sign in sign up
<<
Home , Amazon rainforest, Andes, Aztecs, Aztec Empire, Caribbean Sea, Inca Empire

CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 1:14 PM Page 126

II. Mesoamerican

A. Geography is part of and contains the of , , , , , , and . It is bordered by the to the east and by the Pacific to the west. To the south is the of . Central America is an isthmus, or , which connects the two larger bodies of land. South America is the fourth-largest continent. To the east is the Atlantic Teaching Idea Ocean and to the west, the . The South Have students work in pairs to create America to the north. The range from north to south on the far models of the South American conti- western side of South America. The northern portion of the continent, including nent. They will need cardboard for a much of , is covered by tropical . base, self-hardening clay, and paints to create their models. Students should Brazil include the Andes Mountains; the Brazil covers almost half of the South American continent and is the fifth- Amazon, Paraná, and Rivers; largest in the . Brazil is so large that it borders all but two ( the Basin; and the and ) of the other 12 countries in South America. The word Brazil comes Pampa, and label all the countries as from the name of a found in the . Brazil lies mostly with- well. in the tropical zone, so its climate is mainly warm and wet. Most of the people live in urban areas and about 30 percent of the population lives on the coastal plain, a narrow strip along the . About 700,000 native Americans live within the rainforest, but many others live in and urban areas. The overall population is a mix of descendants of Portuguese, native Americans, and Africans. Brazil was conquered by Portugal, unlike most of South America, which was conquered by the Spanish. Its is Portuguese. Argentina is the second-largest country in South America. A long, narrow country, Argentina extends east and south of the Andes and south of and . The Andes form the boundary between Argentina and Chile. The Gran , a of low and , dominates Argentina’s north- ern region. The south is a collection of barren , known as . The major economic area of Argentina is the Pampa (also known as the ) in the center of the country. This region of tall grasslands and temperate climate is famous for its cattle . About 70 percent of the population lives in this area. Most Argentines are descendants of Spanish colonists and Spanish is the offi- cial language. Amazon River The Amazon River forms at the junction of the Ucayali [OOH-cah-yah-lee] and Marañón [marn-YEOWN] Rivers in northern and empties into the Atlantic Ocean through a delta in northern Brazil. The Amazon is the second- longest river in the world after the , but has the largest volume of water of any river in the world. Hundreds of tributaries feed into it. The Amazon River Basin drains more than 40 percent of South America. With no waterfalls, the river is navigable almost its entire length.

126 Grade 5 Handbook CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 1:14 PM Page 127

The Amazon flows through the world’s largest rainforest. This rainforest is home to more than 2.5 million of insects, tens of thousands of , and over 1,000 species of birds. In fact, almost half of all of the world’s known species can be found in the Amazon. Curious in the Amazon include the (a hoofed ), the nutria (an otterlike creature), the great anteater, and various kinds of monkeys. Insects include large, colorful . Birds include , toucans, and . A famous dweller is the , a huge that squeezes its victims to death; alligators are also com- mon. Fish include flesh-eating and the , capable of discharg- ing a shock up to 650 volts. In recent years environmentalists have grown con- cerned about threats to the ecosystem posed by logging and in this rainforest. The Amazon was named by a Spanish explorer, , who explored the river in 1541 and named it after women warriors he encountered who reminded him of descriptions of the in ancient . Andes Mountains The Andes Mountains are over 5,000 miles (8,047 km) in length, the longest system in the . The mountains begin as four ranges in the Caribbean area on the northeastern coast of South America. In Peru and , the mountains form two parallel ranges that create a wide known as the . The Andes then form a single range that separates Chile from Argentina. With an average height of 12,500 feet (3,810 m), the Andes are the second- highest in the world. (The are the highest.) The tallest peak in the Western Hemisphere is the Andes’ Mount , which rises 22,834 feet (6,960 m) above . Many of the mountains are volcanoes, either active or dormant. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of Peru’s people live in the Altiplano. About a third of the country’s population lives in the narrow lowlands between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. Because the Andes run north to south along the entire length of Chile, most Chileans live in the Central Valley region between the Andes and low coastal mountains. The Central Valley, a fertile area, is home to large cities, manufacturing centers, and . The Andes Mountains were the home of the Inca people, whom students in Core Knowledge schools studied in Grade 1 and will study again as part of this unit. Core Knowledge students should also have learned about Mount Aconcagua and the Andes during the Grade 4 geography subsection “Mountains and Mountain Ranges.” B. Maya, , and Inca Civilizations Teaching Idea The Maya Use a search engine to search for The Maya are a native people who settled in the rainforest of the Yucatán pictures of Maya ruins using key- Peninsula in southeastern , Belize, much of Guatemala, and parts of El words from this book. Share these Salvador and Honduras. The dates of their arrival in the area are disputed, but it pictures with students. is generally agreed that their culture reached its apex around 300–900 CE.

History and Geography: World 127 CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:18 PM Page 128

II. Mesoamerican Civilizations

The Maya cultivated (corn), beans, and squash. Maya farmers used a variety of farming methods, including what is called the “slash-and-burn” method of farming. Farmers cleared their cornfields by cutting bushes and and then allowing the cut plants to dry under the hot . After drying was complete, the farmers burned the cuttings and planted corn in the ashes, working around the remaining tree stumps. The Maya built impressive cities in the midst of the rainforest. The largest buildings—tall -pyramids, royal , and ball courts—were concen- trated in the centers. These stone structures required an extensive knowledge of architecture and engineering. Many buildings were covered with hieroglyphs that recounted the ’s dynasty and their patron gods. People lived in small houses scattered through the jungle on the outskirts of the city. The Maya worshipped a variety of gods. Many Maya buildings are decorated with the face of Chac, the Maya god. For a society that depended on its har- vests, rain was vitally important. Some important Maya myths and traditions are recorded in a sacred book called the Popul Vuh. Most people were farmers who lived in cities or in villages near their fields, while hereditary ruled the centers. The principal cities were , Tuluum, , , Kabah, , , , , Uaxactún, Copán, , , and Río Bec. Many of these sites can be visited today, and they are popular tourist destinations. The Maya developed advanced systems of and mathematics. They worked out a of 365 days and could accurately predict eclipses. They also developed the concept of zero, a very important advance in mathematics. Their system of hieroglyphs for writing and keeping records was a complex sys- tem of ideographs—symbols representing ideas—that archaeologists have only partly decoded. It has long been one of the great mysteries of linguistics. Maya buildings, especially their temple pyramids, were massive structures built of lime- stone blocks. A ball game called pok-a-tok had a prominent role in Maya culture. Players tried to drive a rubber ball through a stone ring set about 30 feet (9 m) in the air, Maya glyphs but were not allowed to use their hands or feet. The game had religious signifi- cance, with the winners richly rewarded and the losers sometimes offered as sac- rifices to the gods. Teaching Idea Sometime about 900 CE, the Maya abandoned many of their ceremonial cen- Coordinate instruction with the physi- ters. Experts speculate that an epidemic struck and killed much of the popula- cal teacher or on your own tion, a occurred, or perhaps the Maya had exhausted the soil and moved class to simulate “pok-a-tok.” Tell on. It is possible that the people simply moved away if the farmers could no students they are going to play a ball longer support a center’s population. No one knows for sure what happened. game without using their hands or feet. Although the Maya culture seems to have fallen on hard , many Maya Set up a ring at a right angle to the people survived. By the time the Spanish arrived in the , the large cities were ground. A player scores when he or she in ruin and a much smaller population lived scattered throughout the jungle. can hit the ball through the ring. You Some Maya survivors were subjugated by the Spanish Francisco de may wish to modify the game after a Montejo in about 1549. certain period of time so that it may As you may have noticed, the word Maya can be used as a singular and a plu- come to a conclusion. Discuss how ral form, and also as an adjective. However, usage differs. Some writers prefer challenging this game must have been. “Mayas” as the plural noun and “Mayan” as an adjective.

128 Grade 5 Handbook CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/15/06 6:28 AM Page 129

The Teaching Idea By 1325 CE, the Aztec (who called themselves the ) had moved south Compare and contrast the sys- to Texcoco [TESH-co-co] in the . They were originally a tem with the taxation system we cur- small nomadic group, but their warrior culture enabled them to grow and even- rently have in the today. tually dominate their neighbors. They established an that in time encom- What are the similarities and differ- passed south and central Mexico. The Aztec ultimately came to dominate ences in these systems? Students 400–500 city-states and over 5,000,000 people. They did not directly govern should recall “no taxation without these other city-states; instead, they established a tribute system. In order to representation” from Grade 4. maintain some level of independence, the subjugated peoples paid taxes and labor to the Aztec. The was similar to a union of city-states, a concept that should be familiar to students from their study of the Greek city-states in Grade 2. This lack of centralized organization, along with the tribute system and the fear that the Aztec engendered among their subjects, created a great hatred of the Aztec. The Spanish were able to capitalize on this hatred when they set out to control the Aztec Empire in the early 1500s. Part of the fear that these other Indian peoples felt was based on the Aztec religious practice of . did not originate with the Aztec; it had long been a part of religious practices among the natives of Middle America. However, the Aztec sacrificed on a very large scale. One goal of the wars fought by the Aztec was to capture rivals to use for human sacrifice. Prisoners of war were often killed as ritual offerings to the Aztec . Ritual took place atop the great Aztec temple-pyramids. The victim was placed on a stone altar and a priest used a stone knife to cut the still-beating heart from a sacrificial victim. The heart was then presented as an offering to one of the Aztec gods, and the body was pushed down the stairs of the pyramid and dragged away. Human sacrifice appears to have played a role in each of the Aztec 18 major monthly religious festivals. The Aztec believed that the gods had to be appeased with sacrifices. In particular, they believed constant sacrifices were needed to keep the sun moving. The Aztec worshipped many gods, including some known earlier to the Maya. Key gods and religious figures included , the rain god, , the war god; and Quetzalcóatl, the “feathered .” Religious festivals were based on the , which had 260 days. The Aztec also had a 365-day . This last was derived from the and consisted of 18 months of 20 days and an extra five days. The Aztec were governed by a known as a “” or “speaker.” When the Spanish came, the ruler was Moctezuma II (also spelled Montezuma). Moctezuma lived in a 10- of 300 rooms that provided private living quarters for the king, offices, workshops, and council halls. Moctezuma also had a and many country retreats. The ruler was assisted by a council of advisors. Below the advisors was a class of nobles and war chiefs. Most Aztec were farmers, but there were also traders and craftworkers. At the bottom of the social structure were slaves. Slaves were often people captured in battle. CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:20 PM Page 130

II. Mesoamerican Civilizations

Although the Aztec had professional war leaders, armies were made up of all Teaching Idea of the able-bodied men available at the time of a campaign. Boys were taught Create an overhead of Instructional endurance and skills as part of their schooling. Aztec who took captives Masters 18a–18c, The Civilizations of and were particularly valorous warriors increased their status in society. the Maya, Aztec, and Inca, to stu- The Aztec were noted for their and metalwork. Although the chief dents to the areas that each economic activity of the empire was farming, the empire supported a large and encompassed. Ask students to locate busy network in trade goods—both agricultural products and handcrafts. The the civilizations and cities in relation to Aztec used a system of hieroglyphs to record business transactions, tribute pay- one another. Have students use the dis- ments, religious rituals, and their history. They recorded information in a special tance scale to estimate the size of each kind of book called a . civilization. Tenochtitlán The center of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlán [te-noch-tee-TLAHN]. It was built beginning in 1325 on an island in , in the center of what Name Date is now Mexico. According to legend, the Mexica would wander until they found Civilizations of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca Study the map below. Use it to answer the questions. an eagle with a serpent in its beak perched on a . There they should settle.

Gulf of MEXICO Mexico N Supposedly, they saw this sign on an island in Lake Texcoco. The eagle, snake,

YucatánYucatán W E Tenochtitlánhtitlánhtitlán PeninsulaPeninsula S and cactus are still symbols of Mexico today; you can find them on the Mexican CENTRAL AMERICA ATLANTIC OCEAN flag.

A N D E S PERUERUERU M Four causeways, or , connected the Aztec capital to the ; SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN Machu Picchuicchuicchu O AMERICA CuzcoCuzco U

N

T A aqueducts brought fresh water into the city. A network of canals enabled people

I

N

S S

in canoes to move their goods easily around the city. Islands of mud were

Aztec Empire Maya Empire anchored to the lake floor and used as gardens and agricultural land. The city was

0 500 1,000 miles 0 500 1,000 kilometers carefully planned and governed. Boatmen paddled around on the canals, trans-

1. Which civilizations were in Mexico and Central America? Aztec and Maya porting merchandise and other items.

2. Which civilization was in South America? the Inca By 1519, when the Spanish first saw it, Tenochtitlán was five square miles in e Knowledge Foundation size and had a population of more than 300,000. This was larger than most cities Purpose: To read and interpret a map featuring the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations Copyright ©Cor Master 18a Grade 5: History & Geography in at the time. The city was centered around a large square of palaces and whitewashed pyramids with massive atop them. Around this central core Use Instructional Masters 18a–18c. were smaller palaces, brick houses, markets, and gardens. One of Cortés’s men, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, gave a memorable description of his first glimpse of Tenochtitlán: Teaching Idea Here we had a clear prospect of the three causeways by which Mexico communicated with the land, and of the of Chapultepeque, Have students look at the flag of which supplied the city with the finest water. We were struck with the Mexico to confirm the existence of the numbers of canoes, passing to and from the main land, loaded with pro- eagle, snake, and cactus symbols on visions and merchandise, and we could now perceive, that in this great the flag. Then have them research the city, and all the others of that neighbourhood which were built in the symbolism behind the 3 colors used in water, the houses stood separate from each other, communicating only the Mexican flag. by small drawbridges, and by boats, and that they were built with ter- raced tops. We observed also the temples and adoratories of the adjacent cities, built in the form of towers and fortresses, and others on the cause- way, all whitewashed, and wonderfully brilliant. The noise and bustle of the market-place below us could be heard almost a league off, and those who had been at Rome and at Constantinople said, that for convenience, regularity, and population, they had never seen the like.

130 Grade 5 Handbook CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:21 PM Page 131

The Inca Another civilization that grew powerful about the same time as the Aztec is the Inca. By 1525, the Inca had created a vast empire that stretched from what is today northern Ecuador through Peru and into parts of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Their capital was Cuzco, Peru, the original homeland of the Inca in the Andes Mountains. The Inca began their around 1438. They had a labor tribute sys- tem to rule their conquered people. People had to work for the empire under the supervision of imperial bureaucrats and administrators. The Inca also used a complex resettlement policy to govern conquered people. Whole villages were split up and relocated to various villages closer to Cuzco; the conquered were set- tled among loyal subjects to ensure obedience. Loyal Inca took their place in the conquered villages. This strategy helped ensure that rebellions could not be easi- ly organized and executed. The leader of the empire was called the “” and was considered god. Below the royal family came the noble class, which was made up of priests, military leaders, and the men who ran the government. When mem- bers of the noble class died, their wives and servants were buried with them. Kings were mummified, sometimes entombed in a seated position, and their bod- ies were preserved and worshipped in temples. For some ceremonies, common- Teaching Idea ers were mummified in bundles, their bodies set in the fetal position. A number Ask students to compare the impor- of ice of children have been found in the Andes. In 1995, a particular- tance of the Inca system to that ly well-preserved of a twelve- to fourteen-year-old girl was found in the of the , which they Andes. Nicknamed Juanita, her body was frozen intact, allowing for many scien- learned about in Grade 3 if they were tific studies. following the Core Knowledge The Sapa Inca governed with the help of a complicated network of govern- Sequence. ment employees and civil servants. Especially gifted boys were trained to be civil servants. They learned how to record information on a (see p. 132). They also learned religion, governing skills, and math. An important factor in keeping their vast empire together was the Inca’s abil- ity to travel and communicate. The empire had more than 10,000 miles of . Suspension bridges made of woven fiber were built where the roads had to pass over river gorges and ravines in the mountains. Messengers, called [CHAWS-kees] or runners, ran in relays over these roads carrying light items, laws, and news of the empire to distant locations. Rest houses were built one day apart on the roads. People in nearby villages provided food for the messengers, as well as new runners to take up the messages. Since the Inca had no written language, these messengers could not carry a written note, although they often carried that contained important infor- mation. Instead, a runner memorized his message, then sprinted to a rest station, where the next runner was ready for his team member’s arrival. Without slowing the pace, the first runner recited the message, and, running alongside, the relief runner repeated it. Then the first runner dropped out, and the new messenger continued on. The system was fast! A message could travel 250 miles a day and the 1,250 miles from to Cuzco, the capital, in five days. In an age of auto- mountain bridge in the Andes mobiles and airplanes, that may not seem especially fast, but it was very fast for the time. In the 1860s, the famous Pony Express riders of the American West were only able to cover about 200 miles a day—and they rode on horseback! History and Geography: World 131 CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:21 PM Page 132

II. Mesoamerican Civilizations

Farmers, imperial officials, and the army also used the roads. The army used the roads to march quickly from one area to another to unrest among the Inca’s subjects. Farming was the main economic activity of the Inca. Farmers built terraces on the sides of mountains and used to put more land under cultivation. One of the most important crops was the , of which the Inca grew many varieties. Europeans did not know about potatoes until the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire and took potatoes back to Europe. The Inca also raised and . They made clothing of the ’ , ate the , and used the animals as beasts of burden. As has been noted, the Inca did not have a writing system, but they devel- oped a record-keeping system using quipu [kwee-pu]. A quipu was a rope with 40 or so strings attached. The Inca would tie knots in various places on the string to represent groups of 1, 10, and 100. Quipus were very important record-keep- ing devices, recording everything from tribute contributions, economic reports, war information, and ceremonial details. Civil servants, village leaders, and important heads of households could communicate with each other and keep records using these quipu. The Inca were also known for their stone work. They built elaborate walls with gigantic pieces of stone carefully cut and fitted together. Some of these walls are still standing today. Like the word Maya, the word Inca is used as a singular and a plural noun, as well as an adjective. You may also encounter “Incas” as the plural and “Incan” as an adjective. and Cuzco Like the Maya and Aztec, the Inca had urban settlement. A fine example of an Inca site is Machu Picchu, with its terraced fields, palaces, fort, fountains, tem- ples, and stonework staircases. Machu Picchu’s exact use is unknown, but it may have been a city, fortress, or one of the many country retreats the Inca built throughout the Andes. Located high in the Andes, the city was never found by the conquering Spanish, and thus was not destroyed. As all roads in Europe led to Rome, so all roads in the Inca Empire led to Cuzco, its capital. According to one Inca creation myth, two Inca heroes emerged from caves and founded the city of Cuzco. A large fort guarded the city of huge palaces and temple compounds. C. Spanish Conquerors Background Beginning in the 1400s, Europeans set forth in a great wave of . (See Section III, “European Exploration, Trade, and the Clash of Cultures,” pp. 139–163.) The Portuguese led the way. Later, they were followed by the Spanish, the French, the Dutch, and the English. was funded by the Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella. Columbus landed in the Caribbean, but he incorrectly thought that he was in India. This is why people started calling native peoples “Indians.” The Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, sent soldiers, administrators, and colonists to settle these islands. They also sent Catholic missionaries to convert 132 Grade 5 Handbook the native people to . CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:21 PM Page 133

Another set of men who traveled to the after the initial discoveries of Columbus are known to history as the . The word conquistador Teaching Idea is Spanish for “conqueror.” It refers to a Spanish military leader who took part in You may wish to teach the Spanish the of the Americas in the . The conquistadors were intent conquest of the Aztec and Inca civi- on finding and taking the riches of the Indies. They came from many different lizations as part of the European occupations and were generally not professional soldiers. They sought glory by Exploration section (see pp. 139–163), finding riches, new land, and subjects for the king. which comes next in the Core Knowledge Sequence. The leader of a group of conquistadors typically signed an agreement with the Spanish government. agreed to recognize the authority of the expedi- tion in exchange for one-fifth of all treasure found. In addition, there was an expectation that any conquered would become Spanish colonies. Each Teaching Idea member of the expedition would get a share of whatever the expedition took. These shares might consist of gold and silver, or possibly captured native people Create a simulation to demonstrate whom the Spanish seized, in addition to those precious metals. the strong desire for gold that many explorers possessed. While students By 1520, the Spanish had given up their pursuit of treasure on the Caribbean are out of the room, hide pennies (as islands and began looking to the mainland. The conquistadors set out from the a representation of gold coins) Caribbean to explore what is present-day Mexico, Central America, and South around the room and in students’ America. They launched expeditions against the Aztec and Inca , and ulti- desks. When students come into the mately brought both empires down. classroom, tell them you are an The conquistadors were successful for several reasons. They were brave and explorer searching for gold. Make a daring men driven by a powerful desire for wealth. In some cases they were very show of looking for some pieces of clever. In addition, they had horses, guns, and steel weapons, none of which the gold. When you “find gold” in a stu- native people had. There were no horses in the Americas until the Spanish dent’s desk, tell them you are claim- brought them. Also, native populations were decimated by diseases the Spanish ing it for yourself. The student will brought, diseases for which the natives had no immunity. probably react, “That’s not fair . . . The conquistadors gained large amounts of silver and gold by conquering the this is mine.” Be firm and say, “I am Aztec and Inca empires, and even more by setting up mines to dig out the huge exploring for riches.” Proceed to take deposits of silver discovered in Mexico and Peru between 1545 and 1595. The everything out of the student’s desk. Spanish mine owners made fortunes, as did the Spanish government, because the (Be sensitive to your students, and try monarchy received one-fifth of all the silver mined. Silver became the to choose someone who won’t cry or basis of the Spanish colonial economy and established the colonies’ role as an become too upset.) Continue to importer of goods rather than an exporter. search the room, and tell the students the gold will be only for you and your Hernán Cortés and the Aztec friends. The students should protest One of the most famous of the conquistadors was Hernán Cortés (also at the injustice of this! Then, stop the spelled Cortez). Cortés was born in Spain and studied briefly at the University of simulation, debrief, and tell the stu- Salamanca before dropping out. He sailed for the in 1504 and took dents about your simulation. You part in the Spanish conquest of (the island which today includes were being unfair, and this isn’t the and the ) and in 1511 helped conquer . For his servic- way you normally act, but this is how es he was given land and a house, along with native slaves for workers. In 1517 the Aztec (conquered by Cortés) or and 1518, expeditions returned to Hispaniola with small amounts of gold and big the Inca (conquered by Pizarro) may stories about where more was to be found. Cortés decided to go for the gold. He have perceived exploration. sold or mortgaged all his property and organized an expedition. In 1519, Cortés left Cuba with 11 ships, about 600 men, and 16 horses. The expedition landed on the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula near what is now . Cortés sought to gain control of the wealth of the mighty Aztec Empire (see pp. 129–130). To do this, he made friends with the people along the coast and learned from them of the faraway capital, Tenochtitlán. With the help of an History and Geography: World 133 CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:21 PM Page 134

II. Mesoamerican Civilizations

Aztec woman named Malinche who had been sold as a slave and served as a trans- lator, Cortés persuaded various groups of Aztec subjects to support the Spanish. Gaining allies was not difficult because of the tribute system of the Aztec and because of their cruelty to their subjects. Many city-states welcomed Cortés and his men in the hopes that he would free them from Aztec domination. Cortés was determined to march to Tenochtitlán and find the gold he sought. When some of his men wavered and wanted to return to Hispaniola, he burned his ships to show them that there would be no going back. Then he turned and marched on Tenochtitlán, fighting battles, enlisting allies, and crossing mountains along the way. Moctezuma was waiting for him. News of the white men, albeit somewhat exaggerated, had traveled quickly. Moctezuma received news of the approach of hundreds of godly creatures whose “magic sticks” () spit smoke and fire and whose enormous “dogs” (horses) had flat ears and long tongues. Moctezuma sent gifts of gold, which he hoped would appease the strange white-skinned visitors and make them go away. But the gold only whetted the appetite of Cortés and his men. Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlán in November of 1519. Moctezuma welcomed him and escorted the Spanish into the city. Cortés asked for gold on behalf of Spanish king. He also demanded that the Aztec remove idols from their pyramids and set up shrines to the Virgin Mary and install Christian images on the pyra- mids. Moctezuma complied with these requests. Still, Cortés was nervous. After some time, he had his men arrest Moctezuma. Cortés began to rule the city, and reduced Moctezuma to little more than a puppet. Some time later the Spanish massacred some Aztec priests during a festival. This led to increased hostility among the Aztec. They revolted and besieged the Spanish in the palace. During the siege, Cortés ordered Moctezuma to address his people from a palace balcony. The rebellious Aztec jeered and threw stones at their one-time ruler. Moctezuma died a few days later. The Spanish said that he was killed by a stone thrown by the crowd, but Aztec observers claimed that he was murdered by the Spanish; we may never know the truth. On the night of July 1, 1520, Cortés decided to try to break out of the city. He and his men were detected and heavy fighting ensued. Over 400 Spaniards and roughly 2,000 of their native American allies were killed, but Cortés and some other leaders managed to escape. This nighttime battle is sometimes referred to as “,” or “the Sorrowful Night.” Teaching Idea Instead of retreating, Cortés prepared for a counter-offensive. He ordered his men to build 12 boats for a siege of the city. He also secured more support from Students may enjoy listening to some the groups that had long been subjects of the Aztec. Then he besieged excerpts from primary source docu- Tenochtitlán. The fighting lasted for three months, but Cortés ultimately defeat- ments, such as Cortés’s letters to King ed the Aztec. The last Aztec surrendered on , 1521. Charles V of Spain or Bernal Díaz del Cortés established where Tenochtitlán had stood. Mexico City Castillo’s Conquest of . You became the center of the Spanish province of New Spain. Cortés went on to con- might also show excerpts from the PBS quer central Mexico and the northern area of Central America, but his last years documentary Conquistadors (see More were unhappy. Cortés never received the recognition that he believed he deserved Resources). from the Spanish king. He died in Spain in 1547. 34

134 Grade 5 Handbook CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:21 PM Page 135

Francisco Pizarro and the Inca After the conquest of Mexico, the conquistadors soon turned their attention to the Inca Empire to the south. The expedition against the Inca civilization was led by . Pizarro was born in Spain and came to the New World in 1502, joining an expedition to in 1509. He accompanied Balboa on the famous expedition that culminated in the discovery of the Pacific Ocean. Pizarro later lived in Panama, and heard of areas to the south that were rich in gold. He began to think about an expedition to South America, and after brief expeditions to Peru in which he saw gold and met some Inca, he soon received Spain’s permission to conquer and rule Peru. Pizarro and his forces sailed to Peru and located the Inca emperor in 1531. A civil war had just been fought over who would lead the empire. Two half-broth- Teaching Idea ers, [a-ta-WAL-pa] and Huascar, had each ruled a part of the empire and had tried to seize the other part. Atahualpa, who had governed the northern Use Instructional Master 83, Venn region, had won, but the empire had been weakened by the bloody civil war. Diagram, to compare the Pizarro arranged a meeting with the emperor in the town of . Then he of Pizarro and Cortés and/or the Aztec prepared an ambush. Pizarro stationed his men in the buildings around the and Inca experiences with the square. Atahualpa came with a large entourage, but his men were unarmed. A Spanish conquistadors. Spanish priest stepped forward and asked the Sapa Inca to become a Christian. When he refused, the Spaniards charged out of hiding and began mowing down the unarmed Inca attendants. The Spanish took Atahualpa prisoner and demanded that his followers bring enough gold and silver to fill a room. The Inca people brought the gold and silver, but Atahualpa was executed anyway. Name Date Venn Diagram Pizarro captured Cuzco and, with its downfall, the empire began to col- lapse. Pizarro established a new capital at , near the coast. In 1536, a new Inca emperor, Manco Capac, tried to retake Cuzco but was unsuccessful and retreated to the mountains. Pizarro was later assassinated by friends of a man he had killed. The last Inca emperor, Tupac Amarú, was finally killed by the Spanish in 1572. 35 Native Populations Devastated by Disease

Directions: Venn diagrams are useful for showing how things are alike in some ways, but different in others. Where the circles overlap, write or draw how both things are alike. Where the circles don’t overlap, write or draw how two things are different.

The Spanish were able to defeat the Aztec and the Inca not only because Knowledge Foundation Copyright ©Core Master 83 Grade 5: Teacher Material they had horses, dogs, guns, and swords, but also because they brought with them germs that made many native Americans sick. Diseases like and Use Instructional Master 83. were unknown among the natives; therefore, they had no immunity to them. The first to fall ill from European diseases were the native peoples of the Caribbean islands, who had the initial contact with the Spanish. Between disease and the forced labor policies of the Spanish, the native population on some islands disappeared completely. Some experts believe that in the 1500s and 1600s, anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of the native American population across North and South America died. In the Caribbean, this meant that there was no longer a cheap supply of forced labor to work the mines and farms that the Spanish established. This

History and Geography: World 135 CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:21 PM Page 136

II. Mesoamerican Civilizations

need for a new source of labor was the impetus to the beginning of the transat- lantic slave trade. A few Africans had been brought to work the mines on Hispaniola, but the need for large numbers of workers spurred the African slave trade. 36

The Big Idea Review in Review Below are some ideas for ongoing assessment and review activities. These are The Maya, Aztec, and not meant to constitute a comprehensive list. Teachers may also refer to the Inca had developed Pearson Learning/Core Knowledge History & Geography series for additional infor- large, complex civiliza- mation and teaching ideas. tions prior to the arrival • Since students in Grade 1 also study the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations, of the Spanish. have students in Grade 5 create coloring books for the younger students. To make the coloring books, ask students to write one fact about each group at the bottom of large pieces of white paper and to draw an illustration to accompany each fact. Then, arrange a book buddy day where the two classes read together and the younger students color the pages to illustrate the fact about each group. Instruct students to avoid the discussion of human sacrifice with the younger students. • This section provides an opportunity for students to complete short research reports on any of the three early civilizations. Using the guidelines found in the Language Arts section, provide the class with topics for short reports to write in formal style. Each day of a week, provide a mini-lesson on different aspects of report writing, such as correct paragraph form or bibliographies. Have students share these reports when completed. • Have students write papers from the point of view of one of the early American civilizations studied in this section. Students should describe what life was like in this civilization and how the members most likely reacted to the European explorers. Students may also turn these papers into interviews between an interviewer and a member of a Maya, Aztec, or Inca civilization. • Have students work in groups to write a short script demonstrating some aspect of life in one of these groups or an interaction between a group and European explorers. Each group should perform their skits for the class. • Plan a culminating day for this section and incorporate different subject areas for the students to demonstrate what they have learned about the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. You may include the physical education teacher so that stu- dents can play games from each group, or practice the Inca message-passing sys- tem. You can also have students demonstrate what they have learned from these groups, such as math concepts, art and architecture styles, etc. Invite parents and administrators to attend the event. • You may also ask the following questions after completion of this unit of study. 1. Use the following pairs of words in sentences: Andes Mountains–Argentina, Brazil–Amazon River. Possible sentences: The Andes Mountains form the between Argentina and Chile. The Amazon River drains a large part of the country of Brazil.

136 Grade 5 Handbook