chapter 16: the early americas
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Chapter 16: The Early Americas. Section 1: The Maya Section 2: The Aztecs Section 3: The Incas. Section 1 The Maya. The Maya was located in an area known as Mesoamerica. The Maya settled in present-day Guatemala. Thick Tropical Forrest on the Yucatan Peninsula. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Chapter 16:The Early Americas
Section 1: The MayaSection 2: The AztecsSection 3: The Incas
Section 1The Maya
• The Maya was located in an area known as Mesoamerica.
• The Maya settled in present-day Guatemala.
• Thick Tropical Forrest on the Yucatan Peninsula.
• Begin living in small isolated villages, then began building large cities in Mesoamerica
• Crops: beans, squash, avocados, and MAIZE
Mayan Classical Age
• Height of the Maya was AD 250-900
• Trading– Exports: cotton and cacao
beans– Imports: obsidian, jade,
colorful bird feathers
• Built pyramids, palaces, and plazas – King Pacal’s Temple in
Palenque
• Special Ball Game: tlachtli
Mayan Culture
• Social structure and religion were major aspects
• Religion: Polytheistic– Gods could be helpful
or harmful– Gods needed blood to
prevent disasters or the end of the world
• Structure: – king, priests
merchants noble warriors (higher class)
– farming families (lower class)
Mayan Achievements
• Built observatories• Made 2 Calendars
– 365 day (harvest)– 260 day (religious)
• Number system with symbol for zero
• Writing like hieroglyphics• Amazing Art and
architecture• Mayan jade and gold
jewelry
Mayan Decline
• People stopped building• Moved from cities to the countryside• Fall of Mayan: Historians aren’t really sure,
but could have been a combination of factors: – Burden of working for the king– Warfare between the cities– Food shortages– Climate Changes and Droughts
Section 2The Aztecs
• Farmers migrated to Central Mexico in the middle of Lake Texcoco
• Capital city was Tenochtitlan (200,000 people)– Built causeways to overcome geographic challenges– Canals– chinampas
• War, trade, and tribute were key factors in the Aztec Civilization.– Cotton, gold and food– spies– Conquered nearby towns– Controlled trade network– Large markets
Aztec Complex Structure
• Aztec king– Most important in society
• Trusted Nobles– Collected taxes, judges, government officials
• Warriors and Priests– Religious ceremonies– Highly respected – Kept calendars
• Merchants and Artisans• Farmers and Laborers
– Made up majority of the population– Paid the most tribute– Found it hard to survive; only slaves struggled more
• Slaves
Religion and WarfareCultural Achievements
• Worshipped many gods
• Gods controlled nature and human activities
• Priest made as many as 100,000 human sacrifices a year
• Victims came from frequent battles with neighboring peoples
• Stone pyramids and statues
• Jewelry and Mask made of gold gems, and bright feathers
• Women embroidered colorful designs on clothes
• Astronomy and School• Calendar like the Mayans• Kept detailed records• Strong oral tradition
(riddles and speeches)
Cortes Conquers the Aztecs
• Conquistadors reached Mexico in 1519 led by Hernan Cortes
• Cortes was looking for gold, land, and to convert natives
• Moctezuma II (Aztec Emperor) believed Cortes to be Quetzalcoatl (ket-suhl-jyg-WAH-tuhl)– legend
• Moctezuma II gave the Spaniards gifts, but Cortez captured Moctezuma.
• The Aztecs attacked the Spanish and managed to drive them out.
• Moctezuma was killed in battle.
• The Spanish returned within a year and conquered the Aztec.– Help from natives– Better weapons– Natives scared of horses– Small pox killed thousands of
natives
Section 3The Incas
• While the Aztecs were ruling Mexico, the Inca Empire arose in South America (near the Andes).
• Capital was Cuzco (KOO-skoh), now Peru• Pachacuti (pah-chah-KOO-tee) expanded the
Inca territory• By 1500s, the Inca territory stretched from
Ecuador to central Chile• To rule effectively, they set up a central
government
Government and Economy
• Removed leaders of the people he conquered and replaced them
• Made conquered children go to school in Cuzco to learn Inca way of life.
• Language unified the empire– Quechua (KE-chuh-wuh)
• Today many people in Peru speak Quechua
• Government controlled the economy
• Told families how to work • Labor tax system called
Mita• No merchants or markets;
government officials distributed goods through mita
• Leftover food was stored in capital for an emergency
Well-Organized Economy
• Farmers– Tended to government land, in addition to
their own
• Villagers– Made cloth and other good for the army
• Soldiers– Worked mines, built roads and bridges
Inca Life and Religion
• Common people had little personal freedom, but government protected empire
• Upperclass vs. Lower class
• Rulers relax in luxury at royal retreats like Machu Picchu
• No slaves
• Warmer valleys– Maize and peanuts
• Cooler Mountains– potatoes
• Raised llama (South American animal related to camels) for meat and wool
• Thought their rulers were related to the sun god and never really died– Mummies– Animal sacrifices– Magical powers
Inca Achievements
• Inca temples• Master Builders
– Masonry– Network of Roads/Two Major Highways
• Artwork– Pottery, gold/silver jewelry
• Weavers• No writing system, but used quipus (KEE-pooz)
to keep records• Also had an oral tradition (oral memorizers)
Pizarro Conquers the Incas
• Conquistadors arrive in South America
• Civil Wars begin in South America
• Atahualpa (ah-tah-WAHL-pah) won the war, but had weakened the army
• Francisco Pizarro led in an army, the Spanish attacked the Inca by surprise.
• The Spanish quickly conquered Atahualpa.
• The natives gave the Spanish gold, silver, and precious metals worth millions of dollars today.
• Despite the huge payment, the Spanish kill Atahualpa.
• The Incas fight back, but the Spanish eventually defeated the Incas and took over the empire.