Chapter%207:%20Civilizations%20of%20the%20Americas

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Chapter 7 Civilizations of the Americas
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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Geography The Americas
• 30,000 years ago, small family groups of
  Paleolithic hunters and good gatherers reached
  North America from Asia.
• Great Migrationlast ice age
• Water frozesea level dropped exposed a land
  bridge between Siberia and Alaska.
• 10,000 BCEarth grew warmer..ice meltedcovering
  the land bridge

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Geography The Americas
• North America
• The Rocky Mountains
• Middle (Central) America
• East Sierra Madre
• West Sierra Madre
• South America
• Andes

2 of the 3 longest rivers on Earth are located in
the Americaswhat are they?
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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Agricultural Revolution
• Farming may have been a response to the
  disappearance of large mammals.
• Had to cultivate the land and domesticate the
  animals.
• Farming people settled into villagespopulation
  expanded and developed into cities.

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Legacy of the Olmecs
• Tropical forests along the Mexican Gulf Coast
  1400-500 BC
• Very little knownbut rich tombs and temples
  point towards a powerful class of priests and
  aristocrats.
• Built ceremonial centers
• Giant carved heads
• Calendar

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• The World of the Mayas
• AD 300-900
• Farmers cleared the forests and built raised
  fields that caught the rain.
• Tikal (Present-day Guatemala)
• Wealth was gained from trade
• Largest structures in the Americas until 1903
  (Flatiron building)

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Social Classes
• Each Mayan city had its own ruling chief.
• Surrounded by nobles who served as military
  leaders and officials who managed public works,
  collected taxes, and enforced laws.
• Priests held great power
• Elaborate ceremonies to ensure good harvests.

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Advances in Learning
• Hieroglyphic writing system
• Scribes kept their knowledge in books made of
  bark
• Developed two calendars
• Developed a numbering system that included zero.
• Mayan Ball Game (Pg. 161)
• Video

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• The Decline
• A.D. 900 the Mayans abandoned the cities.
• Not sure on the exact reason but maybe
• Frequent warfare
• Overpopulationover farming the land
• Heavy taxespeasant revolts

Remnants still existpeople still speak Mayan
Languages.
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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• The Valley of Mexico
• Teotihuacan (A.D. 100-750)
• Well planned, wide roads, massive temples, and
  large apartment buildings.
• Citizens worshipped a powerful nature goddess and
  rain god.
• Eventually fell to invaders.

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Arrival of the Aztecs
• Moved in from the North
• Tenochtitlan (Present-day Mexico City)
• Chinampas Artificial islands made of earth that
  would float on water.
• Video

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Conquering an Empire
• Expanded their territory
• Over most of Mexico (Gulf Pacific)
• By 1500 30 million people
• Tribute Payment from conquered peoples.
• Helped the Aztecs turn their capital into a
  magnificent city.

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• The World of the Aztecs
• Spanish reached Tenochtitlan in 1519 and Cortes
  was awestruck with its magnificence.
• Geography History (pg. 163)

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Government and Society (Aztecs)
• Had a single ruler who was chosen by a council of
  nobles and priests to lead in war.
• Below the ruler, nobles served as officials,
  judges, and governors of conquered provinces.
• Warriors could rise to noble status by killing or
  capturing enemy soldiers
• Commoners farmed the land
• Slaves (criminals or POW) could buy their freedom
  and land.

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Religious Beliefs
• Were a class apart
• Performed rituals needed to please the man Aztec
  gods.
• Chief Aztec god was Huitzilopochtli (sun god)
• Giant pyramid
• Battled forces of darkness each night and was
  reborn each morning.
• Legend of the Five Suns (pg. 158)
• Human Sacrifices

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Section 1 Civilizations of Middle America

• Education and Learning
• Priests were the keepers of Aztec knowledge
• Recorded laws and historical events
• Ran schools
• Illness was a punishment from the gods

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Section 2 The World of the Incas

• Read aloud in class
• Group guides (Due FRIDAY!)
• Geography
• Government
• Communication
• Economy Religion
• Chosen Women

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Section 3 Peoples of North America

• The Desert Southwest Anasazi

• 4 corners
• AD 900-1300
• Built large villages (later called pueblos)
• Complex with 800 rooms
• Terraces served as roads
• Center was the plaza
• Kiva Large underground chamber used for
  religious ceremonies.

• Attacked by Navajos Apaches
• Traditions survived among the Hopi other Pueblo
  Indians

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Section 3 Peoples of North America

• The Mound Builders

• Mississippi Ohio Valleys farming cultures
  emerged as early as 700 BC
• Adena Hopewell (Ohio Valley)
• Build mounds
• Mississippians built clusters of earthen mounds
• Cahokia (Illinois)
• Left no written records

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Section 3 Peoples of North America

• Diverse Regional Cultures
• Iroquois League An alliance of five nations who
  spoke the same language and shared similar
  traditions.

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Group Assignment

• Culture Pamphlet
• Tri-fold
• Pictures Information
• You will be graded on how it looks!!
• Imagine that this pamphlet will be handed out at
  a historical Native American Indian site.