1.2 State building in the Americas

Question 1

The period from 1200 to 1450 saw the emergence of what varied and complex human societies across the Americas?

Answer 1

The period from 1200 to 1450 saw the emergence of varied and complex human societies across the Americas, with diverse cultures, practices, and beliefs.

Question 2

What did the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, formed in North America around 1200, pledge and what conflicts did it end?

Answer 2

The Haudenosaunee, or Five Nations, pledged peace and unity, ending conflicts among the Iroquois tribes.

Question 3

From where did the Aztecs, or Mexica, migrate and what city did they establish in central Mexico? What characterized their complex societies?

Answer 3

The Aztecs, or Mexica, migrated from Aztlan to central Mexico, where they established the city of Tenochtitlan. They developed complex societies with pyramids, human sacrifices, and trade networks.

Question 4

In what region was Mayapan located and what civilization and culture influenced this cultural and political center from 1250 to 1450?

Answer 4

Mayapan was located in Yucatán and was a cultural and political center of the Yucatecan Maya civilization from 1250 to 1450, influenced by Toltec culture.

Question 5

Originating from where did the Inca Empire emerge around 1100 and how did it expand to establish its vast imperial system across the Andes?

Answer 5

The Inca Empire originated from Lake Titicaca, emerging around 1100 and expanding through military conquests to establish a vast imperial system across the Andes.

Question 6

What diverse religious rituals did societies practice across the Pre-Columbian Americas?

Answer 6

Across the Americas, societies practiced diverse religious rituals, including human sacrifices, festivals honoring celestial deities, and reverence for nature.

Question 7

Despite regional diversity across the Americas, what increasing connections between societies led to the emergence of large states and shared cultural practices?

Answer 7

Despite regional diversity, there were increasing connections between societies, leading to the emergence of large states and shared cultural practices.

Question 8

What was the Taíno?

Answer 8

One of the major indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, living across multiple islands at the time of European contact.

Question 9

What were the Kalinago (Carib) known for?

Answer 9

An indigenous Caribbean people known for resisting Spanish colonization and control of the Caribbean islands.

Question 10

What was a dugout canoe?

Answer 10

A type of boat made from a hollowed tree trunk, used by indigenous Caribbean peoples for transportation between islands.

Question 11

What was the encomienda system?

Answer 11

A labor system imposed by Spanish colonizers where indigenous peoples were forced to work for Spanish settlers.

Question 12

What was the Columbian Exchange?

Answer 12

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, cultures, human populations, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World after 1492.

Question 13

What is globalization?

Answer 13

The process by which the world’s peoples and societies have become increasingly interconnected culturally and economically.

Question 14

What is cultural fusion?

Answer 14

The merging and blending of diverse cultural elements from different societies into new forms.

Question 15

What was the nature of trade in the Americas before 1500?

Answer 15

All societies in the Americas engaged in trade before 1500, with extensive long-distance trade networks.

Question 16

Which region was a major hub of trade in the Americas due to its central location?

Answer 16

Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) was a major hub of trade due to its central location.

Question 17

What was the geographic extent of trade networks in Mesoamerica during the Classic period (100-650 CE)?

Answer 17

Evidence shows trade networks in Mesoamerica reached from southwestern U.S. to Panama during the Classic period (100-650 CE).

Question 18

Which city controlled obsidian sources and traded across Mesoamerica?

Answer 18

The city of Teotihuacan controlled obsidian sources and traded across Mesoamerica.

Question 19

What types of luxury goods did Maya city-states trade via coastal canoes?

Answer 19

Maya city-states traded luxury goods like jade, cacao, and feathers via coastal canoes.

Question 20

What characterized trade in the Aztec Empire in the 15th century?

Answer 20

The Aztec Empire (15th century) had huge markets and a merchant class (pochteca) trading across Mesoamerica.

Question 21

What other regions had long-distance trade networks in the Americas before 1500?

Answer 21

Other regions with long-distance trade included the Andes Mountains (llama caravans), the Southwestern U.S. (turquoise), the Mississippi River valley, and the Caribbean islands trading with South America.

Question 22

How did trade spread technologies in the Americas before 1500?

Answer 22

Trade spread technologies like metalworking and agricultural methods across the Americas.

Question 23

What is the current state of knowledge about interconnections between distant regions in the pre-1500 Americas?

Answer 23

Interconnections between distant regions are debated due to a lack of written sources, but archaeological evidence continues revealing new information about pre-1500 trade networks.

Question 24

What distinguished the Aztec Empire from the broader Aztec civilization?

Answer 24

The Aztec Empire was a specific political entity that emerged within 100 years prior to Spanish colonization, distinct from the broader Aztec civilization.

Question 25

How did Tenochtitlan rise to prominence in the 14th century?

Answer 25

Tenochtitlan rose to prominence by forming an alliance with Texcoco and Tlacopan known as the Triple Alliance.

Question 26

How was the Aztec Empire established?

Answer 26

The Aztec Empire was established through the conquest of the city-state of Azcapotzalco by the Triple Alliance.

Question 27

When did the Aztec Empire fall, and who conquered it?

Answer 27

The Aztec Empire fell in 1521, conquered by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.

Question 28

How did Cortés defeat the Aztec Empire?

Answer 28

Cortés defeated the Aztec Empire with the assistance of soldiers from neighboring city-states and the devastating impact of a smallpox epidemic.

Question 29

What were some advanced features of Tenochtitlan?

Answer 29

Tenochtitlan boasted advanced infrastructure such as causeways, dams, and a flood control system.

Question 30

How did the Spanish conquest impact Tenochtitlan?

Answer 30

The Spanish conquest led to the destruction of much of Tenochtitlan’s infrastructure, with Mexico City founded atop its ruins.

Question 31

How did the Aztec Empire differ from the Maya city-states?

Answer 31

Unlike the autonomous Maya city-states, the Aztec Empire operated as a tributary state, with other city-states paying tribute to the capital of Tenochtitlan.

Question 32

Who was Pachacuti?

Answer 32

Pachacuti was the ninth ruler of the kingdom of Cuzco who initiated an aggressive expansion effort, leading to the creation of the Inca Empire.

Question 33

What did the Inca call themselves? What did Inca mean?

Answer 33

The Inca referred to their ruler, with “Inca” being their term for ruler. The empire started by Pachacuti was called Tawantinsuyu, which referred to the four regions conquered, with Cuzco at the center.

Question 34

What made the Inca an empire?

Answer 34

The Inca became an empire by having one group, the kingdom of Cuzco, conquer other peoples and extract tribute from them.

Question 35

How many people were living in the Inca Empire prior to its decline?

Answer 35

The Inca Empire had approximately 10 million people living in it, making it the largest empire in the Americas at the time of European conquest.

Question 36

What was the Mit’a system?

Answer 36

The Mit’a system was the method through which the Inca Empire taxed its people. Instead of using formal coinage, members of society had to dedicate a portion of their labor directly to the empire, which contributed to large building projects like Machu Picchu.