1. Latin America Past & Present

2. The Maya Central America Tikal – city in modern Guatemala Pyramid shaped temples Written language

3. Skilled in mathematics Developed concept of zero Calendar – based on orbit of the earth & sun (365 ¼ day calendar) Invented game that is a cross between basketball & soccer Pictures of Ball courts The Maya … continued…

4. Aztecs Capital of Tenochtitlan on an island in the middle of a lake (modern day Mexico City is built on top) Advanced farming – Chinampas – floating artificial islands built on large rafts covered with mud.

5. Aztecs Complex political system with an emperor Worshipped many gods & goddesses  ceremonies with prisoner sacrifices Hernan Cortes – conquistador from Spain, conquered the Aztecs

6. People of the Andes Mountains Capital is Cuzco in Peru Political system with an emperor Terrace farming – cut into the side of mountains Domesticated the alpaca & llama The Incas

7. Quipu = a rope with knotted cords of various lengths and colors, used to keep records and send messages Machu Picchu – “Lost city of the Inca” The Incas

9. Did not have a written language; however their language of Quechua survives to this day. The Incas

10. Spanish Conquistadors

11. Hernan Cortes & the Spanish Conquest of Mexico Conquered the Aztecs Spanish conquest: 1519-1521 Last Aztec Emperor: Montezuma II Built Mexico City on top of Tenochtitlan

12. Pizarro & the Conquest of the Incas Conquest of the Inca Empire: 1531-1533 Last Inca Emperor: Atahualpa Spanish used horses, guns, & swords

13. Culture Changing Events Columbian Exchange: Movement of people, plants, and animals. New crops came to the Americas as well as Europe. Horse: Allowed Native Americans to hunt over large areas

14. African Slavery Direct result of the Columbian Exchange Sugarcane farming Saint Domingue: the wealthiest colony in the Americas

15. Haitian Revolution Toussaint L’Ouverture Fought against the French Haitian Revolution sparked other independence movements in Latin America Independence from European powers ended slavery

16. South American Independence Simon Bolivar George Washington of South America Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Venezuela gained independence Led to rule by the oligarchy and military juntas

17. Mexican Independence Miguel Hidalgo Mexican independence from Spain Mexico gains independence after 300 years of Spanish rule.

18. Latin America Today Federal, presidential democracies; with the exception of Cuba. Fidel Castro created a communist dictatorship after taking over in 1959.

19. U.S. Relationship with Cuba One time trade partners: U.S. has had an embargo on Cuba since the 1960’s Cuban Missile Crisis: Cuba gives the Soviet Union permission to build nuclear weapons in Cuba