1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What was the “Old World” like in 1491, before Columbus’s voyages of exploration to the “New World”?

Teaching Suggestion: Mann’s book emphasizes the historical importance of post-Columbian contact between Europe and the rest of the world. Because students are likely to have been exposed to a fairly Eurocentric view of history, they may encounter Mann’s text without understanding the important interconnectedness of the flourishing civilizations of Asia and Africa prior to the age of European exploration. After students compose and share a brief response, they might work in small groups to share information or speculate together on more characteristics regarding the “Old World” in Asia and Africa. These and similar resources will help establish this important context for understanding Mann’s work.

• This 11-minute video explores the Late Middle Ages in Europe.
• This textbook web page explains the impact of trade in the Middle Ages between African and Asian civilizations.
• This article discusses the “golden age” of African civilizations during the Middle Ages.

2. What was the “New World” like in 1491?

Teaching Suggestion: Students are likely to have a basic understanding of the diversity of civilizations in the Americas, but they are less likely to know that some of these civilizations were likely a part of global trade networks during the pre-Columbian era. After sharing their initial responses to this prompt, they might utilize these or similar resources below to fill in any gaps in their understanding and then contribute additional salient points.

• This article offers an overview of pre-Columbian civilizations in the various regions of the Americas.
• This article discusses pre-Columbian trade routes in the Americas.
• This article discusses genetic and botanical evidence for pre-Columbian contact between Polynesia and the “New World.”  
• This article briefly recaps evidence for frequent pre-Columbian contact between the Norse and North American Arctic Indigenous peoples.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

In your personal opinion, what are 2-3 of the most significant events in human history? What makes these events so significant?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt asks students to “zoom out” even farther to establish the broadest possible context for understanding Mann’s work. Students may enjoy debating this question aloud—in small groups or as a whole class—so that they can hear many different suggestions about important historical events. If answering aloud, students may benefit from encouragement to explain their reasoning instead of simply nominating event after event. They might also be challenged to consider what their standards of “significance” reveal about their own values systems and consider how people from other backgrounds—e.g., cultural, economic, religious—might challenge their standards.