Q1W2 Social Studies Textbook PDF

Section 2 Key Ideas BEFORE, YOU LEARNED NOW YOU WILL LEARN The physical geography of the Andes region Great civilizations grew from the fertile lands of is rugged and often harsh. Mesoamerica’s Mesoameric...

Section 2 Key Ideas BEFORE, YOU LEARNED NOW YOU WILL LEARN The physical geography of the Andes region Great civilizations grew from the fertile lands of is rugged and often harsh. Mesoamerica’s Mesoamerica. More surprisingly, a vast empire geography, on the other hand, is somewhat milder. arose amid the steep slopes of the Andes. Vocabulary TERMS & NAMES Pachacuti ( PAH chah KOO tee) ninth Inca ruler, Olmec earliest major Mesoamerican culture, who came to power in A.D. 1438 and expanded which flourished from 1200 to 400 B.C. the Incan empire mother culture a culture that shapes and chasquis (CHAHS kees) runners who carried influences the customs and ideas of later cultures messages up and down the length of the Incan Maya Mesoamerican civilization that reached its empire height between A.D. 250 and 900 BACKGROUND VOCABULARY codex type of book used by early Mesoamerican steles (STEE leez) ancient carved stone markers civilizations to record important historical events that call attention to important dates or events tribute payment made in return for protection Montezuma II last Aztec emperor, who ruled REVIEW from A.D. 1502 to 1520 and was overthrown by civil war armed conflict between two groups in the Spanish the same country Reading Strategy Re-create the web diagram shown at right. As FIND MAIN IDEAS you read and respond to the KEY QUESTIONS, use the diagram to help you identify the most Central and South America important facts about the Olmec, the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca. Olmec Maya Aztec Inca See Skillbuilder Handbook, page R3. 1. 1. 1. 1. 2. 2. 2. 2. GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Go to Interactive Review @ ClassZone.com 368 Chapter 13 Central Starting with a Story As you watch the and South crowning of the new king of the Mayan city Palenque, all is well. But is the city’s future Americans as bright as it seems? #LICK # LICK HHERE ERE to listen to the story @ ClassZone.com Connect to What You Know The Americas have a varied natural environment. In this section, you will learn how four major civilizations grew in these fertile lands. The Olmec KEY QUESTION Why are the Olmec thought to be a Mesoamerican mother culture? About 3,200 years ago, a group of people called the Olmec lived along the Gulf Coast of what is now southern Mexico. Theirs was the first major culture to develop in Mesoamerica. The Olmec were much like other early civilizations. They began by farming near rivers that often flooded and left rich, fertile soil. With a reliable supply of food, some Olmec were free to do other work. Some became potters or weavers, while others became priests or administrators. By 900 B.C., the Olmec had built the great cities now called Olmec Stone Head San Lorenzo and La Venta. These cities were centers of Olmec This stone head, located art and trade. The Olmec had raised mounds and huge stone at La Venta, weighs 20 tons. How the Olmec monuments used for religious ceremonies. moved the stones from Around 500 B.C., the Olmec began to abandon their cities. quarries over 50 miles The reasons for this remain unclear. By 400 B.C., the Olmec away is a mystery. ▼ civilization had largely disappeared. But Olmec beliefs and ways continued to influence greater Mesoamerican culture for many years to come. Many historians consider the Olmec to be Mesoamerica’s mother culture. A mother culture is a way of life that strongly influences later cultures. Olmec art, architecture, religion, and trade helped shape later cultures such as the Aztec and especially the Maya. EVALUATE Explain why the Olmec are considered to be a mother culture. 369  The Maya KEY QUESTION How was the Mayan class system structured? The Maya consisted of groups of Mesoamerican peoples who spoke various forms of the Mayan language. Their culture shared many of the artistic and monumental forms of the Olmec. Mayan Society Develops Around 1500 B.C., small Mayan agricultural villages began to appear. The Maya lived in highland and lowland areas of what are now Guatemala and Belize, and in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. As with the Olmec, successful farming led to a larger population, the development of cities, and more specialized workers. This division of labor in Mayan society led to the development of a class system. There were four broad social classes in Mayan society: the ruling class, the nobility, peasants, and slaves. The ruling class was made up of kings and their families. Kings governed each of the Mayan cities. (At the height of the Mayan civilization, more than 40 of these cities existed.) Kings also performed the religious duties of priests. CONNECT to Math Mayan Mathematics The Maya developed Materials the most sophisticated number system ever pen or pencil conceived in the Americas. Do some research 0 paper on the Mayan number system in books and on the Internet to help you with this activity. Count the Mayan Way 1 4 5 11 Use the Mayan number system to create and solve math problems. 1 Working in a group, create ten math problems using Mayan numbers. Include addition, 19 20 subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. The answer to each problem should not exceed 20. 2 Write the problems on a piece of paper, leaving blank spaces for their solutions. For example: + = 3 Trade your problems with another group, and try to solve their problems with your group members. Hand back your answers for checking. 370 Chapter 13  Mayan nobles were educated and wealthy and likely worked as scholars, warriors, and merchants. They ate better than peasants. In fact, some foods, such as chocolate, were reserved for the nobility alone. Peasants, who made up the vast majority of the population, lived very differently from the nobles. Most were farmers who lived in small villages near the cities. They grew crops such as corn, beans, squash, and chili peppers. Mayan farmers used a variety of techniques to grow their crops. For instance, in the highlands, they increased the land available for farming by building terraces. Slaves were mostly criminals, people captured in war, and orphans. Slaves were owned by all other classes in Mayan society. ▲ Mayan Burial Mask Mayan Cities During the Classical period, between This mask, made of jade and seashells, covered A.D. 250 and 900, Mayan civilization reached its peak. The the face of the dead King numerous Mayan cities, such as Copán, Tikal (tee KAHL), Pacal of Palenque. and Palenque (pah LEHNG keh), displayed magnificent architecture. Each contained plazas, palaces, and pyramids topped by temples. Many cities also had large stone monuments called steles (STEE leez). On these steles, the Maya carved glyphs that represented important dates and great events. Advances in Learning The Maya developed a complex writing system that used glyphs. They wrote glyphs on paper made from bark. This paper was screen-folded to form a book called a codex. Few of these books still exist. (See Primary Source: Aztec Codices, on p. 373.) Mayan mathematics were based on the number 20. Our system, by contrast, is based on 10. The Maya were one of the first peoples to use the zero. By using their math system, the Maya made great advances in astronomy. For example, they accurately charted the orbit of the planet Venus. Their knowledge allowed them to produce an accurate calendar system. This system helped the Maya time their planting and harvesting and allowed them to keep precise records. A Mysterious Downfall In the 800s, the Maya began to abandon their cities in the southern lowlands. At the same time, their population declined sharply. The reasons for this decline are a mystery. Possible causes include famine that resulted from decades of overfarming or warfare among cities. By the 1400s, the cities in the northern lowlands and the highlands had been abandoned too. FIND MAIN IDEAS Name and describe the different parts of the Mayan class system. American Civilizations 371  The Aztecs KEY QUESTION What brought about the fall of the Aztec empire? The Aztecs were once nomadic hunters and gatherers. They lived in what is now the northwest desert of Mexico. In the late A.D. 1200s, they began to move south. Eventually, they came upon the Valley of Mexico. Settling in the Valley of Mexico Aztec legend said that they would find their new home where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus. In 1325, they found such a place. It was an island in a large lake. There they built their capital, Tenochtitlán (teh NOHCH tee TLAHN). The lands around Tenochtitlán were swampy or mountainous— not ideal for farming. The Aztecs adapted by constructing chinampas, or raised garden beds, on the lake. (See Animated History on pages 376–377.) With a plentiful food supply, the population of Tenochtitlán grew. At its height, it reached about 250,000 people. Aztec Religion and Culture Aztec life was dominated by religion. This religion was based on the worship of agricultural gods. The Aztecs believed in about 1,000 gods. The most important Tenochtitlán Markets This mural shows goods ceremonies were held to ask the gods for a good harvest. of all kinds—including The Aztecs produced two separate calendars by studying the foods, textiles, and sun, the stars, and the planets. One calendar was agricultural. building materials. How are some modern It predicted planting and harvesting times. The other was stores like the a religious calendar that set the times for the many public Tenochtitlán market? ceremonies each year. ▼ Image not available for electronic use. Please refer to the image in the textbook. 372 Primary Source Aztec Codices Background Aztec codices are illustrated books. Brightly painted pictures cover both sides of these long folded sheets of bark or deerskin. Each codex illustrates scenes from Aztec life or contains official government records. There were once hundreds of these codices, but many have been destroyed. The panel at right shows the funeral of a noble (wrapped in a cloth, top right). His family prepares him for the afterlife. DOCUMENT–BASED QUESTION How might you tell from the picture that the deceased was a noble? For the most part, the Aztec writing system did not represent the sounds of the spoken language. Instead, it used pictures and symbols, called glyphs, to represent words and ideas. The Aztecs produced codices in a written language made up of glyphs. Each codex was filled with colorful pictures detailing everyday life in Aztec society. Historians have learned much about the Aztecs from these records. The Empire’s Rise and Fall By the early 1500s, the Aztec empire stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and from the Valley of Mexico to what is now Guatemala. Up to 12 million people lived under Aztec rule. From these people, the Aztecs demanded tribute in the form of goods, such as corn, gold, and jade. The empire was at its height in 1502 when the emperor Montezuma II came to power. He angered his subjects by demanding more and more tribute and victims for human sacrifice to appease the Aztec gods. Some subjects began to rebel, weakening the empire’s power. In 1519, Spaniards led by Hernán Cortés arrived in the Aztec empire. Hoping to avoid war, Montezuma met with Cortés. But the Spaniards took him prisoner, and he was later killed in battle. Soon, diseases brought by the invaders weakened the Aztecs. Helped by thousands of rebels, the Spanish used their superior weapons to conquer Tenochtitlán in 1521 and put an end to the Aztec empire. ANALYZE CAUSES Explain what led to the fall of the Aztec empire. American Civilizations 373  The Inca KEY QUESTION How did the Inca build an empire in the Andes? The Inca learned to live in the high and rugged terrain of the Andes Mountains of what is now Peru. Their capital city, Cuzco (KOOZ koh), is in a valley in the Andes more than 11,000 feet above sea level. From Cuzco, the Inca eventually built up the largest empire in the Americas. Pachacuti Founds an Empire By the early 1400s, the Inca had expanded their rule over nearby peoples. In 1438, the ninth Inca ruler, Pachacuti (PAH chah KOO tee), came to power. Under his rule, the Inca conquered all of Peru and more. By 1500, the Incan empire had grown further, extending 2,500 miles along the west coast of South America. About 12 million people lived in the empire. Daily Life in the Empire The geography of the Andes made life challenging for the peoples of the empire. The steep land made farming difficult. Farmers cut terraces into the sides of mountains to get the most out of their land. They grew crops such as potatoes and corn and raised animals such as alpacas and llamas. These animals provided wool and sometimes meat. Communication, like farming, was difficult. The Inca kept up a system of roads by requiring a certain amount of labor per subject each year. At least 14,000 miles of roads crisscrossed the empire. On these roads, runners called chasquis (CHAHS kees) carried messages the length of the empire. Troops and trade also moved efficiently. Pachacuti (C. 1391–1473) The Incan leader Pachacuti’s name means “Earth Shaker.” As the emperor’s younger son, he was not in line to become ruler. But in 1438, during an attack on Cuzco, Pachacuti’s father and older brother fled. Pachacuti, who was a gifted soldier, took control and saved the city. Then he made himself the new Incan ruler. During his 33-year reign, Pachacuti began the expansion of Incan territory. He also reorganized the government and built a grand capital at Cuzco. He is considered the greatest Incan ruler. CRITICAL THINKING Analyze Causes and Effects What event allowed Pachacuti to take control of the Inca? 374  The Inca Fall to the Spanish Other Andean peoples could not defeat the Inca. Their army was 200,000 strong, well trained, and well equipped. However, the Incan empire was weakened by unrest. In a bitter civil war that began in 1527, a leader named Atahualpa (A H tuh WAHL puh) defeated his brother. The war was just ending when Francisco Pizarro arrived on the South American coast in 1532. Like the Aztecs, the Inca were no match for the Spanish, who rode horses, wore metal armor, and carried steel weapons. The Spanish also carried new diseases that were especially deadly to the Inca. Pizarro met with Atahualpa, took him prisoner, and later had him executed. After Atahualpa’s death, the Incan empire crumbled. The Spaniards moved on ▲ Chasquis This drawing of a chasqui to Cuzco, while conquered peoples rose in rebellion against their dates to about 1615. Incan masters. By 1535, the Spanish controlled most of the Incan Chasquis were like a relay lands. Eventually, millions of Inca died of European diseases. The team, with each runner passing the message last Inca ruler was defeated in 1572, and the Incan empire ceased along to the next runner. to exist. DRAW CONCLUSIONS Explain how the Inca built and maintained their empire. ONLINE QUIZ 2 Section Assessment For test practice, go to Interactive Review @ ClassZone.com Terms & Names Key Ideas 1. Explain the importance of 3. In what ways did Mayan mathematics differ from Olmec codex Montezuma II math today? Maya tribute Pachacuti 4. How did Montezuma II cause unrest among the peoples of the Aztec empire? Use Your Reading Notes 5. Describe the geography of the Andes and how it 2. Find Main Ideas Use your completed web affected agriculture. diagram to answer the following question: How did the end of the Maya civilization differ Critical Thinking from the ends of the Aztec and Incan empires? 6. Analyze Causes and Effects Why does a Central and South America steady supply of food often lead to the eventual building of cities? Olmec Maya Aztec Inca 7. Draw Conclusions How were the Spanish 1. 1. 1. 1. conquests of the Aztec and Incan empires similar? 2. 2. 2. 2. Write a Newspaper Article Imagine that you are a reporter visiting a Mayan city. Write an article that gives your opinion of the city itself and the society you observe. Include observations of the farming areas that surround the city. American Civilizations 375