The Aztec & Inca Empires

The Aztecs were an ancient pre- Columbian Native American group found in Modern Day central Mexico. At the height of their power they were the most powerful empire in Mexico at the time of European Exploration. The capital of the empire was the city of Tenochtitlan

The Legend of the Aztecs The Aztecs were nomadic people. They believed that their Gods would give them a sign when they arrived at the place they needed to settle. The wandered into the Valley of Mexico in 1278 and came to the marshy shores of Lake Texcoco in present day Mexico City. At this spot they saw an eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake. The Aztecs believed this to be a sign from their Gods On this spot their built the great city of Tenochtitlan. We can still see this Aztec legend depicted what the Mexico national….

The Aztecs were a very powerful group. They had a very strict class system that included warriors and chiefs.

The Aztec’s practiced a polytheistic religion ( the belief in many Gods). They worshiped hundreds of Gods and Goddesses. They believed that animal and human hearts and blood gave the gods strength and appeased them when they were angry. When the Aztecs conquered other tribes they required them to pay large taxes and provide people ( often times war prisoners or slaves) to sacrifice. This practice made the Aztecs very unpopular with surrounding native groups.

Aztec’s Major Contributions Offered free and Mandatory Education for girls and boys. Created very complex alphabets with Hieroglyphics- First society to use irrigation techniques and created “floating gardens” called Chinampas to grow crops. Studies astronomy and created a calendar called the Sunstone that revolved around the sun’s orbit. First civilization to use the Cocoa (chocolate) plant in cooking Art- Sculptures & Mask

The Aztecs meet Cortez

In 1519, the Spanish arrived in Mexico. By 1521 the Aztec Empire ended when it was conquered by the Spanish.

In 1518, the Spanish conquistador( conqueror), Hernan Cortes, was ordered by the King of Spain to leave Cuba ( a new Spanish Colony) and open up new territory to Spanish settlement in Mexico. He arrived in April 1519 with eleven ships, 500 soldiers, and 100 sailors. To make sure no one went back to Cuba he burned the ships.

When the Spanish arrived from the East, the Aztec leader Montezuma believed that Quetzalcoatl ( an ancient God) had kept his promise and had returned. The Aztec people welcomed the Spanish into the city with gold and gifts. The gold excited the Spanish but the human sacrifices made in their honor horrified the Catholic soldiers.

After being in the city several months, Cortes and his men captured Montezuma and took control of the Aztec people. Guns, horses, and alliances with neighboring tribes kept the Aztec people from fighting back against the smaller numbered Spanish Army. In late 1520 a fight broke out between the Aztec and Spanish armies. Montezuma was killed during the battle.

In 1521 ( less than two years after Cortes landed in Mexico) the Aztec Empire collapsed The Spanish’s modern weapons( guns) quickly defeated the primitive spears and arrows of the Aztecs. The Spanish brought horses and dogs, which made them faster in warfare and capture. European diseases like measles and smallpox wiped out ¾ of the Aztec population.

Lasting consequences of the Spanish Invasion 1. Spain gained control of Mexico fro the next 300 years. Tenochtitlan name was changed to Mexico City. 2. The Aztec tribe never recovered and today there are only few who are direct descendants. 3. Native Languages were outlawed. The Spanish language became to official language of the country. 4. Opened up further exploration by European countries in the New World. 5. Christianity was introduced to the New World for the first time.

The Incas were an ancient pre- Columbian Native Americans that lived along the western coast of South America in the Andes Mountains of modern day Ecuador, Peru, & Chile.

Incas The Incas were a small tribe that settled into the Andes Mountain region. The Empire only lasted roughly 100 years. The Inca’s worshipped nature believing their Gods appeared in rainbows, the moon, trees, etc.. They called themselves “children of the Sun”. Unlike the Aztecs, the Incas only sacrificed animals to their Gods.

The Incas were the first group to run a structured government and economy. All citizens paid taxes to government. They did not pay in currency but in labor. The citizens work a certain amount each year to build bridges, palaces, roads, etc… for the empire The Inca government in return provided food, homes and clothing. The empire prided itself on it’s healthy workers.

Major Contributions By the Incas a.Built 10,000 roads and bridges in the Andes Mountains b.Art- mask, pottery, sculptures c.The great city of Machu Picchu in Peru. d.Agricultural- the Incas invented terraces and irrigation canals to get the water to their crops on the mountain sides.

Manchu Picchu The ancient Inca city located in Peru. It was built during the height of the Inca empire and was complete abandoned by the time of the Spanish Invasion 100 years later. Called the “Lost City” or “City in the Clouds”

The Incas meet Pizarro

In 1526 Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro was working in the Spanish colony in Panama. He learned about a rich country to the south. This empire was the Inca empire in Peru. Pizarro traveled to Spain and received royal approval by the Queen of Spain to conquer the region and be its viceroy (governor). The monarchy also gave him three ships, 200 men, and three dozen horse to help him conquer the empire.

Atahualpa was the leader of the Inca Empire. He was young and engaged in a civil war with his brother for control of the larger Inca tribes. He was considered to be a “Sapa Inca” or living descendent of the Inca sun god. The meeting between Atahualpa and Pizarro happened in 1532 near present-day Guayaquil, Ecuador, on the Pacific Coast.

Pizarro and some of his men, met with the Inca, who had brought only a small group of warriors. Pizarro demanded that Atahualpa and his empire accept the King Charles I of Spain and convert to Christianity. Because of the language barrier, Atahualpa did not fully understand the envoy's intentions. After Atahualpa attempted further enquiry into the doctrines of the Christian faith the Spanish attacked the Inca's, surprising them with their cannons and gund, and captured Atahualpa.

Atahualpa offered the Spaniards enough gold to fill the room he was imprisoned in, and twice that amount of silver. The Inca fulfilled this ransom, but Pizarro deceived them, refusing to release the Inca afterwards. The Spaniards put Atahualpa on trial for treason to the Spainsh crown and executed him in His death ended the Inca Empire.

Lasting consequences of the Spanish Invasion of the Inca Empire The Incas were imprisoned and forced to work in silver and gold mines for the Spanish crown. Pizarro became very wealthy and founded the city of Lima, Peru. He was later killed by his own men who were jealous of his vast riches. Spanish became the official language of most South American countries and ruled the area for over 300 years. European disease like smallpox, measles, and typhoid claimed an estimated 60-94% of the Inca population. The surviving Inca tribes isolated themselves deep in the Andes Mountains were they still live today.