Civilizations Of The Americas (1400B.C.-A.D.1570)

1. Civilizations Of The Americas (1400B.C.-A.D.1570) Key Facts: Between A.D 300 and A.D. 900, Mayan civilization flourished from southern Mexico through Central America. In the 1400s, the Aztecs conquered most of Mexico and built a highly developed civilization. By the 1500s, the Incas established a centralized government in Peru Eight culture groups developed in north America. Their diverse ways of life were strongly influenced by geography.

2. First American Civilization • The Olmec's were the first American Civilization that began in the tropical forest along the Mexican Gulf coast. • They lasted from about 1400 B.C. to 500 B.C.

3. Civilizations of Middle America • Nomadic hunters who migrated across a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska gradually populated two vast continents. • Between 8500 B.C. and 2000 B.C., Neolithic people in Mexico or farther south began to raise crops and learned to tame animals. • Mayan city-states of Central America. • They cleared the rain forests to produce corn to feed their cities. • They were divided into social classes • Each city-state had a ruling chief • Priests held great power • Pyramid temples and palaces served as alters and burial places • Developed a hieroglyphic writing system and accurate calendar • Many people, today, speak Mayan languages in Central America • The Aztecs • Long after the decline of Mayan civilization, Aztecs conquered most of Mexico • By 1500, their empire numbered 30 million people. • War and power to the Aztecs brought wealth • Tribute helped the Aztecs turn their capital into a magnificent city. • Complex social structure • Single ruler or emperor at top • Priests performed rituals and sacrifices to please the Aztec gods • Conquered people supplied tribute and human sacrifices for religious rituals

4. The World Of The Incas • In the 1400’s the Incas came from the Andes mountains of Peru. • Led by Pachacuti, skilled warrior and leader • Conquered an empire that stretched 2,500 miles down the Andes and along Pacific Coast • By 1500s, they had established central government in Peru. • Ruled by a god-king and a powerful class of Priests • Incan Government • Emperor had absolute power • Ran an efficient Government • Chain of command reached to every village • Incan Achievements • Worked to unite conquered people • Had their own language, Quechua, and their own religion • Created one of the great road systems in history • Roads wound more than 12,000 miles through mountains and deserts

5. Peoples Of North America • The Anasazi • Best-known society of the desert southwest • The people built large villages, called pueblos by the Spanish people • At the center was the kiva • Late 1100s, they began to build housing complexes in the shadow of canyon walls • Late 1200s, drought forced them to leave the cliff dwellings. • Today, their traditions survive among the Hopi and other Pueblo Indians. • The Mound Builders • In the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys, other farming cultures emerged as early as 700 B.C. • Hopewell people left giant mounds in different shapes • Objects found in Hopewell mounds suggest that trade networks stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. • By about A.D. 800, this culture was replaced by the Mississippians, who grew corn and other crops. • They built large towns and ceremonial centers.

6. Review • What was the first civilization in the Americas, it was in the Tropical Forests of Mexico? The Olmecs • What warrior tribe had conquered the valley of Mexico by the 1500s, and built its capital where Mexico City is located today? The Aztecs • What is a Tribute? Payment from conquered peoples. • Nomadic hunters came to North America across what? The Land Bridge • What civilization grew up in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, used flat top pyramids, and had an accurate calendar? Tourists still visit the pyramids built by this civilization. The Mayans • What is the name of the capital city that Mexico City sits on? Tenochtitlan • What Spanish Conquistador killed Montezuma and conquered the above civilization?Hernandez Cortez • What civilization grew up in the Andes Mountains of South America? Incas • What was the capital city of the above civilization in South America? Cuzco • What Spanish Conquistador defeated the civilization in South America? Francisco Pizarro