The Americas
The Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas
The first people in the
Americas arrived thousands
of years ago. Farming led to
the growth of civilizations in
what is now Mexico, Central
America, and Peru.
Scientists believe that people
came to the Americas by
crossing the Bering Strait
(which connects Asia and
Alaska) during the Ice Age.
After the Ice Age ended, the
climate warmed. People
discovered they could grow
crops for food. Farming began
in the region called
Mesoamerica. It stretches
from the Valley of Mexico to
Costa Rica.
Early Americans developed
corn, or maize. Corn
became the most important
crop in the Americas.
Farming Begins in Mesoamerica
The Maya built a civilization
on the Yucatán Peninsula.
The land there has rain
forests, volcanoes, fertile
valleys, and rivers.
Mayan civilization was
organized into city-states,
which were led by a king
who was also leader of the
army. Leadership of the city-
states passed from one king
to the next.
The Maya created city-states
with rulers and a military
force for each. City-states
often fought with each other.
Religion was an important
part of Mayan life. The
Maya worshiped gods and
tried to please them. One
way the Maya tried to please
the gods was through
sacrifice.
Mayan rulers believed they
were descended from the
sun. They claimed they
were god-kings and expected
their people to serve them.
The Mayan priests studied
the skies to determine the
gods’ thoughts. By doing
this, they learned astronomy
and developed
a calendar.
The Mayan people also
developed a system of
mathematics and invented a
method of counting based on
20.
Mayan writing was a system
of hieroglyphics that only
nobles could read.
The Mayan civilization
eventually declined. The
Maya deserted their cities by
the A.D. 900s.
The Aztec people arrived in
Mexico about A.D. 1250.
Legend tells that the Aztec would
know their new homeland when
they saw an eagle on a prickly pear
cactus with a snake. They finally
saw it on an island in Lake
Texcoco. The Aztec believed this
was their homeland and began
building a city, Tenochtitlán.
The Aztec built the largest city
in Mesoamerica and supported
their large population by
farming. They used irrigation
and fertilization and drained
water from swamps to grow
crops.
The Aztec selected strong
kings who would help them
conquer other peoples.
The Aztec people were
divided into four classes:
nobles, commoners,
unskilled laborers, and
enslaved people.
The Aztec believed death
was honorable and that daily
human sacrifice was needed
for the sun to cross the sky.
To record their religion and
history, the Aztec made
books that historians
refer to as codices.
The Aztec developed a
calendar, one to track
religious rituals and daily
tasks.
Boys were expected to be
soldiers, and girls were
expected to care for their
households.
The Inca lived in the Andes
Mts. of South America.
The Inca king Pachacuti
united his empire by creating
a strong central government,
requiring all people to learn
the Quechua language, and
building a system of roads.
The Inca developed
agricultural techniques, such
as terraced farming.
The Inca divided their
society into classes, with the
rulers at the top.
All people, children
included, had jobs in Incan
society. Food was
guaranteed for all.
The Inca rarely made human
sacrifices except in times of
extreme emergency.
The Inca built large
structures, such as Machu
Picchu, to please their gods.
These structures required
careful mathematical
calculations.
The Inca used a quipu, a rope
with knotted cords used
to keep records.