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The Americas
I.
Mesoamerica
A. Main Idea
1. Civilizations in ________________ were some of the earliest
and most advanced in the Americas.
B. The First Civilizations
1. Mesoamerica, southern _________ and northern ___________
America, was ideal for farming. Cities and complex social
structures arose there too.
2. _________: lived in hot, humid lowlands (1200 BC to AD 300).
Built ______ large towns in Mesoamerica. Towns served as
____________, ______________ and ______________ centers.
3. Olmec rulers, families lived in _______; ________ social classes
lived outside the towns. Elite led ceremonies, controlled ______
network.
4. _________: (Southern Mexico 1500 BC to AD 750). May have
had contact with Olmec. Began as farmers, built capital city
around 500 BC. ________________, first true city in
Mesoamerica - huge main plaza with pyramids, temples, palaces;
Olmec influence in ____________; population of __________ at
height. City declined when leaders lost support of their _______;
still used for high-status ________.
5. _________: (Highlands of central Mexico, AD 900 to 1200).
Capital located at _____, near obsidian mines - major trade
center. ____________ society. __________ change, _________
conflict led to decline
C. The Maya
1. _____ civilization. Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec small in comparison.
Developed around ______ BC - more than 40 cities of 5,000 to
100,000 each at height.
2. Early Maya Civilization – first lived in small villages; ________
________ agriculture.
3. Farming did not provide all needs - traded for cotton, jade
4. Trade of cacao, salt, obsidian helped villages grow to ________.
5. Most cities built between AD 250 and 900, the __________ Age
- each had own ruler and ____________; no ruler ever united the
cities into single ________. Cities linked even without _______
government.
6. Cities also linked by _________ with each other - through battles
kings tried to gain land, power.
7. The Maya worshipped many _____ and believed they influenced
daily ____; they also believed their ______ communicated with
the gods. To keep the gods happy, the Maya performed private
and public ________.
8. Religious offerings: offering ________ by piercing tongue, skin;
human sacrifice only _____________. Ritual ____ game, losing
team having hearts sacrificed to gods.
9. ________________ society: Priests, who led religious
ceremonies; professional warriors, who got war victims for
human sacrifice.
10. Other classes: Merchants, craftspeople middle class. Lower class:
farmers, slaves - provided food, labor for other classes.
11. Achievements: Impressive buildings and architecture, including
canals. Advances in _____________, math, writing. Observed
_____________ of sun, moon, planets.
12. Calendar system: Created based on _____________ observations
- 365-day farming, 260-day religious calendars. More ________
than that used in Europe at same time.
13. Number and writing system: Number system included new
concepts, including “_____.” Complex writing system of _____,
or symbols, representing objects, sounds - carved writing in
stone, also in bark-paper book called a ______.
14. Decline of Mayan civilization, AD _______ - caused by number
of factors : _____________ damage, drought, ____________
increased over competition for land, destroyed more crops, and
abuse of ________ by strong kings.
15. Civilization declined but did not __________- Maya moved from
forest to __________ cities; remained for several hundred years.
D. The Aztecs
1. About the time that ___________ cities in Yucatán reached their
height, the Aztecs began to rise to power in the _____. The early
Aztecs were a small group of unlucky farmers from northwestern
Mexico, who in time created the most powerful ___________ in
Mesoamerica.
2. Began as separate farming tribes - probably subject of the
_________
3. Legend: settle where they saw an _______ on a cactus eating a
_______- migrated south to Valley of _________, ______
4. Lake ___________: a swampy island in valley - site where
legend says Aztecs saw eagle and snake - founded city of
________________. From here, continued rise to power
5. In addition to being farmers, the Aztecs were also fierce ______.
They began fighting to control other towns around Lake
Texcoco.
6. Aztecs gained strength in 1420s with __________ with Texcoco
and Tlacopan - alliance gained control over huge region beyond
Lake Texcoco.
7. Aztecs ruled 400 to 500 other ____________, __ million people
8. Required conquered people to pay _______: paid in many forms,
feathers, food, pottery, blankets; tribute was basis of _________.
II.
9. Gained wealth and strength through _______ as well - system of
______ aided trade of goods like jade, cacao. Merchants also
acted as ______ for Aztec emperor
10. Tenochtitlán: ________ city of Aztec empire, covered __ square
miles. Population of about ___________ - one of largest cities in
world at time. Site of present day ____________ City. _______
and _________ heart of the empire. ____________ gardens.
11. Just as the _________ of the Aztec Empire was highly organized,
so was its _______, with the king at the top, followed by ______.
12. King was part of royal family, but had to be _________
13. Religious Ceremonies: Believed gods needed ______- sacrificed
as many as _______ victims a year . ______, ___________ used
for sacrifices. Certain warriors who captured victims also _____
class.
14. Merchants, artisans wealthy, ________- artisans important, made
goods required for ________.
15. Lower Class: Most were farmers, very poor - did not own their
own land. Paid so much in tribute, it was difficult to _________.
16. Chance for improvement: Farmers could become __________ or
study at special schools. All attended school until __; continuing
in special schools led to work in ____________.
17. Slaves: Suffered most in Aztec society - most had been captured
in _______, or could not pay _______. Some worked as farmers,
laborers; some sacrificed.
18. Aztecs known for achievements in ____ and _________.
19. Kept ________ records, though not as advanced as ________.
20. Used ____________ to create religious and solar ____________
much like the Maya
21. Aztec Empire lasted less than ____ years, brought to end by
____________ contact, ______.
South America
A. Main Idea
1. Several early cultures in South America adapted to _________
environmental conditions. One of them, the ______, built one of
the biggest and most powerful empires in the Americas.
B. Early Cultures in South America
1. The __________: Lived in _________ highlands, 800 to 400 BC.
Other Andean peoples later adopted their methods of _________.
2. The __________: Lived in _________ desert of Peru in farming,
fishing villages 400 BC to AD 600. Built ___________ canals in
desert, channeled flow of Andean streams to crops. Best known
for skilled ___________ in gold, silver, pottery. Pottery depicted
scenes of __________ life, including __________.
3. The __________: ________ people, 200 BC to AD 600, best
known for _____ designs on desert _____- many theories,
including having to do with location of _______. Built irrigation
canals and relied on springs, flooding of streams to water crops _________ supported large population.
C. The Inca Empire
1. Brought _______ South American region into one _________early 1500s, empire expanded along _______ coast, _______.
2. Period of rapid expansion began 1400s from Cuzco - _________
used political alliances, military force; expanded by later leaders
3. Incas needed strong government - ___________ had most power
- did not want conquered people to ______. Moved __________
of conquered areas out - moved loyal new leaders in. _________
used to protect against rebellion, external attacks.
4. Economy: strictly controlled by ___________. Common people
required to pay _______ tax, called the mita (paid by weaving
cloth, working on government farms, mines, building roads).
Government told each ____________ what work to do to pay tax
5. No ___________, goods distributed by government - extra food,
goods stored in government warehouses for emergencies.
6. Inca used quipu, colored and knotted ____ representing numbers,
dates - no _______ language, quipu used to record taxes, number
livestock, and _______.
7. _____ system improved communication, helped government
control economy.
8. The government also played a big role in Inca society. Each
family was grouped with others into a _____________
community called an ayllu. Chain of __________ from emperor
down to local level.
9. Class divisions: No ______; most belonged to ______ class could not own more than ________, served ________ class.
10. Upper class: King, government officials, priests - lived in capital,
________.
11. __________ a key element of Inca; Sun god was most important
of all - believed ______ related to sun god
12. Main ________ located in Cuzco - ____________ of dead kings
worshipped.
13. Religious ceremonies often included ___________ of llamas,
cloth or food, rarely _________.
14. The level of _____________ of Inca government and society led
to significant achievements in the areas of ______________ and
the arts (metalwork and weaving). The Incas were particularly
talented __________ of temples, forts and roads. Many Inca
structures were built so well they still _____ today.
15. In spite of the high level of achievement, the Inca Empire lasted
only about ____ years. Arrival of _________ in 1532 marked
end of Empire.