1. People and Empires in the Americas 500 – 1500 CE
Chapter 16
World History

2. One - Pagers Maya Aztec Inca ~ 30 minutes to complete one-pager
Rotate groups and complete handout
Add Olmecs next year???

3. Map ~ 10 minutes Label map using pages: 439, 447, 461 in textbook.
Glue or tape map into journal when finished!

4. People and Empires in the Americas 500 – 1500 CE
Chapter 16
World History

5. Cultures in the Americas had frequent contact across distance and time
Cultures in the Americas had frequent contact across distance and time. Both conquest and trade brought different cultures together.
Societies in the Americas ranged from small tribal bands to immense empires. Warrior-kings or priest-kings ruled most of these empires.
Religion was a powerful force in the Americas. Many societies combined religious and state rule. Much of their art and architecture concerned the gods and the need to please them.

6. North American Societies: West Coast Societies
Groups like Kwakiutl, Nootka, and Haida, located along the North American west coast, depended on the sea for survival
They built canoes, hunted whales, and collected shellfish along the coast
Predictably, their gods revolved around the sea, and the potlatch, an elaborate ceremony, in which families would display their wealth by offering gifts to other members of the community
Between 40,000 and 12,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers migrated across the Bering Strait land bridge from Asia and began to populate the Americas. Migrating southward, those first Americans reached the southern tip of South America by somewhere between 12,000 and 7000 b.c. At the same time, they began to spread out east and west across North America. Over the centuries, the early North American peoples adapted to their environment, creating a very diverse set of cultures.

7. Which Native American culture groups had the largest number of tribes?
Which Native American culture groups had the largest number of tribes? Great Plains and Northeast

8. American Southwest
Living in the harsh deserts of the American southwest, the Hohokam used irrigation techniques to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash
The Anasazi lived in the four corners region of modern day Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico
The Anasazi built impressive cities out of the cliffs called pueblos, which was built out of sun baked stone or adobe.
The Anasazi peoples died out around 1200, possibly because of extreme drought

9. Mound Builders
In the areas of east of the Mississippi, the mound builders, a group of Native Americans located in the American southeast, began building elaborate burial mounds where they buried their dead
Tribal leaders were found with artifacts such as money, tools, and weapons for use in the afterlife.
The last Mound Builder culture, the Mississippian, lasted from around a.d. 800 until the arrival of europeans in the 1500s. These people created thriving villages based on farming and trade. Between 1000 and 1200, perhaps as many as 30,000
Great Serpent Mound

10. Question 1
What differences existed between the Northwestern tribes and the Desert tribes?

11. Northeastern tribes and Iroquois Nation
Because of proximity, NE tribes often came into conflict with one another
They would fight over water rights, hunting grounds or blood feuds
NE tribes eventually starting forming political alliances
The most famous of these was the Iroquois League which included the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Catuga, and Seneca tribes of upper New York
Iroquois (Ihr•uh•kwoy), a group of tribes speaking related languages living in the eastern Great Lakes region. In the late 1500s, five of these tribes in upper New York—the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca—formed the Iroquois League. According to legend, Chief hiawatha helped to create this league. his goal was to promote joint defense and cooperation among the tribes.

12. Question 2
What do the mounds of the southeastern North American tribes tell us about their culture?

13. Trade networks
Native Americans created vast trade networks along rivers for the purpose of diversification
Cultural diffusion between tribes also occurred as a result
The Iroquois alliance was a notable example of a political link among early North American peoples. For the most part, however, the connections between native North Americans were economic and cultural. They traded, had similar religious beliefs, and shared social patterns.

14. Why was trade between North American tribes important?
Question 3
Why was trade between North American tribes important?

15. Early American Religion
most early native Americans believed spirits could be found in nature, including in plants, rocks, and rivers.
Natives had much respect for the land and tried to alter it as little as possible
When Europeans arrived and tried to farm, and eventually claim landownership, it caused conflict

16. Social Patterns
Family was at the core of all Native American social functions
Native American society was divided amongst family units, sometimes extended families or clans would make up tribes
Totems were used as symbols of a tribes shared heritage

17. What purpose did Totems serve in Native American society?
Question 4
What purpose did Totems serve in Native American society?

18. Mayan City States
Mayan civilization is centered in modern day Mexico but included areas as far south as northern central America
Because of geography, most Mayan cities such as Tikal, and Chichen Itza developed as independent city-states, usually governed by a God-king
Despite being independent of one another, these city-states were united through trade and political alliances

19. Trade and Diversification
Like their northern cousins, the Maya engaged in trade to better diversify their crops
products such as salt, flint, feathers, shells and honey were traded
at one point cacao served as currency

20. Farming and Dynasties
The Mayan people practiced slash and burn farming
They also engaged in a form of terrace farming
Advances in farming techniques led to an increase in food, which in turn led to population growth
As the population grew, development of specialized labor, and the social classes developed.

21. Religion
The Maya were polytheistic believing in gods based on their needs (corn, rain, war and death)
Offerings were made to appease the gods of crops, water, silver, gold, and in extreme cases, human sacrifice was practiced

22. What led to an increase in population in Mayan society?
Question 5
What led to an increase in population in Mayan society?

23. Math and Language
The Maya developed a calendar based on the movements of the sun (solar calendar)
They also developed the concept of zero
Mayan language was written in glyphs (pictorial) and collections of glyphs called codex’s recorded important events and ideas

24. Aztecs and Central Mexico
Just north of the Maya were the Aztecs a warrior people who established a capitol near modern day Mexico City
Aztec civilization was also based on the city- state
School year … DBQ on Maya or Aztec

25. Aztec Religion
Aztec gods were mostly gods of war and conquering although nature gods also existed
Quetzalcoatl or the feather serpent was the main god
According to legend, Quetzalcoatl would come back one day to rule the Aztec

26. Aztec Society
At the top of Aztec society was the God- King, followed by the priests and land-owning nobles, at the bottom were the peasants (operated much like European feudalism)
The last God-King, Montezuma II was eventually deposed by the Spanish

27. Who was the main god in Aztec religion?
Question 6
Who was the main god in Aztec religion?

28. Incan Empire
The Incan empire exists in the Andes Mountains of South America (modern day Peru)
Their main city, would be settled in the Valley of Cuzco, a fertile area which received snow melt from the surrounding mountains
Incans were mostly farmers but also engaged in tribal warfare to supplement bad harvests

29. Incan Empire
Under the rule of Pachacuti, the empire grew and stretched miles along the western coast of South America.
This was accomplished through military conquests and diplomacy.
Incans would allow enemies to surrender before attack and keep their own customs and rulers in exchange for loyalty.

30. Government
Because the Incan empire was so vast, and mountainous, emperors would appoint governors to rule cities via a central bureaucracy
The Incan state almost total control over economic and social life allowing little private commerce or trade.
Citizens were expected to work for the state and were cared for in return.
Public works projects – roads
Quipu – record keeping
Like the Romans, the Inca were masterful engineers and stonemasons. Though they had no iron tools and did not use the wheel, Incan builders carved and transported huge blocks of stone, fitting them together perfectly without mortar. Many Incan walls still stand in Cuzco today, undisturbed by the region’s frequent earthquakes.
he Incan state exercised almost total control over economic and social life. It controlled most economic activity, regulating the production and distribution of goods. Unlike the Maya and the Aztecs, the Inca allowed little private commerce or trade.
he Incan social system was based on an age-old form of community coopera tion—the ayllu (EYE•loo). The ayllu, or extended family group, undertook tasks too big for a single family. These tasks included building irrigation canals or cut- ting agricultural terraces into steep hillsides. The ayllu also stored food and other supplies to distribute among members during hard times.

31. Religion
The Inca worshipped fewer gods than the Aztecs, focusing on key nature spirits such as the moon, stars, and thunder. Sun worship amounted to worship of the king.
Sacrifice of llamas and exchange of goods were part of the religious practice.
The Inca worshiped the spirits and the bodies of their ancestors. They believed in an afterlife, and tombs and the mummies they held were considered holy.

32. In your opinion, which of the three traits leading to power was the most valuable?

33. How did the Inca control their empire?
Question 7
How did the Inca control their empire?

34. Next Class: Review
Test on Friday!