AMSCO 1.4 Developments in the Americas Notes

1 min read•june 18, 2024

📖 AMSCO p.33 - p.39

Image Courtesy of Riya Patel

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.

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.