What factor is primarily responsible for the sharp contrasts between Old World and New World civilizations?
Probably the incredible independence (or maybe last-ditch efforts) of the people who completely uprooted themselves to get on ships and move themselves and their families to a completely unknown place.
Religious freedom also was a factor for many.
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraid=2
Read, read, read ... and then let us know what you discover.
Traditions
The factor primarily responsible for the sharp contrasts between Old World and New World civilizations is geographical isolation and its consequences. To understand this, let's break it down.
1. Geographical isolation: The Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas) were separated by vast distances, oceans, and geographical barriers. This physical separation meant that these regions developed independently for thousands of years without significant contact or exchange of ideas.
2. Independent development: The Old World civilizations, such as the ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese, had a long history of urbanization, complex political structures, advanced technologies, writing systems, and organized religions. They had already established powerful and sophisticated empires and had passed through different stages of cultural development.
3. New World civilizations, on the other hand, like the Aztecs, Incas, Mayas, and various Native American tribes, developed in relative isolation. They had different social, political, and economic structures, with fewer advancements compared to the Old World. For example, they had no metal tools, lacked written language systems (with a few exceptions, like Mayan hieroglyphs), and had different religious beliefs and practices.
4. Impact of isolation: The lack of contact and exchange between the Old World and New World civilizations meant that they had limited exposure to each other's cultures, technologies, and ideas. As a result, there were stark contrasts in terms of technological advancements, political systems, social structures, and cultural achievements.
It is important to note that this is a simplified explanation, and there are other factors that contributed to the contrasts between Old World and New World civilizations. However, geographical isolation played a significant role in shaping these differences by limiting interactions and exchanges between these regions.