1.4 - Developments in the Americas

Question 1

What civilizations rose in Mesoamerica and the Andes after the decline of the Olmecs and Chavin?

Answer 1

The Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas.

Question 2

What was the first large-scale civilization in North America and where did it develop?

Answer 2

The Mississippian culture, which developed in the Mississippi River Valley in what is now the eastern United States.

Question 3

What are some characteristics of Mississippian culture’s monumental buildings?

Answer 3

Mississippians built enormous earthen mounds, some as tall as 100 feet and covering an area the size of 12 football fields. The largest mound is Cahokia in southern Illinois.

Example sentence: Cahokia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Question 4

Describe the social structure of Mississippian society.

Answer 4

The society had a rigid class structure with a chief called the Great Sun at the top, followed by an upper class of priests and nobles, a lower class of farmers, hunters, merchants, and artisans, and at the bottom, enslaved people who were often prisoners of war.

Question 5

What was the role of women in Mississippian society, and how was social standing determined?

Answer 5

Women farmed, and social standing was determined by the woman’s side of the family, with titles and positions often passing through the maternal line.

Question 6

Why did people abandon Cahokia and other large Mississippian cities?

Answer 6

Historians suggest either flooding or weather extremes causing crop failures and economic collapse, or diseases introduced by Europeans.

Question 7

What innovations did cultures in the southwestern United States develop due to their dry environment?

Answer 7

They developed methods to collect, transport, and store water efficiently and used limited wood resources to build homes.

Question 8

What were the distinctive features of Chaco and Mesa Verde cultures?

Answer 8

Chaco built large stone and clay housing structures with hundreds of rooms, while Mesa Verde constructed multi-story homes into cliff sides using sandstone bricks.

Question 9

When did Mayan civilization reach its height, and where was it located?

Answer 9

Between 250 and 900 C.E., covering southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Question 10

How was Mayan government organized and how did it handle leadership succession?

Answer 10

Mayan civilization was organized into city-states ruled by kings, with leadership typically passing from father to son. Women could rule if no male heir was available.

Question 11

What were the main reasons for wars between Mayan city-states?

Answer 11

Wars were fought to gain tribute payments, captives for human sacrifices, and not primarily for territorial control.

Question 12

What was the role of the Mayan king and how did he relate to religion?

Answer 12

The king was considered a descendant of gods and became one with his ancestor-god upon death. He directed elite scribes and priests.

Question 13

How did the common people contribute to Mayan society?

Answer 13

They paid taxes in crops and provided labor for government projects. They also served in the military when required.

Question 14

Was there a central government in the Mayan civilization?

Answer 14

No, the Mayan civilization was divided into independent city-states, with no single central government ruling all Mayan lands.

Question 15

What were some of the Mayans’ technological and scientific innovations?

Answer 15

The Mayans incorporated zero into their number system, developed a complex writing system, and made rubber from liquid collected from rubber plants.

Question 16

How did Mayan priests use astronomy in their society?

Answer 16

They used astronomical observations to design a calendar, which was crucial for scheduling religious ceremonies and military actions.

Question 17

What was the significance of the Mayan observatories?

Answer 17

The Mayans built precise observatories atop pyramids, such as at Chichen Itza, which allowed them to create an accurate calendar.

Question 18

What role did priests play in Mayan religion, and what were some important deities?

Answer 18

Priests conducted ceremonies for deities like the sun, rain, and corn. Offerings, including human sacrifices, were made to ensure divine favor.

Question 19

When and where did the Aztecs establish their capital, and what was its significance?

Answer 19

The Aztecs founded Tenochtitlán in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco, which grew to be one of the largest cities in the world and was protected from attacks.

Question 20

How did the Aztecs manage water supply in Tenochtitlán?

Answer 20

They built a network of aqueducts and created floating gardens called chinampas to increase food production.

Question 21

What was the Aztec tribute system, and how did it help maintain their empire?

Answer 21

Conquered peoples paid tribute and performed military service, which allowed Aztec dominance without direct administrative control. Local rulers collected tribute on behalf of the Aztecs.

Question 22

Describe the structure of Aztec government and society.

Answer 22

The Aztec government was a theocracy with the emperor as both a political and divine leader. Society was hierarchical, with nobles, scribes, healers, craftspeople, traders, peasants, soldiers, and enslaved people.

Question 23

How did religion influence Aztec society and governance?

Answer 23

Religion was central, involving numerous deities and rituals, including human sacrifices. The Aztecs believed sacrifices repaid gods and demonstrated the empire’s might.

Question 24

What roles did women play in Aztec society, and how did their roles relate to the tribute system?

Answer 24

Women wove valuable cloth for tribute, worked as priestesses, midwives, healers, and merchants, and a few noblewomen were scribes.

Question 25

What factors contributed to the decline of the Aztec Empire?

Answer 25

The empire faced challenges due to low technology, over-expansion, and resentment from subjected tribes, which led to rebellions and contributed to its downfall when Spaniards arrived in 1519.

Question 26

Who was Pachacuti, and what was his role in the Incan Empire?

Answer 26

Pachacuti, meaning “transformer” or “shaker” of the earth, began conquering tribes near Cuzco in 1438, which led to the formation of the Incan Empire.

Question 27

How did Huayna Capac contribute to the Incan Empire?

Answer 27

By 1493, Huayna Capac, Pachacuti’s grandson, focused on consolidating and managing the vast empire.

Question 28

How was the Incan Empire administratively organized?

Answer 28

It was divided into four provinces, each with its own governor and bureaucracy, and did not require tribute from conquered people but instead used the mit’a system for mandatory public service.

Question 29

What was the significance of Inti in Incan religion?

Answer 29

Inti, the sun god, was the most important deity, and Inca rulers were considered his earthly representatives.

Question 30

What was royal ancestor veneration in the Incan Empire?

Answer 30

Dead rulers were mummified and continued to “rule” and retain ownership of their property, motivating continual expansion of the empire.

Question 31

How did Inca priests perform their duties?

Answer 31

They consulted omens such as coca leaf arrangements or spider movements to make decisions, diagnose illnesses, predict battles, and determine sacrifices.

Question 32

What role did animism play in Incan religion?

Answer 32

The Inca believed that natural elements, called huaca, such as mountains, rivers, and stones, had supernatural powers.

Question 33

What was the quipu, and how was it used by the Inca?

Answer 33

The quipu was a system of knotted strings used to record numerical information, manage trade, engineering, and messages across the empire.

Question 34

Describe the Incan agricultural innovations.

Answer 34

The Inca developed terrace farming and the waru waru technique, which utilized raised beds and channels to manage water and prevent erosion.

Question 35

What was the Carpa Nan?

Answer 35

The Carpa Nan was a massive roadway system spanning about 25,000 miles, built by the Inca for government and military use.

Question 36

What factors contributed to the decline of the Incan Empire?

Answer 36

The empire’s decline was influenced by a civil war, diseases introduced by Europeans, and the Spanish conquest starting in 1532.

Question 37

What is the significance of Machu Picchu today?

Answer 37

Machu Picchu is one of the most-visited archaeological sites in the world and a remnant of the Incan Empire.

Question 38

How do historians view the relationship between Mesoamerican cultures and the Olmec civilization?

Answer 38

Some argue that later cultures like the Maya and Aztecs were influenced by the Olmecs, adopting features such as the feathered snake-god, while others believe cultures developed independently.