The New World
The “New World” The Americas
are known as the “New World” because Europeans did not know they existed until about 1500 A.D.
Mesoamerica Meso means
middle. Mesoamerica
includes Mexico and Central America.
The Maya
The Maya Mayan civilization
flourished on and around the Yucatan Peninsula (in what is now Mexico)during the first millenium A.D.
The Maya had multiple small local governments rather than one large central government.
Many Mayan cities were located in the rainforest.
Agriculture The rainforests in which the Maya
lived did not have very fertile soil.
The lack of nutrients in the soil made farming difficult.
Slash and Burn Agriculture was used to help add nutrients to the soil.
Slash and Burn Agriculture Trees and other natural vegetation is cut down
(slashed). The vegetation is burned to add nutrients to
the soil. The heavy rains in the region wash away the
nutrients within a few years, and the farmer move on to a new piece of land.
This practice was more sustainable in ancient times, when the population was much lower.
Slash and Burn is still practiced in tropical climates today. The modern population is much higher (many more people) and the practice is harmful to the environment.
Crops Maize (corn) was the
most important crop Squash such as
pumpkins Beans Tomatoes Sweet potatoes cocoa
Written Language Pictographs (like
Hieroglyphic) Carved into
stone on buildings and written on bark in books called codices.
Pyramids Like the
Egyptians, the Mayans built pyramids that were used as tombs.
Decline Around 900 A.D. the Mayan civilization
declined. Cities were abandoned. Nobody knows what happened to the
Maya. Mayan descendants still live in Mexico
and Central America today.
The Aztecs
The Aztecs The Aztecs
settled in what is now Mexico around 1200 A.D.
Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan was
the Aztec capital city.
The Aztecs built a large empire, controlling many neighboring peoples.
Tenochtitlan Built in the middle
of a lake. They created more
land by adding mud and vegetation into the lake.
Swampy Causeways led in
to city
Chinampas “Floating Gardens” Shallow areas of the lake are sectioned
off and filled with mud and decaying plant matter.
Separated by canals Fertile with plenty of water Very productive, yielded as many as
seven crops a year
Spanish Conquest The Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortez
arrived in Tenochtitlan in 1519. They were impressed by the grandeur and
wealth of the Aztecs. Cortez and his men wanted gold. People who had been conquered by the
Aztecs joined forces with the Spanish to overthrow them.
Within a few years the Spanish controlled what is now Mexico.
Tenochtitlan became Mexico city.
The Inca
The Inca The Inca
were located in South America, in what is now Peru.
Cuzco The Inca capital city was Cuzco.
Andes The Inca built
their cities high in the Andes Mountains.
They were well culturally adapted to their mountainous geography.
Andes The Inca built
bridges over valleys and gorges.
They could trap their enemies by cutting away the bridges.
Agriculture The Inca
adapted their farming practices to the steep mountain slopes by creating terraces.
Agriculture The Inca’s staple crops
were corn, potatoes, and quinoa.
They also grew tomatoes, avocados, squash, peppers, and peanuts.
Llamas Large animals related to camels.
The only large animal to be domesticated in the New World.
Used for food, as pack animals, and for wool.
Old World Interaction European diseases reached the
Inca before European people. Many of the Inca died from
Smallpox. New World people did not have
the natural resistance to disease such as Smallpox.