far North, and the Ta&iactue;no/Arawak chiefdoms of the Caribbean would play in American and world politics in the 21st Century.

Following a critical examination of the data using empirical archaeology, linguistics, and ethnohistory, Granberry presents a reasoned and compelling discussion of native cultures and the paths they would have logically taken over the past five centuries. He reveals the spectacular futures these brilliant pre-Columbian societies might have had, if not for one epochal meeting that set off a chain of events so overwhelming to them that the course of human history was forever changed.

Julian Granberry is Language Coordinator with Native American Language Services in Florida and author of numerous publications, including A Grammar and Dictionary of the Timucua Language.

Additional reviews:

"Offers the latitude to explain a model of cultural evolution based on kinship categories while speculating about hjow several Indian nations might have developed sans colonialism."—North Dakota Quarterly

"Granberry offers scenarios that should have us thinking of the innumerable possible trajectories that these societies might have followed had they not been impacted by Europeans."—Journal of Anthropological Research

Annotation Imagines the development of the Western Hemisphere without European contact and colonization. This work answers the hypothetical question: What would the Americas be like todaypolitically, economically, culturallyif Columbus and the Europeans had never found them, and how would American peoples interact with the world's other societies? It assumes that Columbus did not embark from Spain in 1492 and that no Europeans found or settled the New World afterward, leaving the peoples of the two American continents free to follow the natural course of their Native lives. The Americas That Might Have Been is a professional but layman-accessible, fact-based, nonfiction account of the major Native American political states that were thriving in the New World in 1492. Granberry considers a contemporary New World in which the glories of Aztec Mexico, Maya Middle America, and Inca Peru survived intact. He imagines the roles that the Iroquois Confederacy of the American Northeast, the powerful city-states along the Mississippi River in the Midwest and Southeast, the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo culture of the Southwest, the Eskimo Nation in the Far North, and the Tano/Arawak chiefdoms of the Caribbean would play in American and world politics in the 21st Century. Following a critical examination of the data using empirical archaeology, linguistics, and ethnohistory, Granberry presents a reasoned and compelling discussion of native cultures and the paths they would have logically taken over the past five centuries. He reveals the spectacular futures these brilliant pre-Columbian societies might have had, if not for one epochal meeting that set off a chain of events so overwhelming to them that the course of human history was forever changed. Julian Granberry is Language Coordinator with Native American Language Services in Florida and author of numerous publications, including A Grammar and Dictionary of the Timucua Language. Additional reviews: "Offers the latitude to explain a model of cultural evolution based on kinship categories while speculating about hjow several Indian nations might have developed sans colonialism." North Dakota Quarterly "Granberry offers scenarios that should have us thinking of the innumerable possible trajectories that these societies might have followed had they not been impacted by Europeans." Journal of Anthropological Research Imagines the development of the Western Hemisphere without European contact and colonization. This work answers the hypothetical question: What would the Americas be like today—politically, economically, culturally—if Columbus and the Europeans had never found them, and how would American peoples interact with the world's other societies? It assumes that Columbus did not embark from Spain in 1492 and that no Europeans found or settled the New World afterward, leaving the peoples of the two American continents free to follow the natural course of their Native lives. The Americas That Might Have Been is a professional but layman-accessible, fact-based, nonfiction account of the major Native American political states that were thriving in the New World in 1492. Granberry considers a contemporary New World in which the glories of Aztec Mexico, Maya Middle America, and Inca Peru survived intact. He imagines the roles that the Iroquois Confederacy of the American Northeast, the powerful city-states along the Mississippi River in the Midwest and Southeast, the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo culture of the Southwest, the Eskimo Nation in the Far North, and the Taino/Arawak chiefdoms of the Caribbean would play in American and world politics in the 21st Century. Following a critical examination of the data using empirical archaeology, linguistics, and ethnohistory, Granberry presents a reasoned and compelling discussion of native cultures and the paths they would have logically taken over the past five centuries. He reveals the spectacular futures these brilliant pre-Columbian societies might have had, if not for one epochal meeting that set off a chain of events so overwhelming to them that the course of human history was forever changed. Julian Granberry is Language Coordinator with Native American Language Services in Florida and author of numerous publications, including A Grammar and Dictionary of the Timucua Language. Additional reviews: "Offers the latitude to explain a model of cultural evolution based on kinship categories while speculating about hjow several Indian nations might have developed sans colonialism."— North Dakota Quarterly "Granberry offers scenarios that should have us thinking of the innumerable possible trajectories that these societies might have followed had they not been impacted by Europeans."— Journal of Anthropological Research Contents 8 List of Figures 10 Preface 12 Introduction: The Whys and Wherefores 18 Part I: In the Beginning 38 1. Men Out of Asia 40 2. America 1492 50 Part II: The Inner Man 56 3. Native Philosophies of Life 58 4. Unitary Norms: The Asian Perspective 63 5. The Dualistic View: The European Norm 69 6. The Trinary Compromise: The Near Eastern Norm 79 Part III: The Matrix of Lives 86 7. The Empire of Tawantinsuyu 88 8. The Empire of the Méxica 101 9. The Maya Kingdoms 112 10. The Mississippian Cities and Towns 124 11. The Pueblo Towns 134 12. The Taíno Kingdoms 144 Part IV: The Future of the Past 156 13. Hemispheric-Internal Relationships in the Twenty-first Century: The Inner Design 158 14. Commerce and Discovery of the Old World 173 15. International Alliances and Interaction in the Twenty-first Century: The Outer Scheme 188 Epilogue: The First Baktun 195 References 198 Index 216 Introduction : the whys and wherefores Men out of Asia America 1492 Native philosophies of life Unitary norms : the Asian perspective The dualistic view : the European norm The trinary compromise : the Near Eastern norm The empire of Tawantinsuyu The empire of the Méxica The Maya kingdoms The Mississippian cities and towns The Pueblo towns The Taíno chiefdoms Hemispheric-internal relationships in the twenty-first century : the inner design Commerce and discovery of the old world International alliances and interaction in the twenty-first century : the outer scheme Epilogue: the first Baktun.