Chapter 7 Lesson 2 Life in the Americas

Bell Work = Label Map/Vocab Builder Maya Inca Aztec Olmec Anasazi Hohokam Mississippian

The Maya 1839 Archaeologists discovered the ancient city of the Maya. The Maya were the ancestors of millions of Central Americans today. The Maya

Maya Communities AD 300 – The Maya built a complex culture in Mexico and C. Am. Swamps and sinkholes gave access to water. The Maya cleared forests, planted corn and built cities. (Over 50)

What Was Maya Society Like? Each city-state had a king descended from the sun- god. Maya city-states had a strict class system. Nobles & priests then farmers, artisans & hunters. Maya believed that the Gods controlled everything. Offered sacrifices. Maya fought battles and took land and captives. Ruling women served as queens; a royal woman married into other royal families, built alliances.

Maya Achievements The priests felt the Gods revealed their plans through the sun, moon and stars. Developed a calendar and could predict eclipses 260 day religious calendar and a 365 day calendar for seasons and agriculture. Developed a counting system based on 20, used 0 900 Maya culture collapsed, may have been warfare or overuse of soil.

The Aztec Aztec came to power in Mesoamerica in the 1300’s. The Aztec were hunters and warriors.

Rise of the Aztec Aztec searched for a home promised to them. Aztec sun god – Quetzalcoatl. 1325 settled in Lake Texcoco. The priests declared a great city be built. Tenochtitlan was built on an island. The Aztec relied on Emperors selected by a council. Montezuma was a powerful leader that expanded the empire.

Aztec Life Emperors followed by 4 classes, nobles, commoners, unskilled workers & slaves. Boys were trained to be warriors. Priests offered sacrifice, worked to preserve religion, history and lit. Also used a 260 day religious calendar and a 365 day calendar for everyday use. Aztec farmed using irrigation and fertilizer.

The Inca AD 1300’s Inca move into the fertile valleys of the Andes. Within 100 years they had a powerful Empire from the capital of Cuzco.

Pachacuti was a powerful emperor that expanded the Inca Empire. The Inca created a strong central gov’t. with tax bureaus, courts and military posts. People had to speak Quechua. Inca Rulers

Inca Projects The Inca built a large network of roads. The Inca used irrigation, fertilization and terrace farming. Gov’t stored food from good harvests and distributed food during poor harvests.

Inca Society Organized Inti- the sun god protected the Inca. Emperors were divine rulers that owned all land and set all rules. Society – Emperor – Head priest and commander of the army – regional armies- temple priests – skilled workers – farmers All men served in the Army

Inca Culture Inca had many gods, but rarely offered sacrifice. Built stone structures for the gods. Machu Picchu was built for the emperors high in the Andes. Inca used a quipu, a rope with knots for math Skilled engineers.

North American Peoples By 1500 many natives lived in North Am. They spoke over 300 languages and spread across N. AM adapting to the lands.

The Inuit settled in the tundra areas below the arctic. They used dogsleds and kayaks. Built homes of stone and earth and temporary igloos. Skilled hunters – seal, walrus, caribou, polar bears and whales. People of the Far North

West Coast Life Pacific coast had a mild climate and food. Most Heavily populated area of N. Am Over 500 Native cultures thrived in the area of Calif. SW – the Hopi, Acoma & Zuni lived in adobes AD 1500’s the Apache & Navajo arrived in the SW.

Life on the Great Plains The Great Plains natives were nomads. They set-up temporary villages of Tepees. Plains natives grew beans corn and squash. Drove buffalo, antelope and deer over cliffs.

Eastern Woodlands Lands East of the Miss. River. The people of the SE – Farmers. NE – Hunters. Eastern Woodland people formed different type of gov’ts. The Iroquois Confederacy was the first constitution written in the US.