Americas on the Eve of Invasion Ch 11

I. Toltec Culture Nomads took advantage of the fall of Teotihuacan City in central Mexico/ part of American classical period Toltec people were very militaristic Copied a lot from Teotihuacan Set up a capital in Tula in 968

I. Toltec Culture Topiltzin Toltec priest/leader Followed Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent) Exiled to the Yucatan Peninsula Toltecs spread as far as Guatemala Conquered Mayan cities Ohio and Mississippi valleys? Mined Obsidian an turquoise Obsidian- knives and weapons Turquoise- traded/ currency Destroyed by nomadic invaders 1150AD

II. Aztecs Aka Mexica Came to power after the fall of the Toltecs Very rapidly (originally around 10,000) Believed Eagle with snake on cactus was a sign Centered around Lake Texcoco Tenochtitlan founded 1325 Conquered people Paid tributes, surrendered land and gave military service Conquered people were sacrificed to the gods

II. Aztecs Religion Incorporated aspects from other cultures Deities for Fire, Rain, Water, Corn, Sky, Sun etc. Tlaloc- god of rain Female forms of each Festivals based on cyclic calendar Sacrificed blood and human hearts to feed sun god Religious or political?

II. Aztecs Tenochitlan Built on island in middle of Lake Texcoco Four bridges connected to mainland Canoe traffic Adobe brick houses City wards ruled by Calpulli (kin groups) Surrounded by Chinampas Floating agricultural islands 20,000 acres Traded cacao beans/gold Distribution of wealth (nobility)

II. Aztecs Society Military focus Leadership based on capturing sacrifices Ritual warfare Organized in regiments with different uniforms Jaguar and Eagle knights Pochteca- merchant class Economy was very heavily regulated Scribes, artisans, healers and nobility Growth resulted in loss of egalitarianism

II. Aztecs Role of women Peasant women Raised children, helped in fields & cared for household Peasants were monogamous Women could inherit property- still subordinate to men Spent up to 6 hours grinding corn by hand

III. Twantinsuyu AKA Incas (name for rulers) Highly centralized rule with a deified ruler 3000 miles in extent in the Andean highlands million Created roads, bridges and irrigation Focused aroud Cuzco Started conquest under Pachacuti ( ) Topac Yupanqui- Pachacuti’s successor greatly expanded territory Huayna Capac ( )- territory stretched from Colombia to Chile

Correct- Topac Yupanqui Incorrect: Tupac Shakur

III. Twantinsuyu Religion Cult of ancestors Mummified dead rulers Consulted oracles Temple of the Sun Holy shrines/Huacas- mountains, caves, rivers etc. Conquest Split inheritance Caused the need to conquer for land and wealth

III. Twantinsuyu Government/Culture Inca ruled from Cuzco Allowed local rulers (curacas) to rule smaller regions Rewarded for loyalty Used roads to connect regions and had about 10,000 tambos Socialist type of rule Divided up land Required mita (labor turns) for public works Yanas- permanent servants, artisans and workers for ruling class Ayllu- peasants

III. Twantinsuyu Government/cultures Infastructure 2500 miles of roads Terraced agriculture No writing system or wheel Very mathematical Quipu- knotted strings (abacus?) used to keep financial and census records

IV. The others Arawaks- On Hispanola (Haiti/DR) ran into Columbus Chiefdom/tribal societies Lived on Manioc/ Yuca North American Tribes 200 separate languages Greatly helped by the introduction of horse (plains people) Hunters and gatherers Americas had between million people China and India million Europe million