Latin America: Shaped By History

Early Civilizations

Mayan Civilization and CultureThe Mayas built great cities that were also

religious centers. Two of these cities were Copan in present-day Honduras and Tikal in Guatemala. Large pyramid-shaped temples, where Mayas worshipped, stood in the center of the cities.

Science, Technology, and ReligionThe most important Mayan crop was maize, or

corn, which was the main food in the Mayan diet.

Mayan priests studied the stars and planets and designed an accurate calendar, which they used to decide when to hold religious ceremonies.

They also developed a system of writing using signs and symbols called hieroglyphics along with a number system similar to the present-day decimal system.

The calendar dates back to at least the 5th century BC and is still in use in a few Mayan communities today.The Mayan calendar moves in cycles with the last cycle ending in December 2012. This has often been interpreted as "the world will end" on 21 December 2012, at 11:11 UTC.Count down the seconds to “the end”The best doomsday prophecies in historyThe last day of the Mayan calendar corresponds with the Winter Solstice (or December Solstice), which has played a significant role in many cultures all over the world.The Maya didn't invent the calendar, it was used by most cultures in pre-Columbian Central America – including the Maya – from around 2000 BC to the 16th century

The Great Mystery of the MayasAbout 900 A.D. the Mayas suddenly left their

cities, but no one knows why. Crop failures, war, disease, drought, or famine may have killed many, or perhaps people rebelled against the control of the priests and nobles. They Mayas left their cities, but stayed in the region and millions of them still live in the countries of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Aztec Civilization and CultureAnother ancient civilization is the Valley of

Mexico which is located in Central Mexico. The Aztecs found a permanent home in 1325 when they settled on an island in Lake Texcoco. They changed the swampy lake into a magnificent city, which they called Tenochtitian.

Aztecs expand their empireIn the 1400’s, Aztec warriors conquered

other people in the region. They forced the people they conquered to pay tribute, or taxes. Tribute was paid in food, cotton, gold, or slaves. The Aztecs grew rich from the tribute.

Aztec Science and TechnologyTenochtitlan was a center of trade and

learning. Aztec doctors made more than 1,000 medicines from plants. Aztec astronomers predicted eclipses and the movements of planets. Aztec priests kept records using hieroglyphics similar to those used by the Mayas.

Incan Civilizations and CultureIn about 1200, the Incas settled in Cuzco, a

village in the Andes that is now a city in the country of Peru. Most Incas were farmers who grew maize and other crops. The Incas won control of the entire Cuzco Valley, one of many valleys that extend from the Andes to the Pacific Ocean.

Incan AccomplishmentsThe Incas were excellent farmers, builders,

and managers. They built more than 19,000 miles of roads. The roads went over some of the most mountainous land in the world. They increased their farmland by building stone terraces into the sides of steep slopes and aqueducts, pipes or channels designed to carry water from a distant source. Aqueducts allowed the Incas to irrigate land to grow crops.

European Exploration: Short and Long Term Effects

Europeans Arrive in the AmericasColumbus asked Spain to sponsor a voyage, and he set sail

in early August 1492. On October 12th, he spotted land. Columbus thought he had reached the East Indies in Asia, but in fact the land he saw as an island in the Caribbean Sea.

In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas. The treaty set an imaginary line called the Line of Demarcation. It gave Spain the right to settle and trade west of the line. Portugal could do the same to the east side. The only part of South America that was east was Brazil. Because of the Treaty of Tordesillas, the language and background of Brazil are Portuguese.

The Spanish gave the conquistadors, or conquerors, the right to hunt for treasure.

Cortes Conquers the AztecsIn 1519, Hernan Cortes sailed to the coast of Mexico in

search of treasure. He brought a small army of 500 men and 16 horses with him. The Aztec ruler Moctezuma heard that a strange ship was offshore and sent spies to find out about it. The spies who had never seen horses before, described the Spanish as “supernatural creatures riding on hornless deer, armed in iron, fearless as gods.”

Spanish soldiers killed some Aztecs and the battle began. Moctezuma was killed, and with the help of native groups who were enemies of the Aztecs. In 1521, the Aztecs surrendered after nearly 240,000 Aztecs and 30,000 of Cortes allies had died. The Aztec Empire lay in ruins.

Pizarro Conquers the IncasFrancisco Pizarro was a Spanish

conquistador. He heard stories about the rich Incan kingdom in South America, so in 1531, Pizarro set sail with a small force of 180 Spanish soldiers. Pizarro captured and killed the Incan emperor and other leaders. By 1535, Pizarro had conquered most of the Incan empire, including the capital, Cuzco.

Colonization: Spain Organizes Its EmpireSpain divided its territory into provinces and setup a strong government. The two most important provinces were New Spain and Peru. The capital of New Spain was Mexico City and Lima became the capital city of Peru. Mestizos, people of mixed Spanish and Native American descent, lived on the outskirts of the city. The Spanish forced them and the Native Americans to work on haciendas, which is a plantation owned by Spainards or the Catholic Church.

The Effect of European RuleSpain gave its settlers rights to demand taxes

or labor from the Native Americans. Many Native Americans died from overwork, malnutrition, and European diseases. In 1519, New Spain had a Native American population of 25 million. Only 3 million survived the first 50 years of Spanish rule.