1. The AMERICAS

2. NORTH AMERICA
The Iroquois – eastern woodlands (northeast)
Built longhouses
Women owned the dwellings and harvested the crops
Three “sister” crops: corn, beans, and squash
Men hunted and protected the community
Made up of five different nations:
Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Cayuga

3. Formed a joint gov’t called the Iroquois League
Created to end wars, was a council of representatives that met regularly to settle disputes
First experiment with democracy in North America

5. Mesoamerica Name used for areas of Mexico and Central America
Site of the first farming settlements in the Americas

7. The Maya
One of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas
Practiced slash-and-burn agriculture to farm the rain forest
Burning vegetation to clear the land for crops

8. Built splendid pyramids, temples, and palaces
The kings of the Mayan city-states claimed to be descended from gods
Had many rituals to satisfy the gods
One ritual involved piercing the tongue or skin to offer blood to the gods
Another was a game involving a rubber ball that you had to get through a stone hoop using only your elbows, knees, or hips – the losing team often were killed and their hearts sacrificed to the gods
Practiced human sacrifice to appease the gods
Among the first people to come up with the concept of zero and had a 365 day calendar

9. The Aztec
At its height the Aztec controlled 5 million people and hundreds of cities
The capital city of Tenochtitlan was one of the largest in the world at the time, with 200,000 inhabitants

10. The king, although he was elected by a group of nobles, claimed to be descended from gods
Aztec religious ceremonies were particularly bloody
Believed that the gods needed human blood, hoped human sacrifice would postpone the day of reckoning
Aztec sacrificed as many as 20,000 victims a year
Mostly used slaves or prisoners of war as sacrifices
Warriors were responsible for capturing the victims

12. South America The Inca – 1300s to 1500s
Starts out in Peru, eventually includes 12 million people
Capital at Cuzco

14. The emperor had most of the power
Believed to related to the sun god
Used the quipu to keep track of the movement of goods throughout the empire
Form of communication
Religion was a key element of the Inca society
Built 24,800 miles worth of roads and suspension bridges
The arrival of the Spanish brought an end to the empire