AMSCO 1.4 Developments in the Americas Notes
1 min read•january 4, 2023
📍Topic 1.4 Developments in the Americas
📖 AMSCO p.33 - p.39
Main Idea
Key Timeline
Image Courtesy of Riya Patel
Things to Know
Mississippian
- Emerged in 700s or 800s throughout the eastern United States, known as the Mississippian culture.
- Built enormous earthen mounds, with Cahokia in southern Illinois having the largest mound.
- Rigid class structure with a Great Sun ruling each large town.
- Matrilineal Society where social standing was determined by the woman's side of the family.
- Decline and abandonment of Cahokia around 1450, reasons debated—weather extremes and diseases.
Mayan City-States
- Height between 250 and 900 C.E. in southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala.
- City-States government, ruled by kings, frequent wars for tribute and captives.
- Innovative thinkers, zero in the number system, complex writing, rubber-making.
- Advanced in astronomy, precise observatories for calendar accuracy.
Aztecs
- Originally hunter-gatherers, migrated to central Mexico in 1200s, founded Tenochtitlan in 1325.
- Conquered surrounding peoples, created an empire from Gulf of Mexico to Pacific Ocean.
- Tribute system for dominance, conquered people paid tribute and performed military service.
- Theocracy with the emperor as the Great Speaker, human sacrifice central to religion.
- Decline in the late 15th century due to low technology, military expansion, and resentment.
Inca
- Founded by Pachacuti in 1438 in Cuzco, Peru, expanded to Ecuador in the north to Chile in the south.
- Split into four provinces with governors, mit’a system for mandatory public service.
- Religion focused on sun god Inti, royal ancestor veneration, human sacrifices for significant events.
- Achievements in mathematics with quipu, sophisticated terrace systems in agriculture.
- Skilled builders of bridges and roads with the Carpa Nan roadway system.
- Decline in 1532 during a civil war of succession and Spanish conquest.
Continuities and Diversity
- Debate on the relationship between Mesoamerican cultures, some argue Olmec influence.
- Olmec features, like the feathered snake-god, seen in Mayan and Aztec religions.
- Ritual sacrifices, pyramids, and ball courts continued in various cultures.
- Some argue for independent development of complex civilizations by different cultures.
Terms to Remember
| Term | Definition + Significance |
| Mississippian | Emerged in 700s/800s, known for mound-building, e.g., Cahokia. |
| Matrilineal Society | Social structure where status is determined by the woman's family side, notable in Mississippian culture. |
| Mound-Building | Construction of large earthen mounds, a characteristic feature of the Mississippian culture, e.g., Cahokia. |
| Cahokia | The largest mound site in southern Illinois, central to Mississippian culture. |
| Mayan | Civilisation in Mesoamerica, city-states, innovative thinking, complex writing, astronomy. |
| Aztec | Originally hunter-gatherers, founded Tenochtitlan, created an empire, theocratic government, human sacrifices. |
| Theocracy | A form of government where religious leaders hold political power. |
| Human Sacrifice | Ritualistic killing of individuals as an offering to deities, central in Aztec religious practices. |
| Incan Empire | Vast South American empire, governed by a centralized bureaucracy, featured the mit’a system. |
| Pachacuti | Incan leader who played a crucial role in the expansion of the Incan Empire. |
| Mit’a System | Incan mandatory public service, men provided labor for agricultural and construction tasks for the state. |
| Temple of the Sun | Central religious structure in Cuzco, the capital of the Incan Empire, dedicated to the sun god Inti. |
| Animism | Belief in the supernatural powers of elements in the physical world. |
AMSCO 1.4 Developments in the Americas Notes
1 min read•january 4, 2023
📍Topic 1.4 Developments in the Americas
📖 AMSCO p.33 - p.39
Main Idea
Key Timeline
Image Courtesy of Riya Patel
Things to Know
Mississippian
- Emerged in 700s or 800s throughout the eastern United States, known as the Mississippian culture.
- Built enormous earthen mounds, with Cahokia in southern Illinois having the largest mound.
- Rigid class structure with a Great Sun ruling each large town.
- Matrilineal Society where social standing was determined by the woman's side of the family.
- Decline and abandonment of Cahokia around 1450, reasons debated—weather extremes and diseases.
Mayan City-States
- Height between 250 and 900 C.E. in southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala.
- City-States government, ruled by kings, frequent wars for tribute and captives.
- Innovative thinkers, zero in the number system, complex writing, rubber-making.
- Advanced in astronomy, precise observatories for calendar accuracy.
Aztecs
- Originally hunter-gatherers, migrated to central Mexico in 1200s, founded Tenochtitlan in 1325.
- Conquered surrounding peoples, created an empire from Gulf of Mexico to Pacific Ocean.
- Tribute system for dominance, conquered people paid tribute and performed military service.
- Theocracy with the emperor as the Great Speaker, human sacrifice central to religion.
- Decline in the late 15th century due to low technology, military expansion, and resentment.
Inca
- Founded by Pachacuti in 1438 in Cuzco, Peru, expanded to Ecuador in the north to Chile in the south.
- Split into four provinces with governors, mit’a system for mandatory public service.
- Religion focused on sun god Inti, royal ancestor veneration, human sacrifices for significant events.
- Achievements in mathematics with quipu, sophisticated terrace systems in agriculture.
- Skilled builders of bridges and roads with the Carpa Nan roadway system.
- Decline in 1532 during a civil war of succession and Spanish conquest.
Continuities and Diversity
- Debate on the relationship between Mesoamerican cultures, some argue Olmec influence.
- Olmec features, like the feathered snake-god, seen in Mayan and Aztec religions.
- Ritual sacrifices, pyramids, and ball courts continued in various cultures.
- Some argue for independent development of complex civilizations by different cultures.
Terms to Remember
| Term | Definition + Significance |
| Mississippian | Emerged in 700s/800s, known for mound-building, e.g., Cahokia. |
| Matrilineal Society | Social structure where status is determined by the woman's family side, notable in Mississippian culture. |
| Mound-Building | Construction of large earthen mounds, a characteristic feature of the Mississippian culture, e.g., Cahokia. |
| Cahokia | The largest mound site in southern Illinois, central to Mississippian culture. |
| Mayan | Civilisation in Mesoamerica, city-states, innovative thinking, complex writing, astronomy. |
| Aztec | Originally hunter-gatherers, founded Tenochtitlan, created an empire, theocratic government, human sacrifices. |
| Theocracy | A form of government where religious leaders hold political power. |
| Human Sacrifice | Ritualistic killing of individuals as an offering to deities, central in Aztec religious practices. |
| Incan Empire | Vast South American empire, governed by a centralized bureaucracy, featured the mit’a system. |
| Pachacuti | Incan leader who played a crucial role in the expansion of the Incan Empire. |
| Mit’a System | Incan mandatory public service, men provided labor for agricultural and construction tasks for the state. |
| Temple of the Sun | Central religious structure in Cuzco, the capital of the Incan Empire, dedicated to the sun god Inti. |
| Animism | Belief in the supernatural powers of elements in the physical world. |
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