Ch 1, Sec 2: Cities and Empires & Ch
1, Sec 3: North American Peoples
Mesoamerica
• Mexico and Central America
• Groups include the Olmec, Mayans, Incas, and
Aztecs
Olmec
• 1500-300 BC
• Gulf Coast of Mexico, Guatemala, and
Honduras
• Built large stone buildings and cities for
thousands of people
The Maya
• Lived in modern day Mexico, Guatemala,
Honduras, and Belize
• 300-1100 AD-prime years
– No one knows what caused the decline of the
Maya
• Built large cities with the help of slave labor
Mayan Cities
• Tikal-largest city
• Each city had at least one pyramid
– Used for religious purposes
– Theocratic gov’t-society ruled by religious priests
• Centers for trade
Maya Religion
• Priests ran each city
• Polytheistic (believed in many gods)
• Practiced human sacrifice
Maya successes
• Used stars, moon, and sun to create a 365 day
calendar
• Created a writing system called hieroglyphics
• Created a counting system for trade
Aztecs
• Lived in Central Mexico
• In power from 1300s-1500s
• Nomads looking for a home
– In search of a an eagle, sitting on a cactus, with a
snake it it’s mouth (Mexico City)
• Built Tenochtitlan on top of a lake
– Capital of the Aztecs
– Center for trade for the empire
Tenochtitlan
Aztecs beliefs in war
• Military powerhouse
• Took over everything in Central Mexico
– Stole from their enemies
– Enemies had to pay tribute (bribes)
– Forced enemies to be their slaves
Aztec Religion
• Polytheistic
• Built pyramids for their gods
• Sacrificed enemies to keep their gods happy
– One story-sacrificed over 84,000 prisoners in 4
days
The Incas
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Lived on the Western coast of South America
Biggest group of natives from 1200s-1500s AD
Capital city-Cuzco
Went to war with their enemies to take over
their land
Incan Successes
• Controlled every group from Columbia to Chile
• Built 10,000 miles of roads to connect their
empire
• Extremely detailed with record keeping
• Farming
– Created terraces in mountain sides to farm crops
Incan Gov’t and Religion
• Polytheistic
• Emperor-comes from the sun god
– Has ultimate power
– Top religious leader
• Created cities made of gold and jewels to gain
protection from the gods
People of North America
• Pre-European Exploration
• Groups include:
– Hohokam, Anasazi, Mound Builders, Cahokia,
Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Chinoook, Yakima, Apache,
Dakota, Iroquois, Cherokee, and Mohawk
Hohokam
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Lived in Arizona
Rise in power from 300-1300 AD
Smart farmers in the desert
Created 100s of miles of irrigation ditches
from rivers to their fields
The Anasazi
• Powerful group from 1-1300 AD
• Lived in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico
(UT, CO, AZ, NM)
• Built pueblos (villages) out of mud, clay, and
stone
• Traded with other groups
• Built houses in the sides of mountains for
protection
• Downfall-drought killed off their crops
Mound Builders
• Groups include Adena, Hopewell, and
Mississippians
• Traded with other groups from all over North
America
• Created large mounds out of dirt in the shape
of animals and other objects
– Had burial chambers in them
– Others were used for worship
Mound Builders
• Lived from the Mississippi River to the
Northeast
• Cahokia
– Biggest group of
Mississippian Indians
– Lived in IL
– Had the biggest city
north of Mexico
Inuit
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Lived around the Arctic Ocean
Last group to come to North America
Built igloos
Hunters and fishermen
People of the West
• Lived in modern day Washington, Oregon,
Colorado, and California
• Fishermen and hunters
• Nomadic groups-Nez Perce, Yakima, Pomo
• Some created permanent houses-Tlingit,
Haida, and Chinook
Peoples of the Southwest
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Lived in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas
Hopi, Acoma, and Zuni tribes
Made adobe houses
Farmers
Traded with groups in
both Americas
• Apache and Navajo-nomadic groups that
turned into farmers
Peoples of the Plains
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Lived in the middle of the U.S.
Nomads
Lived in tepees
Hunters and farmers
Skilled horse
riders/warriors
Peoples of the East
• Iroquois
– Warring groups came together to make the
Iroquois Confederacy
– Lived in the Northeast U.S.
– Women and as much power as the men
Peoples of the Southeast
• Lived in Georgia and Alabama
• Farmers in the mountains and near rivers
• Groups include Chickasaw and Cherokee