Transcript Slide 1

Unit 14: Civilizations in the
Americas
The Civilizations of America
…advanced societies
While classical civilizations
were developing in
were developing in the
isolation in the Americas Mediterranean & Asia…
Title
■ Text
During the Neolithic
Revolution, these nomads
settled into farming villages
and learned to cultivate
plants and domesticate
animals; Some of which
became advanced
civilizations
During the Ice Age, prehistoric
nomads migrated across the
Beringia land bridge between Asia
& America (Russia and Alaska)
Grew corn (maize),
beans, sweet potatoes,
peppers, tomatoes,
and squash
Result: Population
Growth
Olmec Civilization (1400BC-500BC)
The Olmecs
The Olmecs are often
called the “mother
culture” because they
influenced other
Mesoamerican societies
The first American civilization
were people known as the Olmec
in an area known as Mesoamerica,
along the Mexican Gulf Coast
The Olmecs developed a strong
The Olmecs
trade network in Mesoamerica
that brought them great wealth
Powerful class of priests and
Olmec trade allowed
aristocrats used their
them to spread their
wealth to build large stone
culture to other
monuments & pyramids to honor
Mesoamericans
their leaders & gods
For unknown reasons,
the Olmec civilization
declined by 400 B.C.
but their cities &
symbols influenced
later cultures,
especially the Mayans
Ruins of religious
center at La Venta of
giant carved stone
heads.
Invented calendar and
form of writing.
Government: Mayans
While
the
Economy:
Olmecs
were
in
The
Mayans
The
Mayanaround
economy
was
based
were divided into
decline
500
B.C.,
trade &were
farming
maize, &
individual city-states theon
Mayans
evolving
beans, honey,
cocoa,
cotton
cloth
ruled by king-gods borrowed
many
Olmec
ideas
Major Cities: Tikal,
Chichen Itza
City-states in Yucatan Peninsula.
Cleared rainforests, built raised
fields, built channels that could
drain excess water **adaptation to
environment**
Society:
(1) Kings (dynasties)
(2) Nobles  military leaders/
officials who ran public
works/enforced laws.
(3) warriors
(4) Merchants, artisans
(5) Peasants
The Mayans
The Mayans
Religion: Mayans were polytheistic
& offered their blood, food, &
sometimes human sacrifices to
please the gods
Technology: Mayans invented a writing based on
pictures called glyphs, an accurate 365-day calendar,
number system & advanced temples
Decline of the Mayans
Around 800 A.D., the Mayans
mysteriously declined perhaps
due to warfare among Mayan
city-states, over-farming, &
overpopulation
The
After the decline of the
Aztecs
Mayans, the Aztecs
developed a civilization
in present-day Mexico
(City of Teotihuacan)
Around 1200, Aztecs
arrived in Mexico &
built their city
Tenochtitlan in 1325
Well-planned Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan
Government: The Aztecs formed a massive
The Aztecs
empire through
conquest, controlled it
through 38 provinces, & received tribute
from conquered
peoplesThey survived
Economy:
on tribute & farming;
They built “floating
gardens” (chinampas)
Society: (1) Kings
(2) Nobility
(3) Commoners
(4)
Slaves
Religion: Aztecs worshipped
many gods, especially the sun
god & made thousands of
human sacrifices each year
Main god was Huitzilopochtli
Technology: Like the Mayans, the Aztecs developed an
accurate calendar & built advanced temples
But, the true demise of the Aztecs came when
The Aztecs
the Spanish
conquistadores under Hernan
Cortes discovered America & conquered the
Aztecs. They brought disease, horses, “floating
mountains”, guns help kill Aztecs.
Around 1500 A.D., the Aztecs began to decline
under the reign of Montezuma II; A century of
brutal rule over the provinces & millions of
human sacrifices led to revolts
While the Aztecs ruled Mexico,
The
theIncas
Incas began to dominate
the area of the Andes
Mountains of South America
Chavin – establish in Peru.
Influenced alter civilizations
with arts and religious
beliefs.
Many Incan cities
like Machu Picchu
& Cuzco were built
in the Andes
mountains
Mohicas – skilled farmers,
built roads and organized
networks of relay runners to
carry ideas. Skilled in
textiles production,
goldwork, and woodcarving.
Nazca – southern Peru,
etched glyphs, pictographs,
carved into surface.
High walls, terrace farming, advanced civilization,
efficient government, concerned about solar system
■?
Religion:
Government:
Pachacuti
The
Incas
The
Inca
were of
(Sapa
Inca),
founder
Incanpolytheistic
empire, built&
a vast
empire
which
included
offered
llamas
&
80 provinces
food
(but not
humans)
to theruled
gods.
But,
the Incas
Chieftolerance
god was Inti:
with
&
God
unifiedSun
their
empire
with roads, bridges,
schools, & a common
language (Quechua)
Economy: The Incan gov’t
Economy: Learned to
Society:the
(1)economy
King
controlled
work alloy: blend copper, & required
(2) Nobility
all citizens to
tin, bronze, silver, and
(3) Ayllu
(commoners)
terrace
farm
for the good
gold.
of the empire
Technology: Inca innovations included quipu, a means
of record keeping involving knotted ropes as well as
an extensive system of roads & suspension bridges
The Incas
■?
In the 1520s, a civil war
divided & weakened
the Incan Empire; Ten
years later Spanish
conquistadors
conquered the empire
People of North America
■ Desert Southwest
– Anasazi – Cliff dwellers - AD 900-1300 built
pueblos in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico,
and Utah
•Built using stone and adobe bricks
•Dug kiva, large underground chamber
used for religious ceremonies
•Agricultural villages – farming, pottery,
cloth
People of North America
■ Adena and Hopewell people were known as
Mound Builders
– Great center at Cahokia  40,000 people,
60 mounds (both cone and animal shaped.)
Peoples of North America
■ Inuits (Eskimos) adapted to harsh climate in North.
– Constructed igloos and sod dwellings
■ In northwest coast had ceremonies known as
potlatch: person of rank and wealth distributes gifts
to guests.
■ Iroquois League in Eastern Woodlands
– Best Organized political group north of Mexico
– Alliance of 5 nations who spoke same language
and shared similar traditions
– Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk
■ ******Latin American Civilizations were all
advanced prior to European contact. ******