MEXICO - History and Culture Flashcards
When did people first come to Mexico?
520 years ago
How did Mexicans build their first permanent settlements?
Through farming
Who were the Olmecs?
Olmecs were the earliest known major civilization in Mesoamerica and they lived starting around 1500BC
Where did the Olmecs settle?
Olmec lived on the humid southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico,
What did the Olmecs build?
temples and giant statues.
When did the Maya civilization exist?
Between 250 to 900 AD
Which civilization did the Maya build on?
the OLMEC
Name some Mayan achievements
Built large cities, temples for their gods, studied the stars, developed detailed calendars, and kept written records which are still used to study the Mayan culture.
who were the Aztecs and when did they exist?
After the decline of the Maya civilization, people called the Aztecs moved to central Mexico from the north around 1325
where was the Aztec capital?
island in a lake. Known as Tenochtitlán (tay-nawch-teet-LAHN)
How did the Aztecs build their empire?
Through Conquest, and defeating other tribes
define EMPIRE
land with different territories and peoples under a single ruler.
How long did Spain Rule Mexico?
300 Years
What did the Spanish bring to Mexico?
Guns, horses and diseases such as small pox
What happened to the Aztecs after the spanish arrived?
The aztecs had no resistance to diseases, became weak and were easily defeated.
What year was the land claimed for spain?
1521
Spaniards called people of mixed European and Indian ancestry_________
Mestizos
The Spaniards called people of mixed European and African ancestry_______
Mulattoes
What church greatly influenced colonial Mexico?
Roman Catholic Church
Define Mission
Church outposts
What did priests want to achieve in colonial Mexico?
Priests at the missions learned native languages and taught the Indians Spanish. They also worked to convert the American Indians to Catholicism.
What were spaniards looking for in Mexico?
Gold and Silver
Besides metals name one other important part of the Mexican Colonial Economy?
Agriculture
Define hacienda
huge expanses of farm or ranch land