1. The Americas: Pre-Columbian Empires to Colonies
This Power Point presentation goes with the Mastering the TEKS in World History book by Jarrett, Zimmer, and Killoran.
Unit 4, Chapter 12
This presentation should take a couple of days of class time. There are also lessons on the online curriculum planner to use with this presentation. 1

2. Essential Questions
What were the major characteristics of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations?
How did the voyages of Christopher Columbus forever change the world?

3. Important Ideas Complex American Civilizations
Renaissance encouraged European Exploration
Christopher Columbus
Spanish Conquest
Europe got rich from the Americas
American farming encouraged African slave trade

4. The Empire
of the
Americas
The Kellogg Institute

5. Early Americans
How did the Ice Age effect the population of the Americas? What if it had not occurred?
Nomadic Asians followed herd animals into the Americas.
American Peoples experienced their own Neolithic Revolution.
Pre-Columbian (before Columbus) Civilizations
Grew maize (corn)
Did not live in river valleys
Developed complex societies
UCLA.edu

6. The Maya (1500 B.C. to 1546 A.D.) Present day Guatemala
Each city had a chief who was half man and half god
Social Structure
Hereditary nobility (performed sacred ceremonies and assisted ruler)
Craftsmen (made goods for nobility)
Farmers (most people)
Warlike people who
practiced human sacrifice
Based on the information above, what type of religion did the Mayans have?
Harvard.edu

7. Built magnificent cities with palaces, temples, and pyramids
Developed a system of hieroglyphics or picture words
Mayan Achievements
What similarities does this civilization have to the Egyptian civilization?
Complex system of math with use of zero, 365 day calendar
Created colorful murals and created a popular ball game

8. The Aztecs (1200-1521) Present day Mexico
Grew crops in “floating gardens” in wet, marshy lands
Complex Social Structure:
Emperor who was all powerful
Nobility served in government, army officers, and priesthood
Commoners who worked as farmers, fishermen, craftsmen, and warriors
Slaves
Religion: Polytheistic
Warlike group that conquered all surrounding tribes
Wku.edu

9. Created accurate calendars based on the sun
Built complex temples that were aligned based on the movements of the sun and moon
Created accurate calendars based on the sun
wikipedia
Aztec Achievements
Compare the Aztecs to the Maya
Calendar SFA.edu
Built a large empire with a complex government structure and large cities
Sacrificed humans to their main god, the Sun god. Sacrifice was need to keep the universe in motion
UNM.edu
wikimedia

10. The Inca Empire ( )
Present day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile
Terrace farmed and grew potatoes and other root crops
Raised llamas and alpacas for food, wool, and transportation
Uncp.edu

11. Built thousands of miles of roads to connect the empire
Excellent engineers that built buildings out of fitted stones
Machu Picchu
How are the Incas different from other Neolithic Civilizations you have studied?
Inca Achievements
Used a system of knotted and colored ropes (quipu) for communication instead of writing
Built a large empire that covers present day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile
Inca Quipu Larco Museum Collection

12. Pre Columbian Art
La balsa Muisca (The Muisca raft), a pre-Columbian gold sculpture representing the Muisca´s offerings of gold.
Aztec jade mask depicting the god Xipe Totec
Carved Mayan flint dagger.
Describe Pre- Columbian art based on these works of art.
The Aztec goddess Coatlicue, mother of earth.
Inca Jar
Mayan jade mask

13. Women’s Roles in Mesoamerica
Harvested grains
Prepared food (made maize into flour)
Cared for livestock
Cared for children and home
Some sold goods in markets
Some were artisans
Some worked as priestesses

14. Lesson Suggestions The Empire of the Americas Activity
Nystrom Atlas Activity 40: Olmec and Maya Civilizations
Nystrom Atlas Activity 42: Aztec Empire
Nystrom Atlas Activity 43: Inca Empire

15. The Columbian Exchange
Jarett Publishing

16. Why the Interest in Exploration?
Asia
Marco Polo’s writings sparked European interest in Asia
Asian goods, especially spices and silk, were sought after in Europe
The Silk Road was cut off by the Ottoman Turks
Renaissance:
A new spirit of inquiry arose
Europeans wanted to explore the oceans
New technology allowed for better navigation, especially the compass and triangular lateen sail
Caravel: TAMU.edu
What impact did the Ottoman Empire have on European Exploration?

17. The Age of Discovery
Both Spain and Portugal wanted to establish trade with Asia and financed overseas exploration
Spain’s Rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella:
Captured the Muslim areas of Spain
Expelled Spain’s Jewish Community
Reunited all of Spain under Christian Rule
Sough to spread Christianity across the world
Portugal
Prince Henry developed a lighter sailing ship
He sponsored expeditions along the coast of Africa
Ferdinand and Isabella wedding portrait, unknown artist
Why would European monarchs spend so much money on exploration?

18. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
Sea Captain from Genoa, Italy
Sailed west in 3 ships in hopes of finding a quicker route to Asia
Sponsored by the King and Queen of Spain
Found instead the Americas
This new land brought riches and raw materials to Europe
Why would Columbus risk his life to find a new trade route?

19. The Columbian Exchange
Goods from America to Europe:
Tomatoes
Corn
Potatoes
Peppers
Squash
Pineapples
Chocolate
Tobacco
Turkey
Goods from Europe to America:
Wheat
Sugar
Cattle
Horses
Pigs
Sheep
Chickens
Grains

20. What other items might have been exchanged besides food and animals?
Wikipedia.com

21. How is this map different from the previous one?

22. Later Explorers Vasco de Gama (1460-1524):
Portuguese
Discovered an all water route to India
Sailed around the tip of Africa in 1497
Ferdinand Megellan ( ):
1st to sail around the world (1519)
What dangers might these men have faced in these voyages?

23. Other Explorers England: France: Dutch:
John Cabot: claimed parts of North America
France:
Jacques Cartier: explored the St. Lawrence River
Samuel Chaplain: explored the Great Lakes area
Robert de la Salle: explored the Mississippi River
Dutch:
Henry Hudson: explored Hudson Bay and Hudson River looking for a “Northwest Passage” to Asia

24. Lesson Suggestions Explorers Activity
Nystrom Atlas Activity 44: Europeans Explore and Settle in the Americas

25. The Conquest of the Americas
wikipedia

26. The Conquest of Mexico
1519: Hernando Cortez sailed from Cuba to Mexico.
The Aztecs first thought the Spanish were gods
1521 Cortez attacked the Aztecs with the help of other Native Americans.
The Aztecs were defeated mainly because a smallpox epidemic had broke out and killed many of them.
The Aztecs surrender to Cortex, The British Library
Based on what you know about the Aztecs, why would other tribes help Cortez?
The caption means “Now the Mexica (Aztecs) were finished.”

27. The Conquest of Peru
1530 Francisco Pizarro left Panama to conquer the Incas.
The Incas just had a civil war.
The Spanish pretended to be friendly and ambushed and killed the emperor. Spain won because of their superior technology.
In 1533 Pizarro captured the Inca capital.
The Spanish forced the Inca to become Christian and were used as a labor force.
What advantages in technology did the Spanish have over the American natives?
Conquistador fighting the Incas

28. Colonial Latin America
Latin America= blend of European and Native American culture
Government: Viceroys (governor) ruled each Spanish province.
Spanish born citizens filled most positions in the government and military.
Gold and silver from the Americas was shipped back to Spain. This made Spain the strongest European power.
What problems in governing such a large territory might the Spanish have faced?
ushistory.com

29. Colonial Society Conquistadors: (Spanish Nobles) owned the land
Native Americans: worked the land
Priests: tried to convert the Indians to Christianity and keep them from becoming slaves

30. Colonial Society After a while this social order developed:
Noble officials and landowners born in Spain (peninsulares): head of colonial society
Spanish people born in the New World (creoles)
Mixed Spanish and Native American people (mestizos)
Native Americans (did most of the hard work)
What observations do you have about this social structure?

31. New France Canada and along Great Lakes down the Mississippi River
French missionaries tried to convert the Indians
By end of 17th century the territory covered 3/4th of North America
Sent animal skins and pelts back to France to make hats
How might the population of New France create problems for the ruling government?

32. New Netherlands Around present-day New York Traded with native peoples
Colony was controlled by Dutch West India Company
New Amsterdam (New York City) had a good harbor and became the center for trade.
The coastline claimed by New Netherland and some settlements shown relative to modern borders. wikipedia

33. The English Colonies 1607: English established Jamestown in Virginia
1620: Pilgrims establish colony in Massachusetts
1630: The Puritans settle near the Pilgrims
Eventually 13 colonies arose along the Atlantic coast

34. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Disease killed many Native Americans
A new labor force was needed in the New World
In Africa conquering tribes sold their captives to the Europeans
Based on the map, which European power acquired the most African slaves?

35. The Atlantic Slave Trade
15 million Africans were enslaved
11 million went to Spanish colonies
Many died coming across the Atlantic in what has become known as the “Middle Passage.”

36. How has African culture effected American society and culture?
Encouraged African Warfare:
captured slaves were traded for guns, rum, and other manufactured goods
Disrupted African Culture:
destroyed Africa’s culture and heritage and led to violence, bitterness, and social upheaval
Increased Cultural Diffusion:
ideas, good, and cultures were exchanged in Africa and the Americas
How has African culture effected American society and culture?
Legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on Africa

37. Lesson Suggestions Conquering the Americas Activity
Nystrom Atlas Activity 45: Three Worlds Meet