Download Ancient Civilizations of Latin America

History of Latin America:
Ancient Civilizations and
European Colonization
Maya Civilization
 Located in Central America
and southern Mexico
Maya Economy
 Based on trade and
agriculture
Accomplishments
 Architecture – step pyramid
 Fully developed written
language (hieroglyphs)
 Astronomy & Mathematics
(calendar)
Inca Civilizations
 At the height of its
existence the Inca Empire
was the largest nation on
Earth
 Largest native state to
have existed in the
western hemisphere
 Located in the Andes
Mountains – from
Ecuador to Chile
Inca Economy
 Based primarily on farming
 Terrace farming made agriculture in the Andes possible
 Very skilled artisans
Ruins at Machu Picchu show
terracing
Photos by Linda Hammon
Accomplishments
 Advanced road system
 Astronomy
 Highly organized
government
 Irrigation systems
 System of language
 Domesticated the llama and
alpaca
Aztec
Civilization
 Located in
Central and
Southern
Mexico
Aztec Economy
 Based on agriculture,
fishing, and trade
 Capital city
Tenochtitlan was
built on an island in
the middle of a lake –
Now the center of
modern Mexico City
Accomplishments
 Credited for the
discovery of chocolate
– Cacao beans acquired
through trade
 Advanced political
system
Colonization
• Treaty of Tordesillas (1494):
Split newly discovered
territory between Spain &
Portugal at about 22 degrees
west
What was given to Portugal?
• By the end of the 16th century,
LA colonized – mostly along
the coastlines
European Exploration
 “God, Gold, and Glory” were motivations
– Missionaries converted natives to Catholicism
– Worked natives as slaves (& imported Africans) to
harvest natural resources
 Columbian Exchange
– Diseases wiped out many of the indigenous
 Intermixing races was common
– European colonists + indigenous = mestizo
– African + indigenous = mulatto
Lasting impact of colonization
 Languages – Spanish & Portuguese
 Most Latin Americans are Christians,




mostly Roman Catholic
Economy still oriented toward export
Black & mulatto populations (Haiti, Brazil, &
the Dominican Republic)
Mestizo populations (Mexico & El Salvador)
Culture is a mix of European & native
customs, an example of…?