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.
• 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 2
The 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 Warfare
Cultural 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-suhljyg-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.
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–
–
–
Help from natives
Better weapons
Natives scared of horses
Small pox killed thousands of
natives
Section 3
The 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-WAHLpah) 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.