1. Chapter 5 – Lesson 2 Vocabulary Creating a Mexican Culture

2. civilization A culture that has a complex economic, governing, and social system. More advanced in technology

3. Olmecs The Olmecs were the earliest civilization in Mexico. They lived in small houses made of reeds and straw. The people fished and farmed near the rivers. They developed a calendar and a counting system to keep track of the flood season. They used picture writing. They are best known for their carvings and artwork. Their most important god was the jaguar that they believed brought rain. They moved giant stones 50 miles without modern technology.

4. Maya They farmed in the rain forests. Their largest city was called Tikal. They borrowed the jaguar symbol from the Olmecs. They created a 365 day calendar to keep tracking of planting, harvesting, and flooding. They developed a number system, including a symbol for the number zero. They used picture writing.

5. Aztecs They had an accurate calendar and used mathematics to help grow their crops. They developed a system of writing. Their largest city was called Tenochtitlan. Their empire was made up of over 5 million people. Their descendants speak their native language today called Nahuatl. Many of their foods are now traditional foods of the people of Mexico. For example, their cornmeal pancake is called a tortilla today.

6. The Spanish Hernando Cortes conquered the Aztec empire and claimed the land for Spain. Mexico City was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan. Mexico remained a Spanish colony for 300 years. Spanish is the official language of Mexico today. The majority of Mexicans are Roman Catholic as that is the primary religion in Spain. Many of the churches in Mexico are built the same way as Roman Catholic churches in Spain.

7. innovation New ways of doing things.

8. reclaim Taken back

9. missionary Religious teachers that came to Mexico to teach the Roman Catholic religion.

10. fiesta Festival

11. mestizo A person of European and American Indian descent, living in the Spanish colonies.