Worlds Apart

Chapter 21: Americas & Oceania

Mesoamerican cultures

• Societies to rememberoMexica/Aztecso IncaoBuilder

societies• Pueblo• Mound• Longhouses

The Toltecs• Constant war• Migrated in 8th

centuryo Irrigationo Agricultural

cultivationo Stone homes &

citieso Capital: Tula

Mexica - Aztecs• C. 1345 began

Tenochtitlan• Chinampas

Aztec society• Rigidly hierarchical

o Males (noble) – warriorso Women – household dutieso Priests – read omens,

sacrifices

• Calpulli = clano Cultivation

• Artisans• Merchants

Mexica Religion• Human blood sacrifice

essential for productivity

• Why would productivity be particularly important for the Mexica?

• Who got sacrificed?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laMZlaTT1LU

North American Societies

• Pueblo & Navajo

• Iroquois• Mound

Builderso Cahokia

Inca• Cuzco• Extensive road system

o Runner system• Quechua language• Sun Worship• Centralized

government• What political entity

does this remind you of? Why?

Inca Society• State controlled trade• Rulers• Aristocrats

o Mummification of royaltyo Bureaucratic classo Used quipu

• Priestso Celibate aeceticism

• Commonerso Lived in ayllu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knpzNN258_0

Inca Religion• Inti – sun god

oAgricultural sacrifices

o Sino Life after deathoConfession &

pennance

Oceania• Aboriginal foraging

communities• Small exchange

between groups, but no trade routes

• Religion centered around the local environment

Pacific Island Societies• Inter-island contact &

trade• 400 – 700 C.E. spread

of the sweet potato• Tahiti & Hawaii

interactions (fishhooks)

• Dense populations sometimes resulted in migration

Entre’ Europe• Established exchange

and communications networks were not dramatically affected because of infrequent European reconnaissance in the Pacific Ocean

Not exactly a triangle trade

The Americas & Disease

• Millions of indigenous people may have died prior to the onslaught of European expansionism into N. & S. America. Historians theorize that as many as 1 to 18 million N. Americans and similar amounts of S. Americans died before 1492 when Columbus arrived.o If the hypotheses are correct and millions had already perished, what

potential effects would this have had on native societies?o Why would the Aztec’s and Incas in particular not use their numerical

superiority to overwhelm the Conquistadors?o What epidemic is blamed as the most likely culprit for catastrophic

population decline? Why is that particular disease blamed?