1. Latin American History
Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, &
The Conquistadors

4. Stelae

5. Map of Chichen Itza

6. Causeway

7. Well of Sacrifice

8. High Priests' Temple
Observatory Temple

9. Las Monjas complex of governmental buildings
Temple of the Warriors
Las Monjas complex of governmental buildings

10. The Mayans Where? When? How do we know about them?
Central America & South Mexico
When?
250 BCE-900 CE
650 years (US 235 years )
How do we know about them?
From ancient ruins and hieroglyphics—system of writing using symbols

12. Mayan Notable Accomplishments
Built cities as centers of economics, politics, and religion.
Studied stars & planets to create two calendars
One for religious celebrations
One for seasons

13. Mayan Notable Accomplishments
Mainly worked as farmers
Main crop was maize or corn
Other crops: squash, beans, peppers, avocados, and papayas
Created a number system that included zero
Why was this important?

14. Great Mayan Mystery Declined around 900 A.D.
At peak population was 22 million people
No one knows why? Some theories are:
Crop failure
War
Disease
Drought
Famine
Millions of Mayan descendents still live in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala

15. Aztec Empire Where is it? When? Who?
Valley of Mexico on the island of Texcoco
Capital City was Tenochtitlan (site of modern day Mexico City)
When?
A.D.
Who?
Warriors who conquered people of region and forced them to pay a tax or tribute which made the empire rich

16. Notable Aztec Accomplishments
In order to use all available swamp land they created chinampas—artificial, floating gardens that allowed them to farm swamplands
Capital had temples, markets, streets, canals, and even zoos!

17. Notable Aztec Accomplishments
Astronomers made calendars and predicted eclipses and planetary movement
Hieroglyphics or writing system similar to Mayans
Created medicine from plants
Set broken bones, and practiced dentistry
Safe trade was made possible by a strong army

18. Incan Empire: “People of the Sun”
Where?
West Coast of South America
Capital city was Cuzco in Andes Mountains (Modern Country?)
When?
s A.D.

19. Important Incan Rulers
Pachacuti
First ruler
Started conquering surrounding people in 1438
Topa Inca
Son of the first ruler
Became emperor of Incas

20. The Incan Empire Size of the Empire Government
Over 2,500 square miles at its height
Included lands in modern-day Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina
Ruled 12 million people
Government
To know how to tax people they conducted a census—official count of all people in the area
Took care of poor, sick, and elderly

21. Notable Incan Accomplishments
Quipus
Knotted strings used to record info written language
14,000 miles of roads through very challenging land
Canals & Aquaducts
pipes or channels that carry water from a distant source
Earthquake-Proof Buildings!
Machu Picchu

22. Incan Religion Polytheists Practiced Human Sacrifice Inti
Worshiped many gods
Practiced Human Sacrifice
Inti
Sun God
One of the most important gods
Considered the Parent God

23. The Quechua: Descendants of the Incas
Spanish conquered Incas in 1500s
Descendants still live in:
Peru
Ecuador
Bolivia
Chile
Columbia
Still speak Incan language, Quechua
Live isolated lives similar to ancestors:
Weaving
Subsistence farming
Ponchos

24. Life in the “New World” is forever changed
The Europeans Arrive
Life in the “New World” is forever changed

25. Age of Exploration
In 1400s, Spain & Portugal were searching for trade routes to Asia
Christopher Columbus
Italian explorer
Landed in “New World” Oct. 12, 1492
Spanish monarchs, Isabella & Ferdinand financed his voyage

26. Treaty of Tordesillas
1492
Spain & Portugal signed a document dividing the new world
Line of Demarcation
At 50 degrees West longitude
Spain had all the land west
Portugal had everything to the east

27. After the Explorers Came the Conquistadors…
“conquerors”
From Spain
Granted right to hunt for treasure and settle land
In exchange they gave 1/5 of treasure to the monarch

28. Hernan Cortez Conquistador Arrived in Mexico in 1519
Brought 500 soldiers and 16 horses
Was mistaken for a god by Aztec ruler, Moctezuma who welcomed them to the city
Fighting began
At the end:
Moctezuma was dead
Cortez barely escaped
Spain clamed the region
The Aztec Empire fell by 1521

29. Francisco Pizarro Conquistador
Arrive in South America in the year 1531
180 soldiers killed the Incan Emperor and other leaders
By 1535, had conquered most of Incan Empire

30. Why were the conquistadors so successful?

31. Reasons for Success of Conquistadors
Diseases such as small pox, measles, and chicken pox that the natives had no immunity from
Advanced weapons such as guns and cannons
Horses
Fighting amongst the native people they used to their advantage

32. After the conquistadors came the colonist
Colonization
After the conquistadors came the colonist

33. Which Countries Colonized Where?
Spain controlled:
From southern South America all the way to the present U.S.
Also some Caribbean Islands
Portugal controlled:
Brazil
France & England later controlled:
Other Caribbean Islands

34. Why did the colonists come?
Missionaries from the Catholic Church came to spread Christianity
People looking for gold or other mineral riches
To settle and farm the land

35. Spanish empire Largest
Controlled by King’s representatives or viceroys
Most important provinces:
New Spain—capital was Mexico City (in modern-day Mexico City)
Peru—with the capital of Lima (in modern-day Peru)

36. Hierarchy Power and influence in empire were determined by birth
Spanish—most powerful citizens
Mestizos—middle class; mixed Spanish and Native ancestry
Natives—least powerful class

37. Vocabulary Haciendas Encomiendas
Was a plantation owned by Spaniards or the Catholic Church
Encomiendas
Rights to demand taxes or labor from the Native Americans

38. Effects of Colonization on Natives
Population dropped from 25 million to 3 million in a 50 year period of Spanish rule
Created shortage of free labor demand for slave trade from Africa