re: Americas: Conquest-Era Quiz Winners

JE writes: We have a tie! Congratulations to WAISers Richard Hancock (no surprise here: Richard was a student of Prof. Hilton) and Alice Whealey for winning Tim Brown’s Conquest-Era Americas quiz. Both Alice and Richard answered at least 3 of the 4 questions correctly. I’ll send a dozen WAIS “pax et lux” twisty-pens to each.

Here are the answers supplied by Tim:

1. Name the five largest pre-Columbian populations of the Americas.

From north to south, they were the Aztecs (Nahua-Mexica), Maya (highland plus lowland), Chibcha, Inca (Quechua/Aymara) and Guarani. The Aztec, Maya and Inca are famous. Those that did not build enduring monuments, the Chibcha and Guarani, are not.

2. What was the estimated population of the Western Hemisphere before Columbus?

This is a matter of debate, but most estimates run about 55 million.

3. How many descendants of the hemisphere’s pre-Columbian peoples still speak a native language as their mother tongue?

About 55 million. It’s taken five centuries or so for the population to recover.

4. In 1492, which was the capital of a major empire, Madrid or Mexico City (Tenochtitlan?)

Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). Madrid didn’t become Spain’s capital until 1561, 140 years after Cortés conquered Tenochtitlan.

JE comments: Alice Whealey’s answer to question 2 includes an interesting analysis on estimating populations during the pre-Modern period. Her commentary is worth posting in its own right:

“(2) This one is almost impossible to answer, although probably considerably less than the estimated population of Europe in 1492, which has been put at about 80 million. Modern estimates of Old World populations are based on back projection of known trends from the time of the first reliable national censuses, which one can do with reasonable accuracy if there was relatively little net migration, as was true of Europe or China say from 1000 AD to the time of the first reliable censuses (c. 1750-1850). But the New World in the early modern and modern period saw massive immigration from Africa and Europe, as well as an unknown mortality of the native population (estimated as being anywhere from 1/3 to 90% of pre-contact). An example of the wildly divergent estimates about pre-Columbian populations, is in Massimo Livi-Bacci’s recent book, which I looked at mainly because he was visiting UC Demography Dept. when I was there getting a degree, so I trust his general approach to demographic questions. He mentions 100,000 and 10 million as the lower and upper estimates by some academics of the population of Hispaniola in 1491. The latter figure is not believable, as this would put the population of Hispaniola slightly higher than that of Spain at the time, and the early descriptions (Columbus, Chanca etc.) portray a horticultural society of smallish villages. Mexico City as described by Cortez, of course, is a city at least as big as the cities of Spain in the 1520s.”

Once again, congratulations to Alice and Richard!

reminder: Conquest-Era Quiz: Last Day (Tim Brown, US)

JE: Just a reminder that the deadline for Tim Brown’s Conquest-Era Americas Quiz is today at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time (US). Answers are coming in, but no one has “hit” all four questions yet. Remember: twelve “Pax et Lux” twisty-pens go to the winner!

1. Name the five largest pre-Columbian populations of the Americas.
2. What was the estimated population of the Western Hemisphere before Columbus?
3. How many descendants of the hemisphere’s pre-Columbian peoples still speak a native language as their mother tongue?
4. In 1492, which was the capital of a major empire, Madrid or Mexico City (Tenochtitlan?)

Good luck! When responding, remember that the Honor System applies–no books, Wikipedia, or collective entries.

re: Americas: a Conquest-Era Quiz…Deadline Extended! (Tim Brown, US)

JE writes:

Doesn’t anyone want a box of ten “Pax et Lux” WAIS twisty-pens? Heck, let’s make it an even dozen. On 26 October Tim Brown sent a four-question quiz on the Conquest of the Americas. I set the contest deadline for 10 PM Eastern Time last night (Thursday, 29 October), but the responses have so far been, well, underwhelming. Undaunted, I’ve decided to extend the deadline. Here are the questions once again:

1. Name the five largest pre-Columbian populations of the Americas.
2. What was the estimated population of the Western Hemisphere before Columbus?
3. How many descendants of the hemisphere’s pre-Columbian peoples still speak a native language as their mother tongue?
4. In 1492, which was the capital of a major empire, Madrid or Mexico City (Tenochtitlan?)

New deadline: Tuesday, 3 November, at 10 PM EST. Old rules apply: no notes, no Wikipedia, no phone-a-friend. Send your responses to me. May the best WAISer win.

PS: I learned at WAIS ‘09 that the now-famous twisty-pen comes in two stylish ink colors: blue and black. I didn’t order them this way, but variety is nice. I’ll send five–no, six–of each to the winner.

re: Americas: A Conquest-Era Quiz (Tim Brown, US)

Tim Brown responds to David Gress’s post of 26 October:

The nature of the Western Hemisphere’s pre-Columbian inhabitants and impact on them of the Spanish Conquest has been a major topic of debate for centuries.

As JE mentions, first came the “requerimiento,” requiring those coming under Spanish dominance to convert to Catholicism, submit to their new master, the Spanish crown, and show their fealty by the paying of tribute. That this involved their being “read” in Spanish, a language they rarely if ever understood, was beside the point.

Later came the “encomienda” that “entrusted” both land and the native manpower to work it to individual Conquistadores, purportedly in return for the new owner’s protecting them and assuring they were good Catholics. As they say today, “Yeah, right!” The rest is history, but history as written by others, not the region’s pre-Columbian peoples.

Still, since it seems reasonable for us to know what we’re actually talking about before we talk more about it, I offer a quiz for my fellow WAISers:

1. Name the five largest pre-Columbian populations prior to Columbus.
2. What was the estimated population of the Western Hemisphere before Columbus?
3. How many descendants of the hemisphere’s pre-Columbian peoples still speak a native language as their mother tongue?
4. In 1492, which was the capital of a major empire, Madrid or Mexico City (Tenochtitlan?)

Best available answers later.

JE comments: I have the answers supplied by Tim, but heck, this is my field–I didn’t need them. It’s been awhile since we’ve held a good WAIS quiz. The usual rules apply: honor system, no looking at books or Wikipedia, and the winner receives…bragging rights and a dozen WAIS “Pax et Lux” pens. These smart-looking red-and-white pens are perfect for winning friends and influencing people. Submissions will be accepted until Thursday, 29 October at 10:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Good luck!