Empires of Native America: Mayan and Aztec Societies Before European Contact

Western Encounters: European Contacts and the Rise of Empires

In Episode 3, Pettengill examines the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus and the ramifications that will result from the European exploration of the world.

Native North America: North American Indigenous Societies before European Contacts

In Episode 2, Pettengill moves North to examine the native socities of North America before European contacts. He underscores the power-sharing mechanisms that these societies implemented to survive in a precarious environment. He also notes how and why these societies influenced the development of American political thought.

Empires of Native America: Mayan and Aztec Societies Before European Contact

In Episode 1, Pettengill outlines the peopling of the Americas. He notes the rise and fall of the Mayan civilization and ends with the Azteca. Pettengill is quick to note that these societies had much in common with other ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians.

Welcome to the Experience!

Historian Ryan S. Pettengill introduces his podcast, The American History Experiment, Volume 1. Designed to flow like a traditional history class, this series is a chronologically-organized history of the United States from the pre-European contact era through Reconstruction. In this intital installment Pettengill introduces himself to listeners, outlines his research and academic background, and explains how the series will work.