The Americas

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The Americas

• 40,000 B.C. 1500 A.D.

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Inhabiting the Americas

• Beringia land bridge
• 1st inhabitants came over somewhere between
  40,000 and 10,000 B.C.
• Sea Route (?)
• Hunter-gatherer society
• Farming begins 7,000 B.C.
• 3,400 B.C. beginning use of maize (corn)
• Complex societies begin in Mesoamerica 3,000 B.C.

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Olmec1200 200 B.C.

• Gulf coast of modern day Mexico
• Civilization in the jungles
• Cities of San Lorenzo and La Vesta have been
  discovered

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Olmec Society

• Olmec art (huge, heavy sculptures)
• Pages 244 245
• Olmec Pyramids
• Jaguar Spirit Worship
• Olmec Society fall apart 200 B.C.
• Replaced by Zapotec civilization

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Olmec Art and Architecture
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Olmec Legacy

• Influenced later groups (i.e. Mayans)
• Olmec art
• Olmec urban design
• Planned ceremony centers
• Elite Ruling Class

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North American Socities

• Variety of different societies unique to climate
  and geographic regions
• Pueblo peoples of the southwest (Anasazi and
  Hohokam)
• Mound Builders of southeast (Mississippian and
  Hopewell)
• Cahokia largest city
• Northeastern alliance (Iroquois)
• Trade networks and common traits connect North
  American tribes

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Pueblo Peoples
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Mississippian Culture
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Mayan200 B.C. 900 A.D.

• Yucatan Peninsula
• Individual city-states led by a god-king
• Large pyramids, temples, palaces
• Cities of 10,000 or more people
• Ritualistic ball games
• Trade linked Mayan civilization
• Sophisticated farmers

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Mayan Culture

• Social classes
• Noble class, Merchants, Peasants
• Religion
• Polytheistic
• Prayed to, self-mutilated, and human sacrifice to
  appease the gods
• Written Language
• 800 glyphs that represent words or syllables
• Codex bark-paper books

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Mayan Culture (cont.)

• Math
• Advanced system, based on 20
• Concept of zero (one of two cultures to develop)
• Astronomy
• Advanced due to religious interest in the stars
• Calendar
• Incredibly accurate (copied by other American
  civilizations)
• 260 day religious calendar mixed with a 365 day
  solar calendar
• Civilization fades starting in the 8th century
  A.D.
• Invasion by Toltec, over population, warfare
  between city-states
• Page 449

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Aztec1200 A.D. 1500s

• Many cultures develop in the Valley of Mexico
  (near modern day Mexico City)
• Aztec take over and merge with two other large
  cultures (Texcoco Tlacopan)
• Triple Alliance
• Tenochtitlan
• Planned city of over 150,000
• Streets, causeways, floating gardens, center of
  trade
• Aztec Empire
• 38 provences
• 5 15 million people
• Loose control if local leaders paid tributes

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Aztec Society

• Classes
• Nobles
• Commoners (merchants, skilled labor, land owners)
• Enslaved
• Religion
• Over 1000 gods (Quetzalcoatl)
• Human sacrifice
• Montezuma II
• Demanded higher tributes, led to rebellion
• Spanish arrive
• Page 458

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Inca1400 1532 A.D.

• Andes Mountains (Peru, Bolivia)
• Capitol city of Cuzco
• Built empire off of previous cultures of the
  Chavin, Moche, and Nazcu
• Leaders believed to be a descendent of the sun
  god Inti
• Reached peak under Pachacuti (1438 1473)
• 2,500 mile long empire w/ up to 16 million people
• Gained loyalty of conquered people
• Efficient economy
• Road system
• Official language (Quechua)

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Incan Culture

• Government System
• 14,000 mile road system and other public works
• Chasquis running messengers (postal system)
• Government controlled economy
• Ayllu (community cooperation) early form of
  socialism
• Welfare state
• Provided care of elderly and disabled
• No written language, but did have quipus to keep
  track of number records
• Religion
• Polytheistic
• Civil War and Spanish arrival
• Page 463

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Inca Road System