The Americas Study Guide

Vocabulary and key identifications regarding the Olmec, Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations, as well as the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

Olmec Civilization

A civilization that built a far trading empire between 1200 BCE and 400 BCE, using rich farming resources to trade for raw materials.

Mayan Civilization (Decline)

A mysterious end by the AD 900s; theories for this include overpopulation, long drought, or a rebellion of the poor against rich leaders.

Moche Civilization (Irrigation)

A culture that dug canals to carry water from rivers in the Andes mountain ranges to their desert homeland.

Incan Civilization

The largest empire in the ancient Americas, featuring a highly organized government based in Cuzco and experts in engineering and stone building.

Hohokam Culture

A farming culture thriving from about AD 300 to AD 1300 that reached its height at Chaco Canyon and controlled the trade in turquoise.

Slash-and-burn

A Mayan farming method that eventually led to deforestation, soil erosion, and agricultural failure as the population grew.

Mayan Religion and Warfare

The belief that gods controlled everything; battle objectives were focused on obtaining captives for human sacrifice rather than land.

Chac

The Mayan god of rain and sunlight to whom captives were offered as human sacrifices to stop droughts.

Aztec Empire (Social Structure)

A hierarchy consisting of the king or emperor at the top, followed by nobles, commoners (the largest group), unskilled laborers, and enslaved people.

Aztec Social Mobility

The only way to move up in social rank was to perform one act of bravery in war, resulting in land and the rank of noble.

Machu Picchu

An Inca city high in the Andes Mountains that remained hidden from the Spanish for centuries, showcasing advanced engineering skills.

Pachacuti

The greatest Incan leader, whose name means “Earthshaker,” known for expanding Inca territory and uniting diverse groups.

Quipu

A rope with knotted cords used by the Inca to perform calculations.

Adobe

A building material made of sun dried mud brick.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer who found America for the Spanish.

Conquistadors

Soldier-explorers sent to the Americas by Spain.

Hernan Cortes

A 19 year old noble and soldier who defeated the Aztec empire with the help of guns, horses, and smallpox.

Montezuma

The Aztec ruler who was defeated by Hernan Cortes; he potentially viewed Cortes as a figure of religious significance.

Francisco Pizarro

A Spanish official who defeated the Incas after capturing emperor Atahualpa and forcing him to buy his freedom.

Atahualpa

The Incan emperor who met Pizarro without weapons and was later forced to give up his gods by the Spanish.