Conquest Of The Americas

Question 1

Name 2 major civilisations that existed in the Americas prior to European contact?

Answer 1

The Incas and the Aztecs

Question 2

Where did the Aztecs live?

Answer 2

Mexico

Question 3

In how many generations did the Aztec civilisation rise and fall?

Answer 3

4

Question 4

What was the main city of the Aztec civilisation?

Answer 4

Tenochtitlan

Question 5

What was the population of Tenochtitlan at the time of the Spanish arrival?

Answer 5

200,000

Question 6

What was at the centre of the city?

Answer 6

The sacred precinct

Question 7

What were tributes?

Answer 7

Payments that surrounding villagers were forced to pay the Aztecs

Question 8

How was the Aztec society hierarchy arranged?

Answer 8

Emperor-nobles-warriors-commoners-slaves

Question 9

Explain how a mid-wife’s address to newborn boys was different to that of newborn girls?

Answer 9

Midwives made out that boys should focus more on fighting and military style and girls to focus on housework and staying in the house. Boys were made out to be better than boys.

Question 10

Who was the most important God for the Aztecs?

Answer 10

The god of sun and war

Question 11

Explain how ceremonial sacrifices worked?

Answer 11

The body was sacrificed and their beating heart was thrown down the tempe steps.

Question 12

What was the main city of the Incas?

Answer 12

Cuzco

Question 13

How did the Incas try to integrate different groups?

Answer 13

Through education

Question 14

Sapa Inca was seen as:

Answer 14

The sun god’s representative on earth

Question 15

The nobles used to attempt to change the shape of their babies’ skulls

Answer 15

True

Question 16

What did the Incas generally make their weapons from?

Answer 16

Leather and wood

Question 17

How did the Incas communicate across their large land?

Answer 17

series of runners called chasqui

Question 18

Quipu was a communication system used by the Incas

Answer 18

True

Question 19

The main crops of the Incas were wheat and maize

Answer 19

False

Question 20

What was mit’a?

Answer 20

A system of compulsory labour

Question 21

The state would collect and distribute crops throughout the Empire

Answer 21

True

Question 22

Macchu Picchu was:

Answer 22

A summer palace

Question 23

The most notable aspect of Inca architecture was

Answer 23

The stonework

Question 24

The Sun God was called:

Answer 24

Inti

Question 25

Why did European diseases have such a catastrophic impact on the Native Americans?

Answer 25

The people did not have any immunity to these new diseases

Question 26

smallpox was the disease that claimed most lives

Answer 26

True

Question 27

Why did civil war break out among the Incas?

Answer 27

As their leaders died, there was a struggle for succession

Question 28

How did the conquest change the Incas' view of their Gods?

Answer 28

Many felt that their Gods had abandoned them and turned to Christianity

Question 29

Why were the Tlaxcalans prepared to help the Spanish against the Aztecs?

Answer 29

all of the above

Question 30

After initially claiming that they would preserve Tenochtitlan, it was destroyed by the Spanish. Why was this?

Answer 30

The resistance was so strong that canons were needed to flatten the city

Question 31

Why was the battle of Cajamarca so one sided?

Answer 31

The Incas were not armed or prepared for battle

Question 32

What was the fate of Atahualpa?

Answer 32

he was executed by the Spanish

Question 33

What made the Inca Empire easier to destroy?

Answer 33

their clear chain of command meant that leaders were taken out

Question 34

What was the fate of the Aztecs when they had been defeated?

Answer 34

they lost their land and became slaves to the Spanish

Question 35

How did the ethnic composition of the region change after the conquest?

Answer 35

many natives died and Spanish settlers and African slaves changed the population dramatically

Question 36

The Columbian exchange refers to Columbus' exchange year in the Americas

Answer 36

False

Question 37

How did the conquest of the Americas lead to a population increase in Europe?

Answer 37

food taken from the Americas led to healthier diets