1. Mesoamerica and South America

2. Ancient Mesoamerica Location: Area of Mexico and Central America
Olmec: first known civilization in Mesoamerica
“Mother Culture” of Mesoamerica – later Mesoamerican people take from their advances: calendar, hieroglyphics, trade

3. Maya Located on Yucatan Peninsula Made up of city-states
Built temples & pyramids
Created calendar
Used hieroglyphics
Practiced human sacrifice to honor gods
Made up of city-states

4. aztec Civilization at Tenochtitlan, today’s Mexico City
Collection of territories governed by lords
Aztec lords received tribute, goods or money from people they conquered, and paid it to the Aztec ruler.
Believed in many gods
Human sacrifice offered to gods

5. Inca Civilization in today’s Peru
Great builders
Forced labor
Quipo – knotted strings used to keep records
Pachacuti – Led Incas in conquering others

6. Spanish conquistadors
Columbus was welcomed by Taino people who shared their corn, yams, and cotton with Spanish.
Columbus took Tainos as prisoners to Spain
Conquistador – Spanish settlers of Americas

7. Spanish conquistadors
Hernan Cortes – conquered Mexico.
Moctezuma – Aztec leader who sent welcoming gifts to Cortes
Cortes demolished Mexican capitol city, and built Mexico City on top of the ruins; killed Aztecs with weapons or smallpox
Francisco Pizarro – wanted to take over Incan Empire in Peru
Smallpox, civil war, and advanced weapons helped the Spanish beat the Inca

8. Spanish influence
Conquistadors tried to convert Natives to Christianity
Some resisted and were killed
Some converted in hopes that it would end conflicts
Queen Isabella granted Spanish settlers in the Americas encomienda – the right to enslave Native Americans.
Forced labor, starvation, and disease took a toll on the Native populations
Columbian Exchange – the exchange of plants and animals between Europe and the Americas