The document summarizes the origins and cultures of indigenous peoples in the Americas, including the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. It describes how Native Americans migrated to the Americas over a land bridge connecting Asia to Alaska around 13,000 years ago. It provides details about the complex societies and achievements of these civilizations, such as their advanced agricultural practices, construction of major cities and temples, and calendars. It also outlines their religious practices and how European diseases and conquest by the Spanish led to the collapse of the Aztec and Inca Empires in the 16th century.

1. The First Americans
• How did they get here?
• Land Bridge connected Asia to
Alaska
• Migrated down through Canada,
North America, Mexico, Central
America, and South America

2. Main Migration Routes to the
Americas

3. The First Americans
• Native Americans learned to grow corn
(maize) and other crops.
• Several complex civilizations emerged in
Mesoamerican (present-day Mexico and
Central America).
• Historians refer to these civilizations as
Pre-Columbian because they existed
before the arrival of Columbus.
• Native Americans did not emerge in river

4. Map of the Maya World

5. The Maya
• The Maya focused on
• War
• Human Sacrifice
• Chichen Itza- important city
• Around the 9th Century, the Maya
disappeared into the jungle and no
one knows why

6. Chichen Itza

7. Maya Achievements
• Builders
• huge cities in the jungles
• pyramids
• temples
• Writing System
• Math and Science
• complex numbering system, use of zero.
• calendar with 365 days
• Artistry
• colorful murals

8. The Inca Empire ( 1200-1535)
Lived in the Andes Mountains in
present day Peru
Farming
terraced mountains
grew potatoes
kept llamas for their meat, wool and to
carry goods

9. The Inca Empire
• Built stone roads over 10,000 miles.
• No writing system
– used quipu—bundles of knotted and colored ropes
to count, keep records, and send messages.

10. The Inca Empire
• Machu Picchu
• Built stone buildings with no cement, but
fit stones together perfectly.

11. Machu Picchu

12. Art
• Stone sculptures
• Ceramic bowls carved with
human and animal forms

15. Aztec civilization
• Locatedin aridvalley in centralMexico
• RepresentedbyTenochtitlan
• Ruledbyanemperor
• Economybasedon agricultureandtributefrom
conqueredpeoples
• Polytheisticreligion with pyramids/rituals
TheAztec began c. 12th centuryA.D.
Began a long migration that brought them into the Valley of Mexico.
Theyestablished their capital city at Tenochtitlán.
Tenochtitlán
An Aztec legend said that when the people found their newhome they would seean
eagle perched ona cactus holding a snake. They saw this in lake Texcoco.
Their city was built up on rafts made from reeds and coveredwith dirt. They werecalled
chinampas. Present-Day Mexico-City is built on top of this city. Theoriginal was
destroyed by the Spanish.
Lake Texcoco-Swampy lake that was the home of the capital city. Tenochtitlán means
the Place of the Prickly PearCactus.

16. Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan

17. Political and Social Structure
By 1500 there wereabout 4 million people in the Aztec Empire.
Aztec Emperor
Ruled over the Aztec Empire.
Was the supreme leaderofthe people.
Heclaimed that hewas divine.
People
Madeupofcommoners, indentured workers, andslaves.
Most people were farmers, butthey also traded with people in the surrounding areas.
Men weretobe the warriors, while a woman’s role was to bein the home. Women were
allowed toown and inherit property and enter contracts. Womenwovetextiles and raised
children. They could also be priestesses.

18. Religion
Had a polytheistic religion based on warfare.
Huitzilopochtli
Their chief god. He was the godof the sun. The Aztec
offered him human sacrifice to givehim strength to battle the forces of darkness each
night so that hecould rise each morning.
Quetzalcoatl
Thefeathered Serpent
Hebelieved he had left the valley of
Mexico and promised to return in triumph.
Human Sacrifice
Each Aztec city contained a pyramid where they
practiced human sacrifice as a way to postpone
the end of the world.

19. Destruction oftheAztec
Thesubjugation of the people of the Aztec
Empire bredhatred and discontent among the
people. When the Spanish arrived they did
not have a difficult time finding allies to fight
the Aztec.
HernánCortés1519
Spanish Conquistador who cameto the valley of Mexico in 1519 with 550 soldiers and 16
horses. He was at first greetedby the Aztec EmperorMontezuma (Moctezuma). The
Spanish later kidnapped the Emperorand madehim a puppet. Thepeople rebelled and
the Emperorwas killed. TheSpanish barelyescaped.
TheSpanish returned several months later. Many ofthe natives had fallen ill with
Smallpox. Cortés and his allies destroyed the Aztec capital and subjugated the Aztec
people.

21. Incancivilization
•Located in the Andes Mountains of South America
•Represented by Machu Picchu
•Ruled by anemperor
•Economy based on high-altitude agriculture
•Polytheistic religion
•Road system
Late 1300's Inca
TheInca started as a small group that werelocated in Cuzco. They did not begin to
becomepowerful until after the fall of the Mocheof Peru.
Pachacuti
Unified the Inca and established the Inca Empire.

22. Organization ofthe Empire
Incan state was built on war.
Theconquered peoples were all taught the same language.
Each region was appointed a governorwhoanswered to the
Emperor.
Road System: 24, 800 miles of Road
TheInca built roads to unify their people. Roads made travel
and communication throughout the empire more efficient.
There were rest houses and storage depots along with bridges
to span ravines and waterways.

23. Culture
Were required to marryfrom within their own social group.
Women wereexpected to live at home,the only alternative was to be a priestess.
Most people were farmers, they also herdedllamas and alpacas.
Quipu-Asystem of knotted strings used by the Inca to keeprecords.

24. Great Builders
Theyhad great buildings made ofstone held
without mortar. Theirroads also show their
ability as great builders.
MachuPicchu
City built at 8,000 ft above sea level.
UrubambaRiver
Riverbelow Machu Picchu

27. Extremely sharp swords but brittle. Also wore cotton quilt armor.

30. Defeat
TheSpanish arrived in 1531
1531: Francisco Pizarro
Spanish Conquistador led a band of 180 men with
superior weapons.
TheInca, like the Aztec, weredevastated by disease.
Smallpox
Devastated the Population
Civil War
After the death ofthe Inca Emperora civil war brokeout, Pizarro took advantage and defeated
the people.
Defeat
Pizarro andhis men established Lima as the newcapital ofthe Spanish Colony in 1535.