State Building in the Americas Unit 1

Examination of state building in the Americas from 1200 to 1450.
Importance of historical context with reference to the Maya civilization (250-900 CE).

Maya Achievements:
- Built significant urban centers.
- Developed the most sophisticated writing system in the Americas during their time.
- Advanced mathematical concepts, notably the use of zero.
Political Structure:
- Decentralized organization consisting of city-states.
- Frequent wars between city-states aimed at establishing tributary networks rather than territorial expansion.
- Tributary states retained nominal independence while providing tribute in the form of textiles, military goods, and building materials.
Cultural Practices:
- Emphasis on human sacrifice for religious beliefs, particularly honoring the sun deity believed to need human blood to combat darkness.

Importance of understanding Maya civilization to evaluate changes and continuities in state building during the subsequent period.

Origins:
- Founded by the Mashika people, once semi-nomadic, who migrated south in the early 14th century.
- Focused on military strength and strategic marriages, leading to the establishment of the Aztec Empire.
- Unified with neighboring states by 1428, which initiated aggressive territorial expansion.
Political Structure:
- The Aztec Empire maintained a decentralized political power structure.
- Conquered peoples became tributary states, required to send payments of food, animals, and building materials.
Religious Motivations:
- Human sacrifice was pivotal for religious and political justification of military conquests, aimed at appeasing the sun god.
Claims of Legitimacy:
- Aztecs adopted connections to earlier renowned civilizations to legitimize their power.
Architectural Achievements:
- Major city Tenochtitlan served as a center of power and religion, supported a population of 150,000-200,000.
- Notable infrastructure included marketplaces, palaces, and monumental pyramids.

Historical Background:
- The Inca established their empire in the Andean region, influenced by earlier civilizations such as the Wari.
Political Structure:
- Unlike the Aztecs, the Inca centralized their administration through a comprehensive bureaucracy to direct their vast empire.
- Emphasized labor contributions rather than tribute payments from conquered people through the Mita system, requiring seasonal labor for state projects including agriculture and military service.
Infrastructural Development:
- Implemented extensive infrastructure, building roads and bridges, and utilizing the religious frameworks from previous civilizations.

Mississippian Culture (8th-9th Century CE):
- Flourished in the Mississippi River Valley; first significant civilization in North America.
- Economic foundation was agriculture due to fertile lands.
- Political hierarchy overseen by local chiefs known as the Great Sun, who governed various towns.
Mound Building:
- Notable for constructing extensive burial mounds used for religious ceremonies, indicating strong political structure and organizational capability.
- Largest mound, Cahokia, served as the center of Mississippian culture.
Chaco and Mesa Verde Societies:
- Established in the dry southwestern United States after the Mississippian culture.
- Developed innovations for water transportation and storage techniques due to arid environments.
- Construction techniques included carving sandstone blocks and building cliffside housing in Mesa Verde, displaying significant architectural skills.

Overview of the representation of diverse governance models, religious practices, architectural innovations, and societal structures across Mesoamerica and North America during the years 1200 to 1450.