American Civilizations A Look at the Western Hemisphere

American Civilizations A Look at the Western Hemisphere

Civilizations • Inca in Peru c. 1400 s • Capital in Cuzco • Constructed vast road systems • Built huge buildings for food storage and garrisons for soldiers. • Downfall in the 1530 s

Civilizations • Maya and Aztec in Mesoamerica (Mexico) • 500 to 1500 C. E. • Similarities with North American development • How/Why are there similarities?

Valleys of the Sun • Mesoamerican Empires of the Maya and Aztec. • Maya in the Yucatan (Mexico) from 300 to 900 C. E. • Built huge stone temples and rituals of bloodletting to appease gods.

Valleys of the Sun • Maya wrote in pictographs. • Declined rapidly beginning in the 750 s. • Dominance in Mesoamerica moved farther west to Teotihuacan – declined fast anyway. • Made way for the Toltec and then Aztec.

Valleys of the Sun • Aztec (or Mexica) migrated from the north in central Mexico in the 1100 s • Swiftly rose to power by politics and military skill. • Aztec war god said to have told where to build – where an eagle perched upon a cactus

Valleys of the Sun • Aztec built on Lake Texcoco. • By the 1400 s, the settlement became a huge city called Tenochtitlan. • Adopted the 52 year calendar. • Would often attack neighboring people. Why?

Questions 1. What similarities do the Inca, Mayan, and Aztec share? 2. What do you think caused the collapse of the Inca and Mayan culture? 3. How did the Aztec get so powerful, and what do you think will cause their downfall?