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People and Empires in the Americas,
500–1500
Societies in the Americas range from small tribal
bands to the vast empires of the Maya, the Aztecs,
and the Inca.
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People and Empires in the Americas,
500–1500
SECTION 1
North American Societies
SECTION 2
Maya Kings and Cities
SECTION 3
The Aztecs Control Central Mexico
SECTION 4
The Inca Create a Mountain Empire
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Section 1
North American Societies
Complex North American societies are linked
to each other through culture and economics.
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SECTION
1
North American Societies
Complex Societies in the West
Regional Differences
• North American cultures less complex than other
American cultures
Cultures of Abundance
• Pacific Northwest—from Oregon to Alaska—rich in
resources
• People rely on both sea and land resources for
food
• Plentiful resources lead to society with differences
in wealth
• In potlatch ceremony, wealthy people give gifts to
demonstrate status
Continued . . .
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SECTION
1
continued Complex
Societies in the West
Accomplished Builders
• Desert Southwest is harsher environment than that
of Pacific Coast
• Hohokam of central Arizona use irrigation to grow
corn, beans, squash
• Use of pottery shows contact with Mesoamerica
• Anasazi, to the north, build pueblos—villages of
stone, adobe, clay
• Pueblos abandoned around 1200; descendents of
Anasazi—Pueblo peoples
• Hopi and Zuni continue Anasazi customs; create
trade goods
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SECTION
1
Mound Builders and Other Woodland Cultures
The Mound Builders
• Peoples who live east of Mississippi River in
woodland areas
• Adena and Hopewell peoples build mounds for
burials, ceremonies
• Mississippian—last Mound Builder culture, from
800 to 1500s
• Cahokia, leading city, has as many as 30,000
people
Northeastern Tribes Build Alliances
• Iroquois—five allied tribes of eastern Great Lakes
• Goals of Iroquois League: joint defense and
cooperation
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SECTION
1
Cultural Connections
Trading Networks Tie Tribes Together
• Mississippian trade network: Rockies to Atlantic,
Great Lakes to Gulf
Religion Shapes Views of Life
• Most Native Americans believe in many sacred
spirits
• Beliefs also include respect for land as source of life
Shared Social Patterns
• Family is basis for social organization; some
organize into clans
• Totems—natural object that person, family, or clan
identifies with
• Totem is symbol of unity of family, clan, or group
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Section 2
Maya Kings and Cities
The Maya develop a highly complex
civilization based on city-states elaborate
religious practices.
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SECTION
2
Maya Kings and Cities
Maya Create City-States
The Land of the Maya
• Maya live in southern Mexico and northern Central
America
• Land, vegetation of this region varies
• Maya culture influenced by Olmec civilization
Urban Centers
• In Classic Period (250 to 900) Maya build
spectacular cities
• Cities, like Tikal, have pyramids, temples, palaces,
stone carvings
• Each has a court where ritual ball game is played
Continued . . .
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SECTION
2
continued Maya
Create City-States
Agriculture and Trade Support Cities
• Cities linked by alliances, trade
• Farming maize, beans, squash is foundation of Maya
life
• Maya use different farming techniques
Kingdoms Built on Dynasties
• Farming success leads to rise of social classes
• King is leader, holy figure; priests, warriors at top of
social class
• Middle class: merchants, artisans; bottom: peasants
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SECTION
2
Religion Shapes Maya Life
The Importance of Religion
• Maya believe in many gods, who could be good,
evil, or both
• Each day is a god whose behavior could be
predicted with calendars
Religious Practices
• Many ways of worshiping: prayer, offerings, giving
blood
• Maya also make human sacrifices to please gods
and balance world
Continued . . .
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SECTION
2
continued Religion
Shapes Maya Life
Math and Religion
• Religion leads to advances in calendar, math,
astronomy
• Maya use two calendars: one religious (260 days),
one solar (365 days)
• Use calendars to find best days for life activities
Written Language Preserves History
• Writing system has 800 glyphs—symbols
• Use writing to record history in a codex—bark-paper
book
• Popul Vuh—famous codex that contains Maya story
of creation
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SECTION
2
Mysterious Maya Decline
The End of the Maya
• In late 800s, Maya abandon cities; cause for
abandonment unknown
• Signs of social problems:
- In 700s, fighting among many Maya city-states
- Population growth, over-farming might have
hurt environment
- By 1500s, Maya live in small, weak city-states
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Section 3
The Aztecs Control
Central Mexico
Through alliances and conquest, the
Aztecs create a powerful empire in Mexico.
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SECTION
3
The Aztecs Control Central Mexico
The Valley of Mexico
Geography
• Mountain basin 7,500 feet above sea level, large
lakes, fertile soil
• Teotihuacán and Toltec settle in valley, develop
civilizations
An Early City-State
• Teotihuacán city-state rises in first century A.D.
• At peak, in 500s, city has up to 200,000 people
• Serves as center of trade, especially of obsidian—
volcanic glass
• City quickly declines; by 750 is abandoned
Continued . . .
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SECTION
3
continued The
Valley of Mexico
Toltecs Take Over
• About 900, Toltecs rise to power; rule for about
300 years
• A warlike people, they rule by conquest
• They worship fierce war god and offer human
sacrifices
• Toltec ruler Topiltzin tries to change religion, end
human sacrifice
• Encourages worship of Quetzalcoatl—
“Feathered Serpent”—a new god
• He is exiled to Yucatán Peninsula; by early
1200s, Toltec rule ends
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SECTION
3
The Aztec Empire
Arrival of the Aztecs
• Aztecs (or Mexica) arrive around 1200, begin
working as soldiers
• By own legend, a god leads them to found city of
Tenochtitlán
Aztecs Grow Stronger
• Triple Alliance—1428 agreement of Aztec and two
other city-states
• By early 1500s, Aztecs have large empire and rule
5–15 million people
• Power comes from tribute resulting from conquests
Continued . . .
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SECTION
3
continued The
Aztec Empire
Nobles Rule Aztec Society
• Noble class—military leaders, officials, priests—
rules Aztec society
• Nobles own vast estates, live life of wealth and
luxury
• Commoners: merchants, artisans, soldiers,
farmers
• Lowest class: enslaved people
• Emperor’s power is absolute, lives in palace, is
revered
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SECTION
3
Tenochtitlán: A Planned City
Extraordinary Urban Center
• Causeways connect island city to mainland areas
• Canals enable people to carry goods to city and
its huge main market
• Chinampas, floating islands, used to grow crops
• Central area has palaces, temples, government
buildings
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SECTION
3
Religion Rules Aztec Life
Many Gods
• Religion includes 1,000 gods, many adopted from
other peoples
Religious Practices
• Center of religion is public ceremonies to win gods’
favor
• Many religious festivals throughout year
Sacrifices for the Sun God
• Most important rituals are for sun god, Huitzilopochtli
• He needs human sacrifices to be strong
• Aztecs engage in war to provide captives for these
sacrifices
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SECTION
3
Problems in the Aztec Empire
A New Ruler
• In 1502, Montezuma II becomes emperor; he
calls for more tribute
• These sacrifices lead to revolt in outlying areas
• Emperor tries to make life easier, but Aztecs
worry about future
• Soon after, Spanish arrive
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Section 4
The Inca Create a
Mountain Empire
The Inca build a vast empire supported by
taxes, governed by a bureaucracy, and
linked by extensive road systems.
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SECTION
4
The Inca Create a Mountain Empire
The Inca Build an Empire
Incan Beginnings
• Inca live first in high plateau of Andes Mountains
• By 1200s, they have a kingdom in Valley of Cuzco
• Inca believe that their ruler is descended from sun
god, Inti
Pachacuti Builds an Empire
• Pachacuti, a powerful and ambitious emperor,
takes control in 1438
• Under Pachacuti, Inca conquer lands holding 16
million people
• Inca use diplomacy and military force to achieve
conquests
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SECTION
4
Incan Government Creates Unity
Organized Rule
• Inca divide conquered lands into smaller units to
govern easily
• Make Quechua official language of entire empire
Incan Cities Show Government Presence
• Inca build cities with same architecture for
government buildings
• Capital is Cuzco, which has temples, plazas,
palaces
• Inca are very skilled builders
Continued . . .
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SECTION
4
continued Incan
Government Creates Unity
Incan Government
• Inca government controls economy and society
• Use ayllu—extended family group—to control
how people live, work
• Divides society into groups of 10; 100; 1,000;
10,000
• Chain of command stretches from central
government to smallest unit
• Demands mita—requirement that people work for
state
• Cares for the aged and disabled
Continued . . .
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SECTION
4
continued Incan
Government Creates Unity
Public Works Projects
• Government creates public works, including
14,000-mile road network
• Runners carry messages along the roads to
different places
Government Record-Keeping
• Inca do not develop system of writing
• Use quipu—set of knotted strings—as
accounting device
• Might also have had elaborate two-calendar
system
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SECTION
4
Religion Supports the State
Inca Gods
• Inca have fewer gods than Aztecs
• Creator god and sun god are most important
Religious Practices
• Priests draft young women to assist in
ceremonies
• Some young men also become specialized
religious workers
Great Cities
• Cuzco has magnificent Temple of the Sun
decorated in gold
• Other cities might have had religious importance
as well
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SECTION
4
Discord in the Empire
Problems Arise
• In early 1500s, Inca Empire reaches its height
under Huayna Capac
• Capac dies, perhaps of smallpox, while touring
newly conquered Ecuador
• In 1520s, his sons Atahualpa and Huascar split
empire
• Atahualpa wants control of whole empire and
begins civil war
• This war weakens Inca state just before Spanish
arrive
NEXT
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