Verenise Campos

Mr. Mendizabal
World History, Period 3
September 23, 2015
Human and Environment Interactions
The environment and humans interact with each other in many different ways. One way
that they interact is by changing the environment to suit them. Human and environment
interactions means that the environment changes for the humans or the humans change for the
environment. A civilization is considered successful when the civilization has a lot of resources
and a large population. Humans adapting the environment has a larger impact on the success
of civilizations.
The Tang Dynasty improved its environment by building a new waterway also known as
the Grand Canal. The Tang Dynasty ruled China from 618 C.E. to 907 C.E. Under the Tang
Dynasty China became one of the most successful empires in the world. Robert Tignor states,
These new waterways aided communication and transport to all parts of the empire and helped
raise the living standards. (Doc. A) If the new water ways were not built they could not
communicate or travel to places, then they would not have raised the living standards. Like the
Tang Dynasty, the Aztecs built a bridge to transport and communicate in order to become
successful.
Rome succeeded because it built roads, aqueducts, and sewers. The Roman Empire
lasted from 285 B.C.E to 476 C.E. Rome began near the Italian Peninsula and grew to rule the

Mediterranean Sea. Strabo writes, Romans put a lot of effort into building, such as paving their
roads, constructing aqueducts, and sewers. (Doc. C) If Rome did not build roads, aqueducts,
and sewers there people could not travel and be clean then the population would decrease and
get less resources. Similar to Rome, the Chinese is similar because they build the Grand Canal
to travel in order to get more resources and communicate.
Likewise, the Aztecs power grew because they had clean water to stay healthy. The
Aztecs ruled modern day Mexico from 1933. Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was built on an
island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. According to Hernan Cortes, An abundant supply of clean
water, is brought into the city by one of these pipes, where it is used by the inhabitants for
drinking and other things. (Doc. D) If they did not have clean water then the people would get
sick and get dehydrated. Like the Aztecs, Rome built aqueduct and sewers for the water can be
clean and people can be healthy.
Even though people took resources from the environment they still improved it by
making stuff safer and making more resources. China had flooding rivers, but they controlled it
and made the Grand Canal. Rome overcame the challenges of its massive empire by spreading
and making the water clean. Even living on water the Aztecs created the most populous city in
the world by creating floating gardens and land so they can have resources. Ultimately, mankind
has settled many different ecosystems because of its ability to change the environment and
improve it.
Empires succeeded because they traded to get more resources and more people from
the clean water and resources. The Tang Empire became powerful due to the Grand Canal and
people trading and communicating. Rome and the Aztecs succeeded because they had clean
water so that people can be clean and healthy. Humans and the environment interact

constantly. This interaction drives human innovation. Humans used these innovations to
succeed like civilizations that had a lot of resources and people.