<- LAKE TEXCOCO

 The Aztec civilization was composed of tribes of wandering warriors. Of these tribes, the Mexica was the most dominant. In fact, it was from this tribe that Mexico got its name!

 The Aztec Empire’s capital (Tenochtitlan) was located on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco, in modern day Mexico City.

Tenochtitlan

The Empire  The Aztec empire began in the 14th century and grew until Spanish invasion in the 16th century  The Aztecs expanded their empire in the 1400’s by conquering other people in the region.  The Aztec believed it was honorable to die in battle for the war god Huitzilopochtili.  The Aztecs forced the people they conquered to pay tribute (taxes).  Due to these tributes, Tenochtitlan became a rich center of trade and learning.

What modern day countries would have been located within the Aztec empire?

Achievements  Trade/learning  Medicines  Astronomy, calendar http://library.thinkquest.org/ 27981/calendar.html  Chinampas (floating gardens)  hieroglyphics

 Emperor  Nobles  Priests  Warriors  Tradesmen  Craftsmen  Peasants (farmers)  Slaves (lowest class)  Polytheistic  Chief god was Huitzilopochtli, the sun and war God  Fought with darkness each night to raise the sun  No promise the sun would win and rise  Sacrifice ensured sun would rise

 Human sacrifice  They believed the sun needed human blood to rise every day  They thought sacrifices kept the world alive  No cruelty or hatred was meant toward victims  To be sacrificed was to become like the gods  The way of death depended on which god the victim was being sacrificed for.

 365 day calendar and a 260 day ritual calendar

 Treated with herbs

 Used prisoner of war bodies to study anatomy – could set bones

 Steam baths used as treatment The Aztecs End of the Aztec Civilization  Spanish came in 1519 A.D. search of Gold, God, and Glory  Led by Hernan Cortes  Aztec thought Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl "the feathered serpent."

Cortes Reaches Tenochtitlan Moctezuma submits to Cortes The Aztecs Succumb to Disease and Cortes End of the Aztec Civilization  Emperor Montezuma II (Moctezuma II) taken hostage and neighboring tribes joined Spanish

 3/4ths of the Aztecs died from war and disease

The Establishment of Spanish Rule in Mexico The Incas of Peru

 The Incan empire began in Cuzco, a village that is now a city in Peru.

 Cuzco, founded by Manco Capac (the 1st emperor) was the capital of the Incan empire.

Expanding Empire  The Inca Empire spread along the Western coast of South America.

What mountain range is located within the empire?

What modern day countries are located within the empire? Machu Picchu  The “lost city” of Machu Picchu demonstrates the detailed stonework that has become a trademark of the Inca civilization. The Incan City of Machu Picchu Incan Achievements

 Roads – Incas built 19,000 miles of roads to help govern the vast empire and assist in trade.  Incas also built canals and aqueducts.  An aqueduct is a pipe or channel designed to carry water from a distant source.

 The Incas did not have a written language.  To record information, Incas used quipus.  A quipu had a main cord with several colored strings attached to it. Each color stood for an item, and knots stood for numbers

Religion  Similar to the Aztecs, the Incas believed in many gods.  The sun god, Inti, was very important.  The Incan moral code: ama suwa, ama llulla, ama quella  (do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy) Farming  The Incas increased farming by terracing steep slopes.  The road system also allowed easier distribution of food. Why didn’t the Aztecs use terracing? The Inca Today

 Descendants still live in the region and speak Quechua (the Incan language).

 Atahualpa was the last ruler of the Inca Empire.  Atahualpa was the son of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac.  After his  father’s death, Atahualpa fought against his brother for control of the empire.  Atahualpa won the battle and became Sapa Inca.  The Sapa Inca was thought to be a living descendant of the sun god.  The Sapa Inca (Atahualpa) was very wealthy. He was carried by servants from place to place on a special chair.  He wore gold jewelry and ate from gold plates and cups. He was considered to be almost a god. Each day, he was given new clothes to wear. Even the walls of his palace were made of gold and silver.  Led a voyage to explore the west coast of South America, south of Panama.  He learned about the riches of the Incas.  Went back to Spain to get permission to invade and conquer the Inca.  The Spanish king gave Pizarro permission to take the Inca land and claim it as part of Spain.  Pizarro began his mission in 1531. In 1532, Pizarro invaded the Inca Empire with about 200 men. The Spanish captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa, put him in prison, and demanded a large ransom of silver and gold. Inca brought 24 tons of gold and silver in exchange for the life of Atahualpa. The gold and silver were melted into bars, and most were sent back to Spain for the king. However, Atahualpa was not released.

Atahualpa was executed on August 29, 1533, by Pizarro and his men. Atahualpa’s death ended the empire of the Inca. Even though some warriors still fought, the empire was gone because it had no recognized leader.  The Inca population was weakened from being exposed to European diseases. Because many Incans were sick or had died, it was easier for the Spanish to conquer them.

 The Spanish also had advanced weapons and horses.