CHAPTER SEVEN
GEOGRAPHY OF THE AMERICAS

15,000 YEARS AGO – HUNTER-GATHERERS – ALASKA AND MOVED SOUTH –
NATIVE AMERICANS

4 GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS –

1. NORTH AMERICA (COLD – ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND APPALACHIAN
MOUNTAINS);

2. SOUTH AMERICA (WARM, RAINY- ANDES MOUNTAINS); north and south of
Equator


3. CENTRAL AMERICA (WARM, RAINY);
4. CARIBBEAN (WARM, RAIINY) - group of islands in northern South America
FEATURES
NORTH AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA

ROCKIES - west, hard to travel


APPALACHIAN - east, easy to
travel
ANDES – longest mtn system in
world

GREAT PLAINS - fertile soil, large
grassland
AMAZON BASIN –largest rain forest
and many plains

AMAZON RIVER – carries highest
volume of water


MISSISSIPPI RIVER - trade, largest
in east
HUNTER-GATHERERS AND AGRICULTURE

LAND BRIDGE – BERINGIA – CONNECTED ALASKA TO RUSSIA DURING ICE AGE –
WALKED OR TOOK BOAT

SMALL GROUPS, NOMADIC, TOOLS LIKE FISHHOOKS AND STONES

USED NATURAL RESOURCES FOR FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER

COASTS – ATE FISH; INLAND – ROOTS, NUTS, AND FRUITS

LARGE ANIMALS SERVED AS FOOD, HIDES FOR CLOTHING, AND BONES FOR
TOOLS

FARMING BEGAN IN MESOAMERICA – 9,000 TO 10,000 YEARS AGO - SETTLED IN
ONE PLACE

GREW PEPPERS, PUMPKINS, SQUASH, BEANS, POTATOES, MAIZE
AGRICULTURE

HELPED THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

ALLOWED PEOPLE TO:

GROW CROPS SUCH AS BEANS, MAIZE, PEPPER, SQUASH, AND COTTON

BUILD HOMES, TEMPLES, MONUMENTS, TOMBS, PALACES

SPECIALIZE IN POTTERY AND METALWORK

BUILD CANALS TO BRING WATER FROM RIVERS

HAVE TIME TO CREATE ARTS AND CRAFTS
FIRST MESOAMERICA CULTURES
OLMEC
1200 BCE - 400 BCE - OLDEST
TOLTEC
Others
LASTED 800 YEARS - 400 BCE
CENTRAL MEXICO
GULF OF MEXICO COAST
WARLIKE
MAYA – YUCATAN
PENINSULA
HAD - BEANS AND SALT
TRADED FOR JADE AND OBSIDIAN
PYRAMIDS AND STONE MONUMENTS
– RELIGION
POLYTHEISTIC – WORSHIPPED SUN,
JAGUAR, PLUMED SERPENT
INDIVIDUAL HAD ANIMAL SPIRIT
SHAMANISM – SHAMAN – RELIGIOUS
LEADER
950 – 1150 CE
BEANS, MAIZE, PEPPERS
PYRAMIDS AND PALACES
CITY – TOLLAN
TAKEN OVER BY AZTEC
ZAPOTEC – BUILT FARMS
AND CITIES IN CENTRAL
MEXICO, CAPITAL MONTE
ALBAN, POTTERY,
HIEROGLYPHS
AZTEC – CENTRAL
MEXICO, HAD CONTROL
1300S CE
CULTURES IN SOUTH AMERICA
MOCHE


100 CE
PERU
INCA
 FIRST EMPIRE

PERU

 CUZCO – CAPITAL
CANALS AND LIVED IN DESERT
 1100 CE
AREA AND FARMED

ARTS AND CRAFTS

NO EMPIRE
CULTURES IN NORTH AMERICA
HOHOKAM AND ANASAZI

Hohokam – grew corn, cotton,
beans, squash, 300 ce

Anasazi – Southwest, farming
and irrigation, pueblos, cliff
dwellers,

Both lasted till 1000s - drought
MOUND BUILDERS AND
MISSISSIPPIANS

Mound builders – east of the
Mississippi, 1000bce – 400ce, built
huge mounds for burial and religious
ceremonies (only in North America),
hunters and gatherers, Adena and
Hopewell, sunflowers, gourds, barley,
and corn

Mississippians – 700 ce, Mississippi
river valley, corn, squash, beans, built
mounds and cities, Cahokia – site of
largest Mississippian mound
RELIGIONS – LOOK AT CHART UPON
BOARD AND FILL IN
MAYA – YUCATAN PENINSULA

2000 BCE – 900 CE – COLLAPSED REASON UNKNOWN

POLYTHEISTIC – SUN GODS AND CHAC – GOD OF RAIN

PRACTICED HUMAN SACRIFICE TO PLEASE GODS

HAD TO ADAPT TO THICK FORESTS, INSECTS, SINK HOLES, AND SWAMPS

RULERS WERE GOD KINGS – PACAL II – CITY OF PALENQUE BUILT MANY PYRAMIDS,
PALACES, AND TEMPLES, BALL COURTS

CLASS SYSTEM: NOBLES AND PRIESTS: FARMERS, ARTISANS, HUNTERS (PAY TAXES AND
HELP BUILD)

CONCEPT OF ZERO, COUNTING BASED ON 20, HIEROGLYPHICS

2 CALENDARS – 260 RELIGIOUS CALENDAR; 365 DAY FARMING

DID HAVE QUEENS IN CITY OF CALAKMUL

USED ASTRONOMY TO TALK TO GODS

WANTED CAPTIVES AND LAND

50 CITY-STATES – CONNECTED BY CULTURE, POLITICAL TIES, AND TRADE
AZTEC – MEXICO











1300S TO 1500S
POLYTHEISTIC – SUN GODS – QUETZALCOATL
PRACTICE HUMAN SACRIFICE
STRONG KINGS OR EMPERORS CHOSEN BY COUNCIL OF PRIESTS, WARRIORS,
AND NOBLES
SET CITY UPON LAKE TEXCOCO – CAPITAL CITY WAS TENOCHTITLAN – FLOATING
CITY
FLOATING GARDENS, HARSH RULERS, CHINAMPAS (ISLANDS FOR CROPS)
AZTEC SOCIETY: EMPEROR: NOBLES: COMMONERS: UNSKILLED WORKERS:
SLAVES
BOYS – TAUGHT TO BE WARRIORS; GIRLS – MOTHERHOOD AND WEAVING
WOMEN COULD OWN PROPERTY AND 2 CALENDARS SAME AS MAYANS
MOST FAMOUS LEADER – MONTEZUMA I – 1440-1469 – LOTS OF ARCHITECTURE
SUCH AS TEMPLES, ROADS, AQUEDUCTS
LOTS OF TRADE ROUTES – PROSPER
INCA – SOUTH AMERICA

1300S – 1500S – CAPITAL CUZCO

POLYTHEISTIC – SUN GODS (INTI) BUT NO HUMAN SACRIFICE, REINCARNATION

MOST FAMOUS LEADER – PACHACUTI – CAMPAIGN OF CONQUEST

STRONG GOVERNMENT WITH TAX BUREAU, COURT, MILITARY

LANGUAGE – QUECHUA

EVERYONE HAD TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT FOR A WHILE

SYSTEM OF ROADS THAT CONNECTED EMPIRE

USED IRRIGATION AND FERITILIZERS FOR TERRACE FARMING

CROPS – POTATOES AND QUINOA (GRAIN)

RULERS OWNED ALL LANDS AND SET ALL RULES AND DISTRIBUTED FOOD

MEN – MILITARY

LARGE STONE MONUMENTS TO PLEASE GODS

NO WRITING, NO WHEEL, NO IRON

MACHU PICCHU – RETREAT FOR EMPERORS

QUIPU – ROPE USED FOR MATHEMATICS AND RECORD KEEPING

SKILLED ENGINEERS
OTHERS

INUIT (THE PEOPLE) – CANADA AND ALASKA, IGLOOS, WHALES AND CARIBOU

PACIFIC NORTHWEST – TLINGIT, HAIDA, CHINOOK – SALMON AND WOODEN
HOMES

SOUTHWEST – HOPI, AZUMA, ZUNI – ADOBE APARTMENT HOMES, BEANS, SQUASH,
AND MELONS

SOUTHWEST – APACHE AND NAVAJO – 1500S – HUNTERS AND GATHERERS,
HOGANS

GREAT PLAINS – TEPEES (CONE TENTS), BUFFALO, DEER, ANTELOPE, SOME
NOMADIC

EAST OF MISSISSIPPI – EASTERN WOODLANDS BECAUSE OF FORESTS – IROQUOIS
CONFEDERACY – 1ST CONSTITUTION TO END FIGHTING AMONG GROUPS