From Farms to the Factories

Today we're going to take a look at the BIG PICTURE. Let's start 200,000 years ago. Humans evolved in Africa and lived for 190,000 years as HUNTER-GATHERERS. Where did humans evolve?

So humans lived as NOMADS without permanent shelter or homes. They wandered from place to place. The men hunted animals while the women picked berries and nuts. Who hunted in hunter-gatherer society?

Well, about 10,000 years ago humans invented AGRICULTURE. Now they could plant seeds and grow crops. They also realized they could breed animals for food instead of chasing them around. What did humans invent about 10,000 years ago?

And so humans invented AGRICULTURE, also known as FARMING. Soon humans also invented a new institution, SLAVERY. Whereas hunter-gatherers tended to see each other as equal, the rise of agriculture led to greater social hierarchy and inequality. What led to slavery?

About 6,000 years ago, human settlements became HUGE. These were the first cities, which led to inventions such as writing we still use today 5,000 years ago. Ancient civilizations include the Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Hebrews, ancient India, and ancient China. What were some ancient civilizations that were around before the birth of Jesus?

About 2,000 years ago, a man named Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate in the Roman Empire. The religion he taught was spread by St. Paul around Rome. Now Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with around 33% of the world practicing Christianity. What is the largest religion in the world?

Around 600 AD, a man named Muhammad said the angel Gabriel came to him and gave him the word of God. This was later written down in the Holy Book of Islam, the Qur'an. Now Islam is the second largest religion in the world. What is the second largest religion in the world?

The Roman Empire crumbled over the centuries and left medieval western Europe. The Black Death killed millions of Europeans, but after the Black Death ended Europeans started making advances in exploration, the arts, and science. Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492. Who discovered the Americas?

In the 1540s, Copernicus published the heliocentric theory, which stated that the earth went around the sun. This was a great moment in the Scientific Revolution. Who hypothesized the earth went around the sun FIRST?

In the 1700s and 1800s, people started leaving the farms and working in factories. With the rise of industrial capitalism, new technologies were created and much more wealth was created than ever before in human history. Before this event, most humans were poor farmers on the brink of starvation. Now we have incredible amounts of food and amazing technologies people in the past never even dreamed about. We call this event...