Civilizations
of the
Americas
Global 9
Geographic setting
• Paleolithic (stone age) hunters migrated to
North America from Asia
Ice Age
• Water froze into thick
ice sheets
• Land bridge between
Siberia and Alaska
• Ocean levels dropped
• Hunters followed herds of bison and mammoth into
North America
• Hunter- gatherers in North America migrated
eastward and southward
Neolithic farmers
• In Mexico raised:
corn
beans
sweet potatoes
Peppers
tomatoes
squash
Agricultural revolution
• In Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas people
learned how to domesticate animals and
cultivate crops.
• This Agricultural Revolution had a major
impact on the population.
• Cities developed in Mesoamerica (Middle
America)- Mexico and central America
Olmecs
• 1400 B.C. – 500 B.C.
• The first major civilization
in the Americas
• Emerged in
tropical rainforests
along gulf coast of Mexico
Olmec achievements
• Ceremonial centers with pyramid shaped
temples
• Calendar
• System of writing with carved inscriptions
• Devotion to religion- especially honored class
of priests
Mayas
• 300-900 A.D.
• Influenced by Olmecs
• Complex agricultural society
• Established large city
states in southern Mexico
and throughout
Central America
Trade
• Mayans accumulated wealth
from a profitable trade system.
• Crops- corn, beans, squash
• Trade- honey cocoa, feathers
priests
• Religion played a significant
part in Mayan life.
• Priests held high social status
• Only priests could conduct
rituals to ensure good harvests
and victories in battle
Mayan Social Structure
• 1. Each city state had its own ruling chief
• 2. Nobles- served as city official and
military leaders
• 3. farmers
Mayan Contributions
• Architecturegiant pyramid temples,
large palaces with elaborate paintings
and carvings
• Agriculturelarge amounts of food grown
by clearing rainforest and building
raised fields which could hold and
drain rain water
• Learning and sciencehieroglyphic writing, books,
calendar, number system with zero
The Aztecs
• Late 1200s
• Nomadic group migrated
from north into Valley of Mexico
Conquests and alliances built a huge empire
• Capital at Tenochtitlan (present Mexico City)
• Fierce warriors
Tenochtitlan
• Well planed city
• Wide roads
• Massive temples
• Large apartment
buildings
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Social Structure
Emperor- ruler
Nobles/ Priests- government officials, judges
Warriors- fought battles
Traders- brought exotic goods to empire, scouted
new lands
• Farmers- grew food
• Slaves- criminals, enemy soldiers
Religion
• Priests lead rituals to appease the gods
• Chief god- Huitzilopochtli (sun god)
• Battled forces of darkness each night and was reborn
each morning
• Human sacrifice (prisoners of war, or nobles who
volunteered)offered to give the sun god the strength
to rise each day
Aztec Contributions
• Agriculture• used fertilizers to convert swamp land
• chinampas- artificial islands anchored to
shallow bed of lake Texcoco, used to grow
corn, beans, squash
• Could support a vast empire with all the food
grown
The Incas
• 1400s
• Andes Mountains and over 2500 miles down
the Pacific coast
• The empire was made up of many separate
conquered people
Government
• Emperor had absolute power
and owned all people, land,
herds, mines
• Strong military leaders who
led army through successful
conquests became emperors
• Chief religious leader, and claimed
divine status and son of the sun god
• strict control of people –
same language and religion
Roads
• Emperor could enforce strict control because
of a remarkable road system
• Runners carry news form far-off provinces to
capital
• Army could quickly crush rebellions in far off
corners of the empire
Contributions
• Architecture and engineering- road system was a
major achievement, over 12,000 miles of roads,
bridges, and tunnels build
• Capital city Cuzco- temple of sun
• Agriculture- terraced gardens on mountain sides
• Communication- quipus, knotted colorful strings
used to keep records
• Science- advanced surgery on head wounds,
knowledge of diseases and medicines