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Early history of the Americas

Early history of the Americas . Beringia :. Land bridge between North America and Asia that existed thousands of years ago Belief that the first people crossed this area, into North American continent during the ice age. Believed to have been hunting game across the land bridge

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Early history of the Americas

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  1. Early history of the Americas

  2. Beringia: • Land bridge between North America and Asia that existed thousands of years ago • Belief that the first people crossed this area, into North American continent during the ice age

  3. Believed to have beenhuntinggame across the land bridge • The actual date of the arrival of the first Americans is still unknown

  4. Development and agriculture • Agricultural revolution hit central Mexico around 7000 BC • By 3400 BC farmers in Mexico began to grow maize (corn)

  5. Development of stable agriculture led to the rise in advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica, beginning around 3000 years ago, as well as South America • Mesoamerica: area that stretches south from central Mexicoto Northern Honduras

  6. Olmec 1200BC to 400 BC

  7. Located in the jungles of southern Mexico • Lived along the Gulf Coast • Referred to as a Mesoamerica’s “mother culture”

  8. Religion • Prayed to a variety of nature gods • (animism)

  9. Accomplishments • Constructed earthen mounds, courtyards, and pyramids. • Developed stone columns and alters • Created sculpted heads representing the Olmec rulers- weighed as much as 44 tons

  10. Accomplishments (continued…) • Directed a trading network that spanned from Mexico City to Honduras • Olmec and Zapotec advances paved the way for the development of the Mayan civilization • Reason for the collapse in 400 BC is unknown

  11. Zapotec • Located in southwest Mexico in the present-day Mexican state of Oaxaca • Contained fertile soil, mild climate, and enough rainfall to support agriculture • Constructed advanced city at Monte Alban

  12. Early Empires of South America

  13. Nazca civilization (200 BC to 600 AD) • Flourished along the southern coast of Peru • Developed irrigation systems, using underground canals • Nazca lines • Etched on the southern plains of Peru • More than 1000 drawings of animals, plants, humans • Can only be recognized from the air

  14. http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/the-nazca-lines/

  15. The Mayas (250-900AD)

  16. The Mayas (250-900 AD)

  17. Geography • Area stretched from southern Mexico into northern Central America • Included the Yucatan Peninsula • Received ideas from the Olmecs

  18. Mayan Cities • Created during the classical period (250-900 AD) • Included Tikal- major center in Northern Guatemala • Featured giant pyramids, temples, palaces and stone.

  19. Mayan cities cont… • Ruled by god-kings. • Served as centers for religious ceremonies and trade.

  20. Religion • Polytheistic • Believed each day was a living god whose behavior could be predicted with the use of calendar. • Two calendars: • Religious • Solar

  21. equinox

  22. Religion continued… • Made offerings of food, pierced and cut their bodies, and sometimes used human sacrifice.

  23. Social structure: • Mayan king- hereditary position; passed on to eldest son • Nobility- priest and warriors • Merchants and skilled artisans • Peasants

  24. Writing system • Most advanced of the ancient Americans • Used glyphs- 800 hieroglyphic symbols • Codex- bark paper books in which the Mayans recorded important events

  25. Decline • History of the Mayas ends in mystery • In 800s Maya suddenly abandoned many cities

  26. Theories for decline… • War broke out in 70s, creating economic hardship and disrupted trade • Population growth • Over-farming • When Spanish arrived in 1500s Mayan civilization consisted of small, weak city states

  27. The Aztecs 1200-1521 AD

  28. Geography • Located in the Valley of Mexico City • Area had several large, shallow lakes, accessible resource, and fertile soil

  29. Origins • Empire found by the Mexica- poor nomadic people from the deserts of northern Mexico • Aztec god Huitzilopochtli told them to found a city in their own • Discovered home on a small island in Lake Texcoco

  30. In 1325 AD founded capital city of Tenochtitlan • Used warfare and developed alliances with neighbors to expand empire in the 1400s • By 1500 controlled empire that covered 80,000 square miles

  31. Cities • Capital and center- cities Tenochtitlan • Home to 200,000 to 400,000 people • Built on original site of the empire • Contained the Great Temple- giant pyramid with two temples dedicated to the gods • Center of religious life

  32. Religion • Polytheistic • Worshipped over 1,000 gods • Huitzilopochtli (sun god) was the main god

  33. To make sure the sun would rise daily, Aztecs performed human sacrifice • Victims included enslaved people criminals, and people offered as tribute • Sacrifice done on a massive scale • Armies would conquer areas for people not land • Sacrifices would be conducted at the great temple

  34. Social structure • Emperor • Nobles- government officials, generals, religious leaders • Commoners- merchants, soldiers, farmers who owned land • Enslaved people

  35. Decline of the Empire • Montezuma II • Crowned emperor in 1502 AD • Called for more tribute and sacrifice from conquered areas

  36. Decline of the Empire • Arrival of the Spanish and Hernando Cortes- 1519 AD • Montezuma believed that he was Quetzalcoatl • With superior technology, and European diseases such as smallpox, the Spanish defeated the Aztecs by 1521 AD

  37. The Incas 1200-1535

  38. Geography • Settled on fertile plains in the Valley of Cuzco. • empire stretched 2,500 miles along the western coast of South America • From Ecuador (north) to Chile (south) • Largest empire of the Americas • Known as the “Land of the Four Quarters.”

  39. With an area so large with a large population (16 million), Incan rulers used the following • Divided territory into small units governed by a central bureaucracy • Efficient economic system • Extensive road system- 14,000 miles • Official language- Quencha • Social groups identified by clothing

  40. Cities • Built cities in conquered areas to exercise control over empire • Cuzco • Capital and heart of the Incan Empire • Area where all roads led to

  41. Machu Picchu • Served as a religious center for the Inca • Possible estate of Pachacuti

  42. Government • Pachuacuti (1438 AD) • Conquered all of Peru and moved into neighboring lands • Similar to socialism- state exercised almost total control over economic and social life • Ex.) regulated production and distribution of goods

  43. Demanded tribute in the form of labor known as mita • Chasquis- system of runners who traveled roads to warn of any revolts/danger

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