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The Aztec migrated from the north to a smallisland in the Valley of Mexico. They built one ofthe largest empires of Middle America.

~ Religion dominated every part of Aztec life.The Aztec worshipped hundreds of godsand performed many kinds of religiousceremonies.

~ The Aztec were fierce warriors. Theywaged war to expand their empire.

~ The Spanish came to Mexico in 1519. Theyconquered the Aztec Empire in 1521 anddestroyed its capital.

~ The Aztec capital city, shown here, had many temples and'6' public buildings for religious ceremonies. Look at map B.

What is the name of the Aztec capital?

~ The Aztec constantly fought with their neighbors~ in order to gain more territory and capture

more people to sacrifice to their gods.

74

The Americas to Colonial Times I UNIT 6

the same time the Aztec were building their empire,Inca developed a large empire in South America.

= The Inca built an empire that extended through theAndes Mountains and along the west coast.

~ They were excellent architects and engineers and builta vast network of roads and bridges. These helpedtheir strong central government control even the mostremote parts of the empire.

~ The Spanish came to South America in 1532. Theykilled the Inca Emperor and took over the Empire.

~ Powerful emperors greatly~ expanded Inca territory in less

than 100 years. By 1525 theempire stretched 2,600 miles.

I N<. AAZTEC

Aztec and Inca Contributions

1:\ Use this chart and the one on page 71 to compare

\!I and contrast Aztec, Inca, and Maya contributions.

(}The Inca city of Machu Picchu, whoseruins are shown here, was a fortressbuilt on a mountaintop. It could bereached only by crossing a bridge. Ifenemies were near, the bridge couldbe removed.

is colonization?

Colonization is the act of a countryclaiming, ruling, and settling its peoplein a territory outside its boundary. Theterritory is called a "colony."

Early European explorers searching for the Indies foundunexpected opportunities in the Americas. By 1750Europeans controlled most of the Americas.

! Europeans established colonies in the Americas anclooked for ways to make a profit from the land andits resources.

! European colonization led to the conquest ofNative American peoples, including the Aztec andInca Empires.

! As European land claims expanded, Native American~lost control of their traditionall~nd~ / ,

7~

European colonization of the Americas changed thelives of millions of people throughout the world.When Europeans and Africans came to the Americasthree separate "worlds," or cultures, were broughttogether .

~ European ships carried plants and animalsacross the Atlantic Ocean in both directions.People on both sides of the Atlantic encounteredgoods that they had never seen before.

~ As Europeans settled in the Americas, theyoften forced Native Americans to work for them.Millions of Native Americans died from overworkor disease.

~ As the Native American population declined,Europeans began capt\Jring, enslaving, andbringing Africans to the Americas to work asslaves.

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~ Diseases brought from Europe, such as smallpo:'6' and measles, killed millions of Native American

who had no resistance to them. This drawingshows Native Americans dying of smallpox.

~ Before Columbus established lasting European contact with the Americas, only~ Native Americans raised corn. Today corn is grown throughout the world. Name

three foods that are not oriainalfv from the Ameri("~c;78

roo 10 Cities, 1500- , -Rank City (Modern Country) Population

1 Beijing (China) 672,0002 Vijayanagar (India) 500,0003 Cairo (Egypt) 400,0004 Hangzhou (China) 250,0005 Tabriz (Iran) 250,0006 Constantinople (Turkey) 200,0007 Gaur (India) 200,0008 Paris (France) 185,0009 Canton (China) 150,00010 Nanjing (China) 147 ,000

~ In 1500 none of the world's largest cities~ was in the Americas. However, cities grew as

more people from other regions came to theAmericas. Turn to page 121 and comparethe cities in this table with the top ten citiesof 2000. ..

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~ Nearly 12 million Africans were enslaved and brought to the Americas.\!1 They worked mainly on plantations producing sugar, cotton, and tobacco.

Where were more enslaved Africans sent than to anv other Dlace?