Fall of Ancient Latin America Civilizations

Color or shade where the three Latin American civilizations were located and capitals . Aztec capital: Tenochtitlan Inca capital: Cuzco Make sure to include a key!

Maya Civilization Located in Central America Lived in dense jungles From 1600 BC to 1517 AD Made up of City-states- Tikal, Chichen Itza, Copan, Mayapan some of the capitals

Aztec Civilization Located in Mexico Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) was capital city 1400’s to 1519 Mighty warriors- all men expected to fight Conquered people were made to pay tribute in gold, precious metals, and people to sacrifice to please their gods

Inca Civilization Located in South America in the Andes Mountains 1400 to 1531 AD Cuzco was capital city Included conquered people into empire Mit’a: Every male peasant under Inca control had to do unpaid work for Inca government for a specified period of time each year which allowed them to build all those roads and temples

All Economy based on agriculture (farming) Polytheistic- believed in many gods - Human scarifies

European Exploration in Latin America Began in the late 1400’s when countries began looking for a new trade route to Asia and lasted into the 1700’s Portugal and Spain two countries that had biggest effect in Latin America- French and Dutch also colonized land in the region Columbian Exchange: the transfer of animals, plants, food, culture, technology, and diseases between the Old World and New World. Conquistador : explorers and soldiers from the Spanish Empire or Portuguese Empire

Advantages for the Aztecs/ Incas Familiar with the land/ geography Greater food supply Larger number of soldiers Could rely on citizens to produce food, train soldiers, make weapons

Advantages of Conquistadors Superior technology and equipment Alliances with conquered people Helped fight with conquistadors Had a common enemy. Diseases: smallpox brought to the Americas killed many of the natives For Inca’s: Civil War going on among the Natives

Hernando Cortes Conquered the Aztecs in 1519 and claimed Mexico for Spain. Montezuma II was the Aztecs leader at the time Arrived with 11 ships and 500 men Was believed to be a God Made alliances

Francisco Pizarro Conquered the Incas in 1532. Able to gain Native American allies Captured leader, Atahualpa and demanded a ransom for the rulers release Incas paid it in gold, but Atahualpa was killed anyway

Destruction of Native’s Culture

Spanish Use of Slave Labor Encomienda system: Indian slave labor used for agriculture and to extract precious metals and other resources.

Punishment in the encomienda system was usually harsh, involving whippings and floggings, brandings or other forms of physical discipline.

Another example of harsh punishment for severe crimes like stealing, murder, or runaways.

European diseases kill many Native Americans so African slaves imported to the New World.