CH 11

The Americas
400-1500
P. 366
 Peoples of North America Sections 1-2

• 1st North Americans:

• Inuit: land bridge from Russia to Alaska had hunters following bison and caribou—
Bering Strait; 3000 BC
• Eastern Woodlands: 1000b.c.; Gulf of Mexico to Great Lakes.
 Hopewell in Ohio River Valley
 Cahokia (near modern St. Louis) great city with burial mound larger than pyramid
• Iroquois: northeast; longhouses; divided into groups called clans
• Plains: Mississippi River basin; tee pee; buffalo
• Anasazi: southwest; adobe pueblo; Mesa Verde-now a national park
Early Civilizations of Mesoamerica(Mexico & central America)
• FIRST: Olmec: first discovered ruins in 1940’s; FIRST known civilization in
N.A. (1200 BC-400 BC)

Teotihuacan: “Place of Gods;” 1st major city in Mesoamerica; near present

day Mexico City. Mostly farmers but artisans w/ workshops too
• Mayan: East of Teotihuacan on Yucatan Peninsula. 300-900AD;
temples/pyramid/accurate calendar
• Cities built around central pyramid; urban and rural.
• Hieroglyphs –pictures
Toltec: these people after fall of Teotihuacan; 950-1150 AD; farmers; war-
like; also had pyramids and palaces; brought metal-working to
Mesoamerica. Toltec declined due to fighting and weakening as a result.

Aztec : 12th century AD-migrated to Valley Mexico; established their capital at Tenochtitlan
(Now Mexico City) Mrs. Gerardy reads p. 377; New Kingdom was a collection of locally ruled
territories; the Aztec ruler allowed this in return for tribute paid to him.
Political & social structures: authoritarian leader who claimed lineage with the gods; boys-
warriors, girls-caregivers
Religion & Culture: many gods;
Section 3 Early civilizations in S. America
• Chavin & Nazca: In Peru: Caral oldest major city in Americas. Chavin built
temples made of stone. Nazca came after Chavin; no temples but lines

• Moche: Equador; river society.

• Inca: after collapse of Moche came Inca in late 1300’s. Small community in
Cuzco area of Peru. Eventually, entire region turned Inca (Equador to Chile);
provinces of approx. 10,000 people. Machu Picchu-architectural genius