The fall of great empires and the arrive of the Conquistadors : Who are the Triangles? The fall of great empires and the arrive of the Conquistadors : Who are the Triangles?

 Play while students are entering  s s  Play while students are entering  s s

Conquistador  Conquistador: Spanish explorers and conqueror

The Aztec  Call themselves Mexica (x makes a sh sound)  Poor nomadic people  Wander around and get kicked out of places  Become soldiers for hire  God of war Huitzilopochtli tells them to found a city of their own  Call themselves Mexica (x makes a sh sound)  Poor nomadic people  Wander around and get kicked out of places  Become soldiers for hire  God of war Huitzilopochtli tells them to found a city of their own

Tells the Mexica to look for an eagle perched on a cactus holding a snake They find this on a small island in Lake Texcoco Found their city there and name it Tenochtitlan No other groups really care - it’s a bad place to live

Tenochtitlan  The Mexica begin to better their city  Drain marshes  Bring in irrigation  Build chinampas - floating gardens  Add land to their island  The Mexica begin to better their city  Drain marshes  Bring in irrigation  Build chinampas - floating gardens  Add land to their island

The Triple Alliance  Aztecs form alliance with two other city- states surrounding Lake Texcoco  Texcoco  Tlacopan  Early 1500’s - empire of 80,000 square miles, 38 provinces, 5-15 million people  Aztecs form alliance with two other city- states surrounding Lake Texcoco  Texcoco  Tlacopan  Early 1500’s - empire of 80,000 square miles, 38 provinces, 5-15 million people

Building an Empire  Aztecs use war machine to conquer  Loose political control  Demand tribute - gold, maize, cacao beans, cotton, jade  Use military as a punishment  Aztecs use war machine to conquer  Loose political control  Demand tribute - gold, maize, cacao beans, cotton, jade  Use military as a punishment

Religion  Dominates life much like the Maya  Worship gods such as Quetzalcoatl, Huizilopochtli, Ehcatl, Xipe Totec  Gods need blood to sustain life - huge amounts of human sacrifice take place  Need to conquer more lands to get more captives for sacrifice - Flowery War  Conquered nations not happy  Dominates life much like the Maya  Worship gods such as Quetzalcoatl, Huizilopochtli, Ehcatl, Xipe Totec  Gods need blood to sustain life - huge amounts of human sacrifice take place  Need to conquer more lands to get more captives for sacrifice - Flowery War  Conquered nations not happy

Xipe Totec  Our Lord the Flayed One  Very particular form of sacrifice demanded  Gets the Aztec in big trouble early in their history  Our Lord the Flayed One  Very particular form of sacrifice demanded  Gets the Aztec in big trouble early in their history

Montezuma and Cortes

The Spanish Conquest  Cortes lands off eastern coast of Mexico with 550 soldiers and sailors  16 horses are there as well - first ones ever in the New World  Natives are not sure what to think - are these people gods or humans?  Cortes lands off eastern coast of Mexico with 550 soldiers and sailors  16 horses are there as well - first ones ever in the New World  Natives are not sure what to think - are these people gods or humans?

The Conquistadors  Have steel swords  Cannons  Guns  Horses  Have steel swords  Cannons  Guns  Horses

Montezuma’s Dilemma  Montezuma is the Aztec emperor  What should he do with newcomers  Are they the return of Quetzalcoatl?  Has to be cautious - sends gifts to them and tells them not to bother traveling to Tenochtitlan  Conquistadors continue inland - sporadic fighting occurs  Montezuma is the Aztec emperor  What should he do with newcomers  Are they the return of Quetzalcoatl?  Has to be cautious - sends gifts to them and tells them not to bother traveling to Tenochtitlan  Conquistadors continue inland - sporadic fighting occurs

 Quetzalcoatl was described to be a white skinned man with a beard  Cortez arrived during this celebration and looked like this god  Quetzalcoatl was described to be a white skinned man with a beard  Cortez arrived during this celebration and looked like this god

Montezuma Lets Them In  He is too indecisive  Allows the conquistadors into Tenochtitlan and treats them as guests  Conquistadors are shocked by what they see - good and bad  He is too indecisive  Allows the conquistadors into Tenochtitlan and treats them as guests  Conquistadors are shocked by what they see - good and bad

 Cortez shocked by the human sacrifices said to get rid of destroy all ideals  Aztecs PO  Cortez took Montezuma prisoner  Cortez found out Aztec killed some of his troops  Cortez order Montezuma to burn all the soldiers involved in the attack were burned alive  Cortez shocked by the human sacrifices said to get rid of destroy all ideals  Aztecs PO  Cortez took Montezuma prisoner  Cortez found out Aztec killed some of his troops  Cortez order Montezuma to burn all the soldiers involved in the attack were burned alive

 Cortez was obsessed with the gold  Aztec had their fill of the Spanish and ran them out  Aztec started to get small pox  Spanish army reattached and conquered  80 days of a siege  Cortez was obsessed with the gold  Aztec had their fill of the Spanish and ran them out  Aztec started to get small pox  Spanish army reattached and conquered  80 days of a siege

Spanish Regroup  Conquistadors escape and regroup  Take refuge with Tlaxcalan allies  Attack Tenochtitlan again  Divide conquistadors up and have a flotilla attack all at once  Aztec are defeated  Conquistadors escape and regroup  Take refuge with Tlaxcalan allies  Attack Tenochtitlan again  Divide conquistadors up and have a flotilla attack all at once  Aztec are defeated

INCAS  portal.com/academy/lesson/the-inca- civilization-pre-columbian-south- america.html portal.com/academy/lesson/the-inca- civilization-pre-columbian-south- america.html  the-story-of-all-of-us/videos/mankind-the- story-of-all-of-us-rise-of-the-incas the-story-of-all-of-us/videos/mankind-the- story-of-all-of-us-rise-of-the-incas  portal.com/academy/lesson/the-inca- civilization-pre-columbian-south- america.html portal.com/academy/lesson/the-inca- civilization-pre-columbian-south- america.html  the-story-of-all-of-us/videos/mankind-the- story-of-all-of-us-rise-of-the-incas the-story-of-all-of-us/videos/mankind-the- story-of-all-of-us-rise-of-the-incas

Exploring  Spain explored from California to Florida  Juan Ponce de Leon searched  Legend of youthful water-never found  DARN!  Spain explored from California to Florida  Juan Ponce de Leon searched  Legend of youthful water-never found  DARN! mages/d/d6/Juan_Ponce_de_Leon.jpg

Exploring  DeSoto: searched the Southeast for gold  He died  Francisco Coronado: explored the southwest  Lots of native resistance  DeSoto: searched the Southeast for gold  He died  Francisco Coronado: explored the southwest  Lots of native resistance

Settling New Spain  Conquistadors were bad rulers at first  Three types of settlements  Pueblos:towns; centers of trade  Presidios: forts were soldiers lived  Missions: religious settlements run by Catholic priests  Conquistadors were bad rulers at first  Three types of settlements  Pueblos:towns; centers of trade  Presidios: forts were soldiers lived  Missions: religious settlements run by Catholic priests

Social Classes  Haciendas: Large land tracts  Given to Peninsulares  Haciendas: Large land tracts  Given to Peninsulares

Who is going to work land?  Ecomiendas: land grants that included the right to demand labor or taxes from Natives  Social class system  Start of Atlantic Slave Trade  Ecomiendas: land grants that included the right to demand labor or taxes from Natives  Social class system  Start of Atlantic Slave Trade classes.jpg

Social Classes  Peninsulares: born in Spain, highest jobs in gov & Church  Creoles: people born in the Americas to Spanish parents  Mestizos: Mixed Spanish & Indian  Labor (enslaved & Natvies)  Peninsulares: born in Spain, highest jobs in gov & Church  Creoles: people born in the Americas to Spanish parents  Mestizos: Mixed Spanish & Indian  Labor (enslaved & Natvies)