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For God, Gold and Glory (the 3 G’s) The Conquest of Latin America Ancient Latin America: Civilizations of Mesoamerica From 1200 B.C. until 1500 A.D., great civilizations flourished in Mesoamerica, also known as Middle or Central America. The Maya were spread throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, western Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize. The Aztec were another great civilization that settled in and around what is now Mexico City. The Inca rose up in the Andes Mountains of Peru and conquered the people of the surrounding areas. Their empire included parts of what are now Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina. Once the word spread of riches in the Americas (to European countries), the hunt for gold was on. The conquistadors of Spain set out to find gold, spread the word of God, and claim glory for the crown (the 3 G’s, again). The native people of these newly discovered lands were conquered by conquistadors such as Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro. The Maya • Existed as early as 1600 B.C. • Their greatest years were from 250 A.D. until 900 A.D. • Built great cities in Palenque, Tikal and Chichen Itza. • Built an observatory at Chichen Itza, as they were great astronomers. • They charted planets and were able to predict eclipses of the sun. • Observatory at Chichen Itza The Maya, continued… • Created two calendars: 260 day calendar of sacred days and a 365 day calendar based on the sun’s movement. • Best-developed Latin American written language based on time and events. • Codices were the religious books written by the Maya. • Created stone trees using hieroglyphs to tell of wars, conquests, births, and deaths of kings. • Understood the mathematical concept of zero. Still more Maya… • King was head of the state and ascended through his ancestry that could be traced to a divine ancestor • Civilization followed strict rules regarding social classes that could seen in their art and carvings. • Sacrifice was the core of Mayan religion. They believed that the gods rained blood to provide water and to fertilize the crops, so they cut themselves to collect blood to burn in sacrifice. • They believed in 3 levels of existence much like JudeoChristians. Mayan Agriculture (W.A.I.T.): What is subsistence farming? • The Maya were an agricultural society. • They practiced slash and burn agriculture in which the Maya would cut down and burn trees and plant crops in their place. This was mainly done with ??subsistence farming?? in mind. • After a few years, the forest was allowed to grow back in order for the soil to regain nutrients. • In addition to the slash-and-burn technique, the Mayans utilized a method of farming called terracing : they built up ridges along floodplains on which to farm since these areas were rich with nutrients and the ridges prevented crops from getting too wet. Terracing in the sides of hills or Mountains The Slash and Burn Technique The Aztecs • The Aztecs were made up of a number of wandering tribes of which the Mexica were the most dominant. • They grew in numbers from about 1200 to 1500 A.D. when they were conquered by the Spanish. • They settled on the island city of Tenochitlan, where Mexico City now stands. Tenochtitlan The Aztecs, continued… • The Aztec Empire centered on warfare. • All men were required to join the Aztec army in order to maintain a powerful empire and for religious reasons. • Dying in battle honored the war god, Huitsilopochtli. • Tribes who lost men to the Aztecs either as sacrifices or slaves became their enemies. Aztec War God Aztec Agriculture • Because the majority of the island the Aztecs lived on was a marsh, they had to find a way to farm that would produce the crops needed to survive. • They built chinampas, a kind of floating garden created by heaping fertile mud on rafts secured between trees. The Conquistadors During the late 15th century and 16th century, following the expedition of Christopher Columbus, the Conquistadors left Spain to do 3 things: 1. Spread Christianity to the heathens: God 2. Search for fortunes for the crown/government of Spain and to increase their own wealth: Gold 3. Conquer lands in the name of Spain and gain fame: Glory The 3 G’s are back!!! Hernan Cortes • Cortes recruited many of the tribes who were enemies of the Aztecs, and had superior weaponry the Aztecs could not win against. • In 1519 Cortes captured the Aztec ruler, Montezuma II, and enslaved the Aztec people. • Many that were not enslaved died of diseases brought by the Spaniards. • In 1521 he claimed the Aztec Empire for Spain and renamed it New Spain The Inca • Lived in the Andes Mountains of Peru as well as the surrounding areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina ruled from their capital of Cuzco. • Developed an intricate system of roads built of stone (still in use today!) to connect all parts of the empire. • These roads were used by teams of runners to relay messages across the empire. • The Inca were master stonemasons who used wooden rollers to move heavy stone blocks. • Machu Picchu was built without the use of mortar to hold it together. Machu Picchu Francisco Pizarro: Conqueror of the Inca •In 1532, having heard of the riches founded by Cortes (who was Pizarro’s cousin), Pizarro set out to make a name for himself (just as his cousin had). He desired to find treasures and claim land for the crown. •Pizzaro landed in part of South America, the home of the Inca in the Andes Mountains of Peru. •Pizarro defeated the Inca ruler, Atahualpa, and claimed the empire for Spain. The Colombian Exchange The native tribes, the Aztec and the Inca, once conquered, became slaves in their own lands. They were forced into hard labor, such as mining silver. The Spanish grew crops such as corn, peppers and tomatoes (crops never seen before) and sent them to Spain. Manufactured products from Spain, especially textiles, were also shipped to Latin America. This exchange of culture came to be know as the Colombian Exchange: Exchange of goods and ideas between Europe and its colonies in North and South America, Africa, and Asia. Tim and Moby: The Maya • http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worl dhistory/mayacivilization/ Decline of the Mayan Empire • http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cf m?guidAssetId=9986C806-A2DE-4747-85CC142DBCCB2898 Tim and Moby: The Aztecs • http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worl dhistory/azteccivilization/ http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs /videos#aztec-sacrifice Hernan Cortes: Conquistador and conqueror of the Aztec http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetI d=FF601162-0F4E-4E4C-9E5F-5C1DC576EB00 The Inca Empire • http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cf m?guidAssetId=B4F36384-A49E-44F1-B3C46F834026227C