Chapter 9, Section 1 Early civilizations of the Americas

BY R.O.C B.O.Y

A. Geography and its impact

A. Latin America is a diverse geographical region.

A. Geography and its impact• Land and climate of Latin America

– The region is called Latin America because most of

the people who live there today speak the Latin –

based languages of Spanish, Portuguese, and

French.– At one time, parts of Latin America were annexed,

or taken possession of, by European countries.

–Many of the highest peaks of the Andes are in

Peru.

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B. Early CivilizationsB.The earliest civilizations in the Americas

began when people learned to grow corn

and other crops.

B. Early Civilizations• The Olmecs and the Zapotecs

– People know as the Olmecs developed the earliest

know civilization in the Americas.

– Olmec art included gigantic carved stone heads.

– They settled along the Gulf of Mexico in about

1200 B.C. The Olmecs lived by fishing and farming.

B. Early Civilizations The Maya

• The Maya- The Maya had many achievements in the arts and

science. They developed a 365 –day calendar that was the most accurate in the world at that time.

- They also developed a system of writing that used glyphs, which are pictures or other symbols, often carved, that represent words or ideas.

- In mathematics, they were among the first who used glyphs, which are pictures or other symbols, often carved, that represent words or ideas.

C. The Aztec Civilization

• C. The Aztecs developed a powerful civilization in Mexico.

C. The Aztec Civilization

• The Toltecs– The Toltecs dominated central Mexico from about

A.D. 950 to 1200.

– The city of Tula was the capital of the Toltecs a,

Empire.– Tula was the center of a powerful mining and

trading empire.

C. The Aztec Civilization

• The Aztecs– The Aztecs developed a unified empire with one

ruler, chosen by nobles and priests, to lead wars.– Most prisoners, however, became human

sacrifice to the gods.– Girls were educated by their mothers to enter

certain professions.

Chapter 9

Section 2 Peru and the Incan Empire

A. Early peoples of Peru

• The earliest people of Peru were accomplished artist, architects, and engineers.

A. Early peoples of Peru

• The Chavin people – People of the Chavin culture built stone temples in the mountains of

Peru. – They decorated their temples with carvings of Chavin gods and images

of animals such as the jaguar, and the serpent.– To build one temple workers need to produce about 50 million bricks.

A. Early peoples of Peru

• The Moche People – The Moche people of Peru emerged after the

Chavin culture had faded, at about 200 to 100 B.C.– By A.D. 900, the Moche civilization had collapsed.– Moche people had no written language.

B. Civilization of the Incas

• Building projects, in the form of roads and bridges, helped unite the vast Incan Empire.

B. Civilization of the Incas

• History of the Incas– The Incas held the valley by attacking and

conquering adjoining lands.– Manco Capac is considered the first ruler of the

Incan people.– By A.D. 1438, they had taken over the entire valley.

B. Civilization of the Incas

• The City Of Cuzco– The city plan of Cuzco was designed in the shape

of a puma, or mountain lion, an animal sacred to

the Incas.

– The Incas also built palaces, including Pachacuti’s

city, Machu Picchu.

– All Incas were responsible for serving on these

projects.

B. Civilization of the Incas

• A System for Messages– The quipu contained different groups of knots that represent numbers. – The section closest to the main string stood for hundreds.– The second section represents tens, and the third section represents

ones.– If there were no knots in a section that represented zero.

B. Civilization of the Incas

• Later Incan Emperors– Chimu artists influenced Incan styles and methods of painting,

sculpting, and decorating. – Huayna Capac succeeded his father, Topa Inca, in 1493. He left Cuzco to

fight wars in the north.– He was the last of the independent Incan rulers before the Spanish

conquest of the Americas.

B. Civilization of the Incas

• Incan Government– The Incan government was a hereditary monarchy.– This mean that the emperor was the chief male member of the ruling

family, and his direct descendants were his successors.– Other government jobs were filled by nobles from the outlying

provinces, or territories, who were loyal to the emperor and his family.

C. Incan Society

• The Incas had strict government, a rigid class structure, and rich culture.

C. Incan Society

• Incan religion– Incan religion, like many other ancient religions, was polytheistic.– People believed not in one god, but in many. – The chief god of the Incas was Viracocha, the creator of the

Andean people. – The sun god was worshiped as a special protector of the Incas.

C. Incan Society

• Incan Social Classes – Incan people from ruling family and other noble families considered

themselves part of one extended family.– It was almost impossible for an Incan to change his or her social class.– For the most part, though, people remained in the social class into

which they were born.

C. Incan Society

• Incan families– Incan families were organized into groups.– One man served as an official administrator for each group.– Instead of paying taxes in the form of money, the people

were required to work in exchange for social services.

C. Incan Society

• Incan farming– Members of an alum owned land jointly. – They voted on any matters that related to the use

of the land.– The Incas grew corn, squash, tomatoes, peanuts,

cotton, and more than 200 kinds of potatoes.

Chapter 9, section 3

NORTH AMERICAN GROUPS

North American Groups

• A. The varied climates and environments of North America led to a variety of early American groups of people.

A. The Geography of North America

• Native Americans– North America had no unified empires, no cities, and no palaces.– As they explored the continent and settled new areas, each group of Native

Americans adjusted to the local climate.– Instead of trying to control their environment, they adapted their lifestyle to it.

A. The Geography of North America

• Land and climates of North America– The continent of North America is a huge landmass with a number of different climates

and countries.– Mountain ranges cover much of the western half of the continent.– Except for the deserts of the southwest, North America has plenty of precipitation all

year round.

B. Western Groups

• Early peoples in the western region survived in spite of settling in a harsh environment.

B. Western Groups

• The Aleuts, Yupik, and Inuit– The Aleuts, the Yupik, and the Inuit lived in the Arctic region of

present day Canada and Alaska.– They hunted seals, walruses, whales, and polar bears, as well as

smaller game like caribou and foxes.– Tents and boats were made from animal skins.

B. Western Groups

• Native Americans of the Northwest– The climate of the Northwestern coast offered an

easier life than that of Alaska.– The guests would act as witnesses.– The host would serve them a huge feast and give

them costly gifts.

B. Western Groups

• The Anasazi– The Anasazi managed to grow crops in the dry, hot climate of the Southwest.– They also produced items such as baskets, pottery, and cloth.– Thick walls kept the buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

B. Western Groups

• The Pueblos– Pueblo people, the descendants of the Anasazi,

are not one nation, or group.– They believed that kachinas have power to heal

the sick and to bring rain.– They grew large fields of corn, beans, and squash.

B. Western Groups

• The Navajos and Apaches– Navajo means “large planted fields.”– The other group became the ancestors of the

Navajo.– In Apache culture, the courage and skill it took to

make a raid successful were highly valued.

C. Eastern Groups

• Early peoples in the eastern region created new forms of architecture and government.

C. Eastern Groups

• The Mound Builders– The mound builders of Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys are named for the

structures they built.– The Andeans built mounds of dirt over the graves of their leaders and chiefs.– The Andeans, and their descendants, the Hope wells, placed beautiful

copper ornaments in these graves.

C. Eastern Groups

• The Iroquois– They spread out from the Great Lakes to the Finger Lakes.– They planted in the spring.– Autumn was the time for hunting, harvesting, and holding councils to address

any issues the community had.

C. Eastern Groups

• The Iroquois Confederacy– Their plan became the basis for the Iroquois Confederacy.– The Confederacy was made up of five Iroquois nations.– The chiefs of each council were nominated by the women of

the nation’s families.