The three major Native American empires between 500 AD and 1500 AD were the
Mayas and Aztecs in Central America and Incas in South America. There were also several smaller Native American tribes in North America that flourished during this time period. These smaller Native American tribes were linked together by culture and economics. This essay will discuss the complexities surrounding these smaller Native American tribes in North America as well as summarize the empires of the Mayas, Aztecs and Incas.
While cultures of the Native American societies in North America were complex, they were less complex than cultures of other American societies. In the Pacific Northwest, from
Oregon to Alaska resources were abundant which caused differences …show more content…
Possible reasons for the Maya’s mysterious decline are that in 700 AD there is fighting among many Maya city-states and population growth. Population has grown but over farming seems to have hurt the environment.
By the 1500s, they live in small, weak city states.
Another Native American Empire in Central America and Mexico is the Aztec empire.
The Aztec’s control Central Mexico and settle in the mountain basin about 7500 feet below sea level. The Teotihuacan and Toltec tribes settle in the valley of Mexico and develop civilizations.
At its peak, Teotihuacan has up to 200,000 people but declines quickly and is abandoned by 750
AD. The Toltec tribes take over around 900 AD and ruled for about 300 years. They are a warlike people and rule by conquest. They worship a fierce war god and offer human sacrifices.
The Aztecs arrive around 1200 AD and begin working as soldiers, legend says that a god leads them to found the city of Tenochtitlan. They grow stronger by forming alliances with two other city states in 1428 AD. By the early 1500’s they have a large empire and rule between 5 and 15 million people. The Aztec society is ruled by military leaders, officials, and priest …show more content…
The emperor lived in a palace and had absolute power.
The Aztec religion included over 1,000 gods, most of which have been taken from other tribes. The center of their religion involves public ceremonies to win the gods’ favor. The most important ritual was for the sun god called, Huitzilopochtli. He needed human sacrifices to be strong and they engaged in war to provide these human sacrifices.
In 1502 AD, Montezuma II became the emperor and called for more sacrifices. This led to a revolt by tribes in the outlying areas. The new emperor tries to make life easier, and the
Spanish arrive soon after. All of these things caused problems for the Aztec empire.
The third Native American Empire of this time was the Incas. The Incas first lived in the
Andes Mountains but by the 1200’s they have built a kingdom in Valley of Cuzco. Pachacuti, is a powerful and ambitious emperor that takes control in 1438 AD. Under his rule the Inca conquered lands with 16 million people. They use diplomacy and military force to achieve these conquests. They divide these conquered lands into smaller units so they can govern them more easily and they make Quechua the official language of the entire empire. Cuzco is the
Mayas and Aztecs in Central America and Incas in South America. There were also several smaller Native American tribes in North America that flourished during this time period. These smaller Native American tribes were linked together by culture and economics. This essay will discuss the complexities surrounding these smaller Native American tribes in North America as well as summarize the empires of the Mayas, Aztecs and Incas.
While cultures of the Native American societies in North America were complex, they were less complex than cultures of other American societies. In the Pacific Northwest, from
Oregon to Alaska resources were abundant which caused differences …show more content…
Possible reasons for the Maya’s mysterious decline are that in 700 AD there is fighting among many Maya city-states and population growth. Population has grown but over farming seems to have hurt the environment.
By the 1500s, they live in small, weak city states.
Another Native American Empire in Central America and Mexico is the Aztec empire.
The Aztec’s control Central Mexico and settle in the mountain basin about 7500 feet below sea level. The Teotihuacan and Toltec tribes settle in the valley of Mexico and develop civilizations.
At its peak, Teotihuacan has up to 200,000 people but declines quickly and is abandoned by 750
AD. The Toltec tribes take over around 900 AD and ruled for about 300 years. They are a warlike people and rule by conquest. They worship a fierce war god and offer human sacrifices.
The Aztecs arrive around 1200 AD and begin working as soldiers, legend says that a god leads them to found the city of Tenochtitlan. They grow stronger by forming alliances with two other city states in 1428 AD. By the early 1500’s they have a large empire and rule between 5 and 15 million people. The Aztec society is ruled by military leaders, officials, and priest …show more content…
The emperor lived in a palace and had absolute power.
The Aztec religion included over 1,000 gods, most of which have been taken from other tribes. The center of their religion involves public ceremonies to win the gods’ favor. The most important ritual was for the sun god called, Huitzilopochtli. He needed human sacrifices to be strong and they engaged in war to provide these human sacrifices.
In 1502 AD, Montezuma II became the emperor and called for more sacrifices. This led to a revolt by tribes in the outlying areas. The new emperor tries to make life easier, and the
Spanish arrive soon after. All of these things caused problems for the Aztec empire.
The third Native American Empire of this time was the Incas. The Incas first lived in the
Andes Mountains but by the 1200’s they have built a kingdom in Valley of Cuzco. Pachacuti, is a powerful and ambitious emperor that takes control in 1438 AD. Under his rule the Inca conquered lands with 16 million people. They use diplomacy and military force to achieve these conquests. They divide these conquered lands into smaller units so they can govern them more easily and they make Quechua the official language of the entire empire. Cuzco is the