Guns, Germs and Steel Notes

Episode 1
BIG IDEA: Geography and the resources available to certain areas of
the world is the main cause of inequalities around the world.
New Guinea birdlife expert; takes frequent trips. Became interested
in the New Guinean people.
1.) 40,000 years of human activity in New Guinea. One of the most
adaptable and culturally diverse people in the world, much
poorer than modern Americans.
2.) Why you white men have so much cargo?
3.) Power determined by race, whites found themselves genetically
superior.
4.) Why is the world so different?
5.) Advanced technology, well organized workforce, large
populations- all great cities have in common.
6.) 13,000 years ago- ravages of last Ice Age over. World becoming
warm, wetter. Middle East thriving far less arid, more
trees/plants. Hunters and Gatherers in small, mobile groups.
Frequently on the move (nomadic).
7.) Seasons change, animals migrate, they moved on to new food
resources.
8.) Still possible to find hunters and gatherers is rainforests of Papua
New Guinea.
9.) Hunting has never been a productive way to find food; takes time
to find animals, bow and arrow is unpredictable.
10.)
Traditional societies rely on gathering, usually down by
women. Still dont provide for a large population.
11.)
Sago tree is important in Papua New Guinea, turned into
dough and can be cooked. (One tree- 3 to 4 pounds of Sago, low
on protein, cant be stored for a long time).
12.)
Barley and wheat in the Middle East, far more plentiful and
nutritious. Profound impact, setting humanity on course to
modern world.
13.)
12,500 years ago, climate changed. Global temperatures
dropped, Ice Age conditions returned. Colder and drier. Animal
herds and plants disappeared. Drought lasted 1,000 years.
14.)
Canadian archeologist Dr. Ian Kuijt near Dead Sea,
recovered remains of sophisticated dwellings. Early people
settling down and living together, first emerged 11,500 years
ago. End of drought in Middle East.
15.)
Worlds first granary, wheat and barley. Cereal grasses
hardy enough to survive. People grew own food due to scarcity.
First farmers.

16.)
Theyd favor best wheat/barley (Easiest to harvest,
tastiest, size of seeds, etc.) People starting to control nature.
DOMESTICATION.
17.)
Few parts of ancient world to develop farming
independently. After Middle East was China, with rice, high-yield
cereal grass. Americas based on corn, squash and beans. Later in
Africa, Sorghum, millet and yams. Relatively large, advanced
civilization followed. Exception is highlands of New Guinea. 50
years after Westerners colonize New Guinea, thought highland
valleys of interior were not inhabited, but it was most densely
populated. People farming there for 10,000 years.
18.)
Highland agriculture based on Taro roots and other crops,
planted one by one. Cant be stored for years. Low in protein
compared to wheat, suffered from deficiency. Bananas also low in
protein. Sometimes they eat giant spiders to supplement diet.
19.)
Geographic luck. Inequalities born from crops we eat.
Centuries, grown crops that are more nutritious and productive.
Wheat 1/5 of calories we eat. Taro and bananas could not sustain
wealth.
20.)
9,000 years ago Middle East had much larger villages,
becoming more productive farmers. Also had steady source from
animal domestication (meat, milk and skins.) Domestic animals
became integral part of new way of life.
21.)
Animals eat rest of cereal harvest, dung used as fertilizers.
22.)
Goats and sheep first, followed by other domesticated
animals. Used primarily for meat, then used for plows.
23.)
New Guinea and other parts of the world never used plows
because they didnt have the animals they needed. Only had
pigs, which were brought in from Asia a couple thousand years
ago. Only muscle power was human muscle power.
24.)
2,000,000 known species of wild animals, vast majority
never been farmed. Insects and rodents have no practical use,
with carnivores, birds, fish and reptiles also mostly impractical.
Best are large, plant eating mammals.
25.)
South Asia, some elephants used as work animals. Africans
tried, but are unsuccessful. Elephants caught in wild, then tamed
and trained. Takes 15 years to mature. Best animals can
reproduce after 1-2 years. Internal social hierarchy.
26.)
Needs to get along with humans. Some animals dont have
the temper. Zebra ideal domestic animal, useful as a horse,
zebras are flighty, nervous creatures due to evolution in Africa.
27.)
14 large domestic animals in history of human civilization.
NONE from New Guinea, Australia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North
America. S. America had one species, other 13 all from Europe,
Asia and North Africa. Big 4 (Cows, pigs, goats, sheep) native to
Middle East. Became known as Fertile Crescent.

28.)
9,000-year-old archeology site in Guar, Southern Jordan
looked like a town. Few hundred people lived there in rows of
houses. Kind of air-conditioning, parts covered in plaster. Moving
to concept of homes.
29.)
People could develop new skills and technologies after
freed from burden of farming. Working with fire led to working
with steel, a technology that would change the world.
30.)
New Guinea never developed advanced technology.
Highlands people work in ways that havent been changed in
centuries. 1960s people still using stone tools. Needed to have
people with the skills to make things, but that would mean
having farmers that could make a surplus of food. As a result, no
specialists. Then, Westerners arrived and used technology to
colonize the country.
31.)
Fertile crescent is not the powerhouse of the modern world,
nor is it the breadbasket. Most villages were abandoned.
Fundamentally weakness: climate was too dry and ecology too
fragile to support farming.
32.)
Same latitude: Similar climate, same length of day. Middle
east ability to prosper at the same latitude, in places like India,
Europe and Africa. Caused explosion of civilization. Enough food
to feed armies of people for pyramids, pharaohs, scribes, etc. in
Egypt.
33.)
Fed artists, inventors, and soldiers of Europe. Taken to New
World in the 16th century. Not a single cow or ear of wheat in
Americas. Now, 100,000,000 cattle in U.S. alone. 20,000,000
tons of wheat consumed a year in America. Unthinkable without
spread of farming from Fertile Crescent.
34.)
Theory: Distribution of power and wealth reduced
down to cattle and wheat. Too deterministic, says critics. Too
neat and easy. Religion, politics, etc. ignored. Ignored how people
shaped their own destiny.
35.)
People around the world are fundamentally similar. Huge
cultural differences, but that is not the root cause of difference.
Raw materials at their disposal.

Episode 2
BIG IDEA: Steel was available to the Europeans because it
diffused from the Middle East from the east to the west. Germs
from the domesticated animals affected Europeans during the
Middle Age, but killed many Natives when it was brought to the
Americas.

1.) 1532 New World and Old World collided- 168 Spaniards
attacked Imperial army of Incas in highlands of Perumassacred 7,000 and took control. No Spanish lives lost.
2.) Land itself separates winners and losers- geography. Shape of
continents, crops, animals, allowed some countries to flourish.
3.) 2 years, Spanish conquistadors traveling for gold/glory.
Mercenaries and adventures, retired army captain leader
Francisco Pizarro.
4.) Find evidence of large native civilization (Inca Empire). Any
encounter is clash of culture for Incas. Never seen white
men.
5.) 1530s Inca Empire enormous, length of Andes Ecuador to
Chile 2500 miles. Colonies 500 miles north C. America and
Caribbean belonged to Spanish empire. Spanish king
controlled 1/3 mainland Europe. Still rural society.
6.) Francisco swine herd in small town nearby fields.
Remembered as great warrior by Spanish. Family home is a
museum.
7.) Farming gave some cultures enormous head start; most
productive crops and animals became most productive
farmers. Agriculture developed in Fertile Crescent. Triggered
explosion of civilization.
8.) 16th century European farms dominated by livestock from
Fertile Crescent; none native to Europe. Leather, manure,
wool, meat, milk, muscle power. Able to grow more food to
feed more people.
9.) New world: no horses/cattle, all work done by hand. Only large
domestic animal was llama, never harnessed to the plow.
Skilled at growing potatoes and corn, but could never be as
productive as Europe due to geography.
10.) Horses gave Europeans advantage- they could be ridden.
Spain had horses for 4000 years before Inca conquest,
allowed people to be mobile.
11.) Spanish cavalry rode horses in a special way- emphasis on
control and maneuverability. Bent knees to grip sides on
horse, one hand on reigns.
12.) Royal messenger tells Emperor of the Incas about the
god-like people on horses, guarded by army of 80,000 men.
Leader is revered as God, son of the Sun. Chooses not to
have Spaniards killed, sends them a message to join him in N.
Peru city. Underestimated Spaniards in comparison to the Inca
army.
13.) Imperial capital Toledo- 700 years Spaniards at war against
Moors and other European armies. Arms race in Europe; had
to keep up with latest weapon technologies. Gunpowder used
as weapon on battlefield. Extremely important to European

arsenal, though still in infancy. Real power was STEEL. (Incas

making bronze tools).
14.) Swords long process of trial and error beginning outside of
Europe. Fertile Crescent worked with steel 7000 years ago;
Europeans inherited it but took it to new level. Steel is iron
infused with carbon (More carbon= harder, but you dont want
it too hard or it will be brittle). Took centuries to get to level of
sophistication that it was at.
15.) Rapier was weapon of choice in Europe- dress sword.
Wore the sword in 16th century with everyday wear. Symbol of
conquistadors aspiring greed/overbearing avarice.
16.) November 15th, 1532, enter valley of Inca city. Told leader
is waiting for them, but surprised to find 80,000 army of men.
Francisco sends army of best horsemen into heart of Inca
Empire. Inca leader Attawapa remains calm despite horse and
Spaniard, never moved. The time has come for you to pay,
said Inca leader.
17.) Conquistadors made camp, fearful. Believed to be facing
oblivion. Decide to surprise attack based after Cortez attack
on Aztec from book.
18.) Writing/reading originated by Samarians in Fertile Crescent
5,000 years ago. Pioneered elaborate symbols to record
farming transactions. (Cuneiform). Almost every other written
language of Europe or Asia inspired by basics of cuneiform.
Spread of writing helped by ink, paper, and typing. Printing
press created in Europe.
19.) New system of writing created independently 2,500 years
ago, Southern Mexico, evolved into Mayan script but did not
travel to Incas. Answer lies in shape of continents.
20.) Asia/Europe form Eurasia spreads east to west. Americas
north/south with narrow strip of land. LATITUDE! North/south
journey through climatically different vegetation and day
length. Hindered spread of crops and animals, as well as
people and technologies. Andes were chronically isolated with
no access to innovation. Pizarro and men geographically
blessed.
21.) November 16th, 1532. Leader agreed to meet Spaniards in
town. Makes fatal decision that soldiers should not carry
weapons due to festivity (wants to show he is beyond the
gods by driving them out without violence). Spaniards hidden
from view. Leader doesnt know what a Christian book is and
disrespects it, so Priest tells Spaniards to attack.
22.) Incas thought they were the incarnation of God of Thunder,
who was white. Spaniards starting killing carriers of the
Leader, who was being lifted into the air on a cushion. Pizarro
himself captures leader and is taken to prison, but is not killed

due to Christianity beliefs. Thousands of Incas dead outside.

Technology proved decisive.
23.) Spaniards had other weapon of mass destruction- disease.
24.) Smallpox brought to mainland America by slave, infected
thousands of Native Americans. Smallpox blisters packed full
of Smallpox particles.
25.) First epidemic of New World traveled to Inca Empire,
making them easier prey to Spanish conquest.
26.) Domestic animals were the reason why Spaniards were not
affected but Native Americans were, due to previous contact.
27.) Middle Ages had outbreaks of disease, but outbreak after
outbreak made Europeans more resilient to the diseases. No
natural immunity for Natives when it was brought to
Americas.
28.) No significant exchange of germs between Llamas and
people. Key to argument is distribution of farm animals, which
were centered around Eurasia and N. Africa. These places first
susceptible, then around the world.
29.) Pop. Of 20,000,000 Native Americas, perhaps 90% killed by
Old World diseases.
30.) Inca leader learned to speak Spanish and play chess from
the captors; became more cooperative. More useful alive than
dead. Allowed to have court in prison, as long as they accept
Spaniards. Also ordered to melt down treasure for Spaniards.
Handed over 20 tons of gold and silver, and then wasnt
useful anymore. Killed 8 months after followers.
31.) Spaniards went on to conquer the rest of Peru, using guns,
germs and steel.
32.) Europeans accidental conquerors due to geographic luck.
End of 19th century ventured beyond Americas and conquered
Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Episode 3
1.) Africa is called the Birth place of humanity. It was the home of
a vast tropical civilization, but vanished.
2.)