1. THE AMERICAS
Chapter 16

2. The First American Civilizations
South America
The Maya
Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico
Disappeared from their lands in the 900s CE
The Aztecs
Controlled Central Mexico
Empire included over 5 million people
The Inca
Located in the mountains of Peru
Largest empire of the ancient Americas

3. The Maya and Aztec
Aztecs
Mayas

4. The Inca Empire

5. The First American Civilizations continued
South America
The Toltecs
Took Mayan lands until 1200CE
The Olmecs
BCE
Developed in present day Mexico

6. North America Southwestern US East of the Mississippi
Anasazi – New Mexico, lived in pueblos
East of the Mississippi
Hopewell or “mound builders”
Alaska and Canada
Inuit, traveled by dog sled and lived in Igloos
Northeast
The Iroquois
set up a confederation - a government that links several groups

7. Anasazi

8. The Iroquois
The Mound-builders

9. THE INUIT

10. THE MAYANS Present day – Guatemala
City- states & worshipped gods, especially the sun god
Learned astronomy and developed the calendar
System of mathematics and hieroglyphic writing
Paddled in canoes as far as present day US
By CE900s the Maya has mysteriously disappeared
Mayan cities had many ball courts for sport

12. Mayan ruins at Tikal

13. Mayan Step Pyramid

14. Mayan Ball Court

16. THE AZTEC In present day Mexico 1250-1519ce Large population of people
Greatest city of the empire was Tenochtitlan
Polytheistic Religion
Major God was the sun god - Quetzalcoatl
Believed in the use of human sacrifice
Death was considered honorable
Roles of men and women
Boys were trained as soldiers
Girls learned to work in the household

20. THE INCA In present day Peru Culture Polytheistic Religion
Had a vast system of roads that stretched over 2,500 miles
Culture
Quechua – Incan language
Quipu – rope used to keep records
Polytheistic Religion
Human sacrifice in honor of gods
Government and Society
Pachacuti – “Earthshaker” greatest Inca leader
Society was divided in 12 job categories

22. Machu Picchu

23. The Spanish Arrive In 1492 Soon after
250,000 people lived in Aztec empire
Columbus arrives
Soon after
Arrival of the Conquistadors

24. What Did the Spanish Want?
THE 3 G’S
Gold
God
Glory

26. Cortes Defeats the Aztec
Hernan Cortes
April 1519
550 soldiers, 16 horses, 14 cannons
Germ warfare?
Thought Cortes might be returning Aztec God
Spanish conquered the Aztec in June 1521

29. Pizarro Conquers the Inca
1530s, Incas thought to have ruled the “known world”
Francisco Pizarro – had great knowledge of Native Americans
Atahualpa – Inca Emperor
Spanish attack at an arranged meeting (1532)
Atahualpa is captured offered riches for his release
Pizarro takes riches has emperor executed

32. END