1. Chapter 1, Section 2 Cities and Empires
American History
Chapter 1, Section 2
Cities and Empires

2. Vocabulary and Time Line
Vocabulary: Civilizations, theocracy, hieroglyphics, terraces
Time Line:
1500 B.C A.D A.D A.D.
Rise of the Olmec Maya civilization Aztec establish Inca empire
in Mexico at its height in Tenochtitlán at its height
Central America in Mexico in S. America
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3. Early American Civilizations
Long before the arrival of the Europeans in the early 1500s, several great civilizations, or highly developed societies, arose in Mexico and Central and South America.
These civilizations built large cities in jungles and on mountain tops. They developed complex systems of writing, counting, and telling time. The largest and most advanced of these civilizations included the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca.

4. The Olmec
The Olmec flourished between 1500 B.C. and 300 B.C. along the Gulf Coast of present day Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
The Olmec farmers produced enough food to feed thousands of people in their cities.
Olmec workers carved stone monuments and built stone pavements and drainage systems.
The Olmec civilization influenced the neighboring civilizations of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca.

5. The Olmec
The Olmec cities were religious centers with temples, and places to live for the priests, artists, and builders. People came into the cities to trade and for celebrations. For recreation they played a ball game where heavy rubber ball was knocked around with two teams trying to score "goals" (no hand or foot contact allowed).
They developed hieroglyphics, a system of writing using symbols or pictures to represent ideas, things and sounds, as well as a calendar. The Olmecs are sometimes called the "mother culture.”

6. The Maya
The Maya built their civilization in the present day forests of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize.
They planted maize, beans, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables in order to feed the population.
They built monuments and pyramids from stone. Most of this labor was performed by enslaved people, usually prisoners of war. By 300 A.D., the Maya had built many large cities that contained at least one stone pyramid. These pyramids could reach up to 200 feet in height. Steps ran up the pyramid sides leading to a temple at the top. The largest Mayan city, Tikal, was surrounded by six pyramids. The temples at the top of the pyramids were centers for religion and government.
Tikal’s Temple V

7. The Maya
Religion: Mayans believed that the gods controlled everything that happened on the earth. Only the priests knew the wishes of the gods. Therefore, Mayan priests were very powerful in their society and made most of the important decisions. The Mayan society was a theocracy, a society ruled by religious leaders.
The Maya were also astronomers. In order to keep accurate records for their religious festivals, they studied the stars. The Mayan priests believed that the gods were visible in the stars, sun and moon. With their knowledge of the stars, they developed a 365-day calendar and predicted eclipses. This knowledge also helped them increase their knowledge of mathematics. The Mayans also developed hieroglyphics.
A jade mask. whose design metaphorically represents the Rain God, Tlaloc, and the Creator God, Quetzalcoatl.
Maya glyphs in stucco at the Museo de sitio in Palenque, Mexico.

8. The Maya
Transport and Trade: The Maya did not have wheeled vehicles or horses. Therefore, everything was transported on human backs or by water on canoes. The Mayans did have a network of roads to travel on to transport goods. Farmers would bring their products to outdoor markets in the cities. Mayan traders traveled down rivers and along the east coast of Mexico with their goods, including jade statues, turquoise jewelry, and cacao beans.
Decline: The Mayan civilization began to decline around 800 A.D. By 900 A.D., the great cities were empty. Scientists do not know for sure why the Mayan civilization declined. However, the descendents of the Maya still live in parts of Mexico and Central America.
Temple of the Cross at Palenque

9. The Aztec
Hundreds of years after the decline of the Maya, a group of hunters, called the Aztec, traveled to central Mexico searching for a permanent home.
1325 A.D.: The Aztec reach an island in Lake Texcoco (part of present day Mexico City). The Aztec saw a sign: an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its beak. This was a sign to them that this area should be their new home.

10. The Aztec
Tenochtitlán: On the island, the Aztec established the city of Tenochtitlán, one of the greatest cities in the Americas. Workers pulled soil from the bottom of the lake to create bridges and causeways connecting the mainland to the island. Eventually, the city expanded from the city to around the lake on the mainland. Workers also filled parts of the lake with soil in order to grow crops. At its height, Tenochtitlán was the largest city in the Americas and one of the largest cities in the world.

11. The Aztec
War and Religion: The Aztec civilization grew into a military empire. In the 1400s, the Aztec army conquered nearly all of the rival communities surrounding their civilization. Conquered peoples worked as slaves in Aztec cities. The Aztec civilization also organized their society around religion. They believed that human sacrifices were necessary to please the gods and to ensure good harvests. Conquered peoples were used as the human sacrifices.

12. The Aztec

13. The Aztec
1519A.D.: Hernán Cortes led the first group of Europeans to see the Aztec capital. This group of Spanish explorers eventually led to the destruction and decline of the Aztec civilization.
"Cortes and Montezuma at Mexican Temple" Scene from the frieze decorating the United States Capitol. Painted sometime between 1878 and 1880 by Constantino Brumidi.

14. The Inca
The Inca developed their civilization in the western highlands of South America. The Incan Empire was the largest of the early American civilizations.
1200 A.D.: The Inca founded their capital city of Cuzco. In 1438 A.D., an emperor named Pachacuti came into power and began a campaign to conquer all neighboring peoples. He and his son, Tupac Inca, built an empire that stretched for more than 3,000 miles (from present day Colombia to northern Argentina and Chile). The Incan army was very powerful. All men between years old could serve in the army for up to five years.

15. The Inca
At its height, the Inca Empire had a population of more than nine million (including conquered peoples). To connect and control this large empire, the Inca built roads made of stone that were at least 10,000 miles long. Runners would carry messages to the emperor in Cuzco and from the emperor to outposts around the empire.
The official language of the empire was Quechua (the Inca language). The Inca did not have a system of writing. However, they kept records using string called quipus. Using different lengths and colors of string knotted in different patterns, the quipus carried information about resources.

16. The Inca
Farming: The mountains were difficult to farm. However, the Inca developed a way to produce food by cutting terraces, or broad platforms, into steep slopes so they could plant crops. They built stone walls on the terraces to hold the soil and plants in place. The farmers grew maize, squash, tomatoes, peanuts, chili peppers, melons, cotton, and potatoes.
Hiram Bingham discovered the ruins of the early Incan city, Machu Picchu, in Peru in 1911 A.D. This city was built for religious ceremonies.