Pre-Columbian Americas

Key Ideas / QuestionsNotes

1. The Maya Civilization (2000 BCE – 1697 CE)

- Located in modern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
- Organized as city-states, not a unified empire.
- Known for step pyramids, astrology, calendars, and advanced mathematics.
- Developed a sophisticated written language system.
- Practiced tribute collection, slavery, and human sacrifice.

How was Mayan civilization structured?

The Maya lived in independent city-states rather than a centralized empire.

2. The Aztec Empire (13th–16th century CE)

- Three-city military confederacy, dominated by Mexica people from Tenochtitlan.
- Expanded through military conquest but didn’t set up local administrations.
- Collected tribute (including slaves) from conquered peoples.
- Created chinampas (man-made islands for farming).

How did the Aztecs maintain control over conquered peoples?

Through military dominance and forced tribute rather than direct administration.

3. Aztec Religion & Society

- Practiced slavery and large-scale human sacrifices to prevent the apocalypse.
- Continued Mesoamerican traditions like step pyramids, blood rituals, and ball sports.
- Flourished under rulers like Montezuma II.

What role did human sacrifice play in Aztec society?

It was integrated into daily life and warfare, sometimes involving thousands of victims over several days.

4. Fall of the Aztec Empire (16th century CE)

- European diseases (smallpox) weakened Aztec population.
- Many conquered Mesoamerican tribes allied with the Spanish to overthrow the Aztecs.
- Despite having only a few hundred soldiers, the Spanish, led by Hernán Cortés, conquered the empire in 1521.

Why did the Aztec Empire fall so quickly?

Disease and internal rebellions made it easier for the Spanish to conquer them.

5. The Inca Empire (13th–16th century CE)

- Originated in the Andes Mountains (Peru).
- Unlike the Aztecs, they incorporated conquered peoples into a centralized empire.
- Capital city: Cusco, home to the Temple of the Sun King.
- Built roads, temples, and fortifications without using the wheel or a written language.
- Used quipus (knotted cords) to keep records.

How did the Inca keep records without writing?

They used quipus, a system of knotted cords to track population, taxes, and resources.

6. The Mit’a System (Inca Labor System)

- State-run forced labor program (Corvée labor).
- Workers built roads, temples, and agricultural terraces.
- Government stored and distributed food/supplies in state-run warehouses.
- Some historians consider it an early form of socialism, while others see it as forced labor.

Why was the Mit’a system important?

It organized labor for public projects but also made the empire unpopular, helping the Spanish gain local support.