CHAPTER 16The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

World Civilizations: The Global ExperienceFifth Edition

Stearns/Adas/Schwartz/Gilbert

Copyright 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. Postclassic Mesoamerica, 1000-1500 C.E.II. Aztec Society in TransitionIII. Twantinsuyu: World of the IncasIV. The Other Peoples of the Americas

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. Postclassic Mesoamerica, 1000-1500 C.E. Teotihuacan

Collapses, 700s

ToltecsEmpire in central MexicoCapital at Tula, c. 968

A. The Toltec HeritageRule extended to Yucatan, Maya

lands, c. 1000Commercial influence to American

SouthwestPossibly Mississippi, Ohio valleys

B. The Aztec Rise to PowerToltec collapse, c. 1150

Caused by northern nomads?

Center moves to Mexico valleyLakes used for fishing, farming,

transportation

Aztecs in, early 14th centuryBegin as mercenaries, allies1325, found TenochtitlanDominate by 1434

Central Mexico and Lake Texcoco

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. Postclassic Mesoamerica, 1000-1500 C.E.

C. The Aztec Social ContractTransformation to

hierarchical society

Service of gods pre-eminentSacrifice increasedSource of political power

Moctezuma IIHead of state and religion

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. Postclassic Mesoamerica, 1000-1500 C.E.

D. Religion and the Ideology of Conquest

Spiritual and natural world seamless

Hundreds of deitiesThree groups

Fertility, agriculture, waterCreator godsWarfare, sacrifice

e.g. HuitzilopochtliAztec tribal godIdentified with sun god

SacrificeMotivated by religion or terror?

Cyclical view of history

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. Postclassic Mesoamerica, 1000-1500 C.E.

E. Feeding the People: The Economy of the Empire

AgricultureChinampas, man-made floating

islands

High yieldFarming organized by clans

MarketsDaily market at Tlatelolco

Controlled by pochteca, merchant class

Regulated by state

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

II. Aztec Society in TransitionSociety increasingly hierarchical

A. Widening Social Gulf

CalpulliTransformed from clans to

groupings by residenceDistribute land, laborMaintain temples, schoolsBasis of military organization

Noble class develops from some calpulli

Military virtues give them statusSerf-like workers on their lands

Social gaps widenImperial family at head of

pipiltin

Calpulli of merchants

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

II. Aztec Society in Transition

B. Overcoming Technological Constraints

Women have various rolesCan own propertyNo public roles

Elite polygamyMost monogamous

C. A Tribute Empire

SpeakerOne rules each city-state

Great SpeakerRules TenochtitlanPrime Minister powerful

Subjugated states could remain autonomous

Owe tribute, labor

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

III. Twantinsuyu: World of the IncasTihuanaco, Huari (c. 550-1000 C.E.)

After 1000, smaller regional states Chimor (900-1465)

North coast of Peru

A. The Inca Rise to Power

Cuzco areaQuechua-speaking clans (ayllus) HuariControl regions by 1438, under

Pachacuti

Topac YupanquiSon of PachacutiConquered ChimorRule extended to Ecuador, Chile

Huayna CapacFurthers conquests of Topac Yupanqui1527, death

Twantinsuyu (empire)From Colombia to ChileTo Bolivia, Argentina Inca Expansion

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

III. Twantinsuyu: World of the Incas

B. Conquest and Religion

"Split inheritance"Power to successorWealth, land to male

descendantsResult is continual conquest

ReligionSun god supreme

Represented by ruler (Inca)Temple of the Sun at Cuzco

Local gods surviveHuacas

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

III. Twantinsuyu: World of the Incas

C. The Techniques of Inca Imperial RuleInca

Rules from CuzcoGovernors of four provincesBureaucracyLocal rulers (curacas)

Unification QuechuaForced transfers

MilitarySystem of roads, way stations

(tambos), storehouses

StateRedistributive economyBuilding, irrigation projects

Gender cooperationIdeology of complementarity of sexesAlso seen in cosmology

Inca's senior wife links state to moon

The Ancient Cities of Peru

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

III. Twantinsuyu: World of the Incas

D. Inca Cultural AchievementsMetallurgyKnotted strings (quipu)

AccountingMonumental architecture

E. Comparing Incas and Aztecs

SimilaritiesBuilt on earlier empiresExcellent organizersIntensive agriculture under state

controlRedistributive economyKinship transformed to hierarchyEthnic groups allowed to survive

DifferencesAztecs have better developed

trade, markets

Chapter 16: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

IV. The Other Peoples of the AmericasGreat variety elsewhereNot all in the Neolithic patternSome use irrigation for agricultureFormed no states

A. How Many People? Larger densities in Mesoamerica,

Andes

B. Differing Cultural PatternsCaribbean islandsSome similar to Polynesian

societies

c. 1500200 languages in North AmericaMississipian mounds abandonedAnasazi descendants along Rio Grande

C. American Indian Diversity in World Context

Two great imperial systems by 1500Mesoamerica and the AndesweakenedTechnologically behind Europeans

World Population, c. 1500