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.