AP World - Chapter 20: Developments In The Americas

Specifically about the Incas and Aztecs.

Who were the Aztecs?

The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican civilization that existed in the 14th to 16th centuries. The Aztecs built a vast empire in central Mexico and their capital city was Tenochtitlan.

What system did the Aztecs create?

The Aztecs developed a state-based system in Latin America of a loose collection of city-states of conquered peoples(The Tribute System).

What is the tribute system?

A system in which conquered peoples were forced to pay a tax in the form of practical/ luxury goods, lands, and labor(military service).

What type of government did the Aztecs have?

A theocracy run by a king who was both the political ruler and the chief religious authority.

How did the Aztecs keep the conquered in control?

The Aztecs would station warriors and Aztec government officials in different provinces and cities to ensure that conquered people followed Aztec rules. Aztec leaders allowed conquered people’s rulers to stay in power if they submitted to Aztec authority and paid the required tribute. 

How was the Aztecs economy?

The Aztec economy was the most commercialized in the Americas. They engaged in significant trade between Aztec city-states.

What were the cultural achievements of the Aztecs?

• The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, modern-day Mexico City, continued the Maya tradition of building elaborate pyramids around planned cities.

• Supplemented agriculture grown in areas outside the city with crops grown hydroponically on floating platforms on Lake Texcoco.

What was religion like for the Aztecs?

Polytheistic, central to society, many different deities and gods, rituals, feast days, and human sacrifices.

Who were the Incas?

The Inca Empire was the largest native state system in the Americas, stretching along the Pacific coast of South America

What type of government did the Incas have?

A theocratic monarchy run by a king who was also a religious leader.

How did the Incas maintain order in the government?

• Inca rulers divided the empire into 4 districts/provinces managed by high-status men loyal to the Inca emperor(governor)

• The Inca maintained an extensive centralized bureaucratic system. 

• Had a complex social and political system, with a centralized government and a highly organized society

What system did the Inca create?

The Inca government required people to pay yearly taxes by providing labor to the state through the Mita system—Mita required Inca citizens to mandatory public service like farming agricultural lands, military service, or building public infrastructure like roads.

What was the foundation for the Incan economy?

Agricultural production.

• Farmers turned over a portion of their produce to the state as tax revenue. The government used these crops to feed the small non-farming urban and governing classes and stored some for use during famine times.

Was trade important to the Incas?

There were small volumes of trade across the empire, but it was not a substantial portion of the economy. The government managed and regulated trade activity.

What are the Incan scientific and cultural achievements?

• Developed advanced agricultural techniques such as terrace farming and irrigation systems.

• Had sophisticated road networks and architectural skills, as seen in their impressive stone structures like Machu Picchu.

• Had a deep understanding of astronomy and developed a calendar system.

What was the role of women in Inca society?

Common women were responsible for some of the most important aspects of Incan life and survival, including weaving, agriculture, and child-rearing.

What was the tole of women in Aztec society?

Women were entrusted with the crucial tasks of managing the household and participating in economic activities, thus playing an essential role in the survival and stability of the empire.

How did the Inca civilization collapse?

The Inca empire fell following a multi-decade conflict with the Spanish and their native enemies between 1532 and 1572. The Spanish incorporated the Inca’s lands into the Spanish-American Empire.

How did the Aztec civilization collapse?

Aztec society collapsed following the invasion and subsequent takeover of Spanish conquistadors in 1519.

What religion did the Incas practice?

The Incas practiced a polytheistic religion known as the Inca religion, which involved the worship of various gods and goddesses, with Inti (the sun god) being the most important deity. They also believed in ancestor worship and performed rituals and sacrifices to appease the gods. Included Animism(the belief that elements of the physical world could have supernatural powers).