AP World History: Modern - Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (Developments in the Americas) - Knowledge

Basic knowledge to know for 1.4 APWH.

What two civilizations declined in the Americas at the start of the post-classical period and where?

Olmecs in Mesoamerica

Chavin in the Andes

What 3 empires rose in place of the declined civilizations during the post-classical period?

Mayans

Aztecs

Incas

What finally happened in the Americas during this period?

the first large-scale civilization developed

What were civilizations like in Afro-Eurasia?

strong states

large urban centers

complex belief systems

How was the history of the Americas tracked?

European observation (after 1492)

archaeological data and oral traditions.

What was class structure like in the Mississippian culture?

(it was very rigid)

What was the class structure of each Mississippian town like (top to bottom)?

Great Sun (chief)

priests/nobles

farmers/hunters/merchants/artisans

enslaved people (usually prisoners of war)

How did gender roles affect the agricultural aspect of Mississippian society?

Women farmed

Men hunted

How did gender affect the structure of Mississippian society and lineage?

it was matrilineal

Great Sun title was passed onto a sister’s son

What are some theories on why the Mississippian culture declined?

flooding

crop failures

European disease

What did ancient societies in the dry American Southwest learn to do?

ways to collect, transport, and store water

Why didn’t many ancient American Southwestern cultures use wood in architecture?

It was scarce in the dry climate.

Why did the Chaco and Mesa Verde cultures decline by the 13th century?

The climate got drier.

When did women rule a Mayan city-state?

when no male heir was available

Why did Mayan city-states go to war?

tributes

How did religion influence Mayan politics?

each king claimed to have descended from a God

believed king would become one with his ancestor when he died

directed activities of scribes and priests

priests administered affairs of state

How did common people play a role in government?

They paid taxes, usually in the form of crops and provided labor to the government.

How was warfare conducted in the Mayan civilization?

no official military

citizens recruited

How was state structure like in the Mayan empire?

no central government ruled

a strong city-state would dominate its neighbors

What were some inventions from the Mayan empire?

concept of zero

complex writing system

rubber

How were science and religion linked in the Mayan society?

astronomy

priests decided to celebrate religious ceremonies based on astronomy

calendars based on sky

What were the 3 most important deities in the Mayan society relating to?

rain

sun

corn

Who were usually the victims of human sacrifice?

prisoners of war

How did Tenochtitlan’s geography help militarily?

It was located on a swampy lake, protecting it from attacks.

How was water moved to Tenochtitlan?

a network of aqueducts was built

ditches were also dug to drain or supply water

What was given as tribute from conquered people to the Aztec empire?

land

military service

practical goods (food, cloth, firewood)

luxury items (feathers, beads, jewelry)

How did Aztecs use their local rulers?

tribute collectors at home

What were conquered people of the Aztec empire given in exchange for being conquered?

protection by the Aztecs

How did the Aztecs administer the empire?

grouped city-states into provinces

moved warriors to each province

Aztec official stationed

Who was the head of the Aztec empire, and what type of governance did it use?

The Great Speaker, the emperor and divine representation of the gods, ran the theocracy.

What is the social structure in the Aztec Empire (top to bottom)?

Great Speaker

land-owning nobles (majority of Aztec military leadership)

scribes/healers

craftspeople/traders (pochteca)

peasants/soldiers

slaves

How could Aztec people become enslaved?

not paying debts

criminal punishment

What 2 purposes were slaves used for in the Aztec empire?

labor

human sacrifice

Did the number of gods increase over time in Aztec mythology?

yes

How did the Aztecs worship their gods?

rituals, feast days, human sacrifice

Why did the Aztecs conduct human sacrifice?

They believed that the gods sacrificed themselves to make the world, and humans had to be sacrificed to repay them and for atonement of human sin.

What group is most Aztec history from? How could this have affected the records?

Spanish invaders wrote it. They could’ve exaggerated the human sacrificial rituals to justify their colonization.

Why were women important to the Aztec empire?

They were able to weave the special cloth asked by the empire.

What strategy did Aztec men use to meet cloth quotas?

polygyny

What did Aztec women work as, if they did work?

priestesses

midwives

healers

merchants

scribes (noblewomen for royal families)

Why did the Aztec empire decline?

lack of technology

inefficient agriculture

expansion that the empire couldn’t govern

resentment due to human sacrificial practice

What did resentment in the Aztec empire lead to, and what is an example?

It led to local tribes wanting to rebel against the government if it could succeed. This occurred under the Spaniards in 1519.

How was the Incan empire organized?

It was split into four provinces, each with its own governor and bureaucracy.

What was the relationship between the Inca conquerors and conquered leaders?

Conquered leaders would be rewarded if they surrendered.

How were the subjects of the Inca different from that of the Aztecs?

They didn’t have to pay tributes (monetary).

What does the name Inca mean, and how was this relate to their religion?

It means “people of the sun”. Inti, the sun god in the Incan religion, was very important to the Inca. Incan rulers were considered to be his representative on Earth.

What 2 things did the Inca honor religiously?

the sun

ancestor veneration

What happened to dead Incan rulers?

They were mummified and continued to “rule” and keep their land holdings. Incan rulers (alive) did not inherit property when assuming power.

What was ancestor veneration a motivator for within the Inca?

expansion

How did the Inca see priests?

They thought they could determine the will of the gods by watching natural processes (animal movement, plants).

What did priests do in the Incan Empire?

diagnosed illnesses

predicted the outcome of battles

solved crimes

determined sacrifices and which god to devote them to

When was human sacrifice practiced the most in the Incan empire?

serious events like natural disasters/famine/war defeat

How did the Inca improve agriculture?

sophisticated terrace systems (waru waru)

What was grown in the Inca empire?

maize (corn)

potatoes

cotton

Why were roads important in the Inca empire?

They navigated through mountainous terrain.

What was happening in the Inca Empire when the Spanish invaded in 1532?

It was going through a civil war caused by the dispute of who should rule the Inca empire after Huayna Cupac.

What are some theories about Incan decline?

civil war weakened army (couldn't fight Spanish)

Spanish disease

What culture do many historians believe influenced the newer civilizations of this period?

Olmecs

How were the Olmecs similar to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations?

they both had a feathered snake-god

What Olmec cultural element is widespread throughout the Americas?

pottery

What was grown in the Mayan civilizations?

corn

beans

squash

What was grown in the Aztec Empire?

corn

beans

squash

potatoes

What was Incan trade like?

limited

What material trade did the Inca develop?

masonry