Early Americans

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Early Americans

• Comparing 3 Civilizations

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Central and South American Native Civilizations

• Aztecs
• Mayans
• Incas

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Mayans

• Lived in Present day Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras,
  and Belize.
• They built huge monuments and temples.

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Mayans

• Mayans believed gods controlled everything.
• This gave great power to the religious leaders.
• The Mayans lived under a theocracy.

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Mayans

• The Mayans were great astronomers.
• They developed a 365-day calendar.
• They also developed a writing system of
  Hieroglyphics.

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Mayans

• The Mayan civilization began to decline around
  900 A.D.
• The reason is still a mystery

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Aztecs

• The Aztecs wandered until they saw an eagle
  sitting on a cactus with a snake in his beak.
  There they built their capital.

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• They created a widespread Empire.
• Capital City Tenochtitlan, population ¼ Mil.

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Aztecs

• Very Advanced in
• Engineering, Medicine, and Sanitation.
• Performed early brain surgery.
• Washed the city streets daily.

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• Religion dominated way of life.
• Believed in Human sacrifice to keep the Gods
  happy.
• Priests had lots of power.

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Demise

• Conquered by a European Explorer, Hernando
  Cortez.
• Most Natives were killed by diseases brought over
  the ocean.

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Incas

• Lived in Highlands of South America.
• Largest Empire of the early Americans
  Civilizations.
• Empire stretched over 3,000 miles.
• Military was a major part of life.

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• Major achievements include building a huge
  network of paved roads.
• Developed system of record keeping.

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Incas

• Used terrace farming because they lived in the
  mountains.

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Assignment

• Now make a Venn Diagram comparing these three
  cultures.