Over-Generationalizations of Daily Life Around 1500 in Europe, North America, and Africa
| Category | Europe | Sub-Saharan Africa | Indigenous North America |
| Life Expectancy | About 30–35 years on average; many babies and mothers died young. If people survived childhood, some lived into their 50s or 60s. | Similar to Europe (30–35 years). Child deaths common, but elders respected. Diseases like malaria and dysentery were major dangers. | Slightly higher before Europeans arrived (35–40 years). Epidemics from Europe later caused huge declines. |
| Living Conditions | Peasants lived in smoky, crowded huts of wood or mud. Few comforts, little bathing. | People lived in compounds of clay or wattle huts, cooler and better suited to the climate. Bathing more common. | Homes varied: longhouses, tipis, pueblos. Cleanliness valued (sweat baths, washing). Families/clans often lived together. |
| Family & Gender Roles | Patriarchal: fathers held authority. Women raised children, cooked, and had limited rights. | Women central to farming and markets. Some groups traced family through mothers. Women could be priestesses or advisors. | Women farmed and held strong political authority in some groups (like Iroquois). Some cultures recognized more than two gender roles. |
| Farming Methods | Wooden plows and three-field rotation. Low yields, famine common. | Slash-and-burn in forests; permanent fields in savannas. Iron tools common. Men cleared land, women/children farmed. | Corn, beans, squash grown together (“Three Sisters”). Irrigation in Southwest. Hunting and controlled burns used too. |
| Diet | Bread/porridge from rye or barley, cabbage, peas. Meat rare, mostly for holidays. Many went hungry in winter. | Porridges from millet, sorghum, or yams. Soups with okra, beans, greens. Palm oil key fat. Fish common; meat for feasts. | Corn, beans, squash central in East; bison on Plains; corn and cactus in Southwest. Food dried/smoked for storage. |
| Work & Seasons | Farming tied to seasons. Winter for repairs, weaving. Religious festivals marked time. | Work followed rainy/dry seasons. Planting and harvesting during rains; trading and building in dry months. | Planting in spring, weeding/hunting in summer, harvest in fall, relying on stored food in winter. Rituals tied to farming cycles. |
| Religion & Belief | Christianity shaped daily life. Catholic calendar ruled time. Saints and relics important. | Diverse faiths. Ancestor worship and nature spirits common. Islam spread in Songhai and Hausa lands; Christianity in Kongo. | Animism and ancestor veneration widespread. Rituals marked planting/harvest. Spiritual leaders guided ceremonies. |
| Violence & Warfare | Frequent wars between kingdoms. Knights fought for lords. Villagers sometimes raided or taxed heavily. | Warfare common in kingdoms like Songhai and Benin. Captives sometimes enslaved. Raids increased as the slave trade grew. | Conflicts between tribes happened, but often limited in scale. Captives might be adopted, enslaved, or exchanged. |
| Medicine & Healing | Based on “humors.” Doctors used bloodletting, herbs, and prayers. | Herbalists and diviners treated illness. Healing mixed physical remedies with spiritual practices. Midwives cared for mothers/infants. | Plant-based medicines and spiritual rituals. Healing linked to balance with nature. Shamans or healers guided recovery. |
| Trade & Contact | Local markets for grain, wool, and tools. Long-distance trade tied Europe to the Mediterranean and Asia. | Salt, gold, kola nuts, and enslaved people traded across the Sahara. Coastal kingdoms traded with Arabs and later Portuguese. | Networks exchanged corn, shells, copper, obsidian, and furs. Some trade reached across regions (Great Lakes to Southwest). |
| Arts & Oral Traditions | Church art, stained glass, and music shaped culture. Folk tales passed by word of mouth. | Griots (storytellers) preserved history with songs. Masks, sculpture, and bronze art (like in Benin) carried spiritual meaning. | Storytelling, dances, and songs taught history and values. Pottery, weaving, and beadwork decorated daily life. |
| Law & Justice | Local courts handled disputes. Punishments ranged from fines to execution. Lords or kings had the final say. | Councils of elders, kings, or chiefs judged cases. Fines, restitution, or spiritual rituals restored balance. | Councils of elders decided disputes. Restoring harmony mattered more than punishment. Compensation often replaced revenge. |
| Tools | Wooden plows, iron sickles, scythes, and grindstones. Blacksmiths made tools but supply was limited. | Iron hoes, axes, and machetes were common. Tools were made locally and widely used in farming. | Digging sticks, stone or bone hoes, and bows. Tools varied by environment and available materials. |
| Illnesses | Plague, smallpox, dysentery, and tuberculosis. Malnutrition made people more vulnerable. | Malaria, dysentery, sleeping sickness, and parasites were common. Famines also weakened populations. | Illnesses were milder before 1492 — colds, fevers, and parasites. After European contact, smallpox and measles were devastating. |
| Animal Husbandry | Raised cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. Provided meat, milk, and wool. | Cattle, goats, and sheep were common in savannas; chickens widespread. Herding central to many communities. | Some groups farmed turkeys and dogs. In most areas, hunting provided more meat than livestock. |
| Weapons | Iron swords, pikes, and crossbows. Knights wore armor. Gunpowder weapons (early cannons, handguns) just emerging. | Spears, bows, and iron swords widespread. Cavalry strong in Sahel states. Later, guns traded by Portuguese entered wars. | Spears, bows, war clubs, and shields were common. No metal weapons or gunpowder before Europeans. |
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