AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS B

THE INCAS (Peru)

• The Incas formed the largest empire in the Americas in Peru

• Originated from the mountainous region of Cuzco

• Led by Pachacuti ("world shaker") in the early 15th century

• Empire stretched ~2,000 miles along western South America

• Grew through persuasion and force

• Maintained power with:

• Administrative systems

• Network of paved roads

MESOAMERICA: OLMECS & MAYA

• Meso-Americans lived in Mexico and Central America

• First organized societies appeared by 10,000 BCE

• Olmec civilization began around 1000 BCE

• Maya civilization began around 800 CE in Yucatán Peninsula

Developed:

► Written language

► Numerical system like Arabic

► Accurate calendar

► Agricultural system

► Trade routes

THE MEXICA (AZTECS)

• Originally called themselves Mexica

• Built Tenochtitlán (~1300 CE) incentral Mexico

• Present-day Mexico City

• City had:

► 100,000 people by 1500

► Aqueducts for water

► Public buildings, schools for boys, organized military, medical system, slave labor

• Dominated central Mexico through tribute system

• Tribute = taxes in crops, cloth, animals

• Practiced human sacrifice

• Used living hearts of captives

• Larger scale than earlier societies

• Seen as tyrannical by conquered people, but too powerful to resist

• No wheeled vehicles even in the 16th century