Pizzaro Conquers the Inca

In 1513 Vasco Nunez De Balboa led a band of soldiers across the jungles of Panama. People say if he'd kept going south he would've found a gold empire! He found the Pacific Ocean instead of the Golden Empire. A jealous conquistador named Francisco Pizzaro falsely accused him of treason or disloyalty to the government. They both were from Extremadura but Balboa was born noble and Pizzaro wasn't. It is said that Pizzaro couldn't spell his name. Pizzaro's goal was to find the Golden Empire. 

Pizzaro and the Inca

In 1530 the Incas thought they ruled the world. They were proved wrong. The Inca couldn't stop smallpox which spread to them too! They also were under attack from Pizzaro. He led 160 adventurers up an Incan mountain which scared them. The Inca tried to ignore him but they couldn't Pizzaro was in his 50's and wouldn't leave. The Incans thought he was a fool to try and stand up to and army of 80,000!!! Pizzaro had an advantage. He spent 30 years fighting Native Americans and his friend Hernando Cortes gave him some tips and the Incans didn't know anything about Europeans. 

Pizzaro Defeats the Inca

The Spanish invited the emperor of the Inca to a meeting. Pizzaro made him give up the believes of the gods. He didn't listen and he laughed. He was then abducted and he promised to fill his jail cell with gold and a room nearby with silver for his freedom. Pizzaro accepted. The emperor kept his promise but Pizzaro didn't. He charged him with many crimes and he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Pizzaro got a new Incan emperor but he had to obey Pizzaro. The Spanis ruled about 375,000 square miles of land and it was the start of the first global empire.

The Fall of the Inca and Aztec Empires

The Spanish Arrive in America

1492 the Aztec were considered unbeatable. Around 250,000 people lived in the capital. It was the largest city in the Americas. Everyone thought they could take over the world. In few years, they would learn that the people in Europe could destroy them easily.  

Columbus Arrives in America

Around the 1400's strong European civilizations had been formed in Europe. They were very smart. They knew how to trade and how to make them money. All of the people in Europe tried to reach America. The Portuguese failed but the Spanish succeeded. They took 3 ships and their captain was Christopher Columbus.  He traveled thought the Caribbean and traveled through countries like Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He returned to Spain with gold animals and slaves. He was then sent back.

Columbus Returns

In 1493 he came back to America. This time he came to conquer and he had his army to help. in 1494 they hit Hispaniola which was made of up Haiti and other countries. This was the first attack by the conquistadors or the Spanish soldiers sent by Spain. They rode on horses and dogs ran at their side. They ended up claiming the island for Spain and then set off for the Americas. Christopher Columbus sailed to America four times. He inspired many people to leave Spain and go to America. Most people left from a part known as Extrumada.  This place had blistering hot summers and freezing cold winters and terrible soil. One noble from there is Hernan Cortes.  As a teen Cortes could chose from 3 jobs. 
He could be a priest, lawyer or soldier. His parents picked lawyer but he wanted to be a soldier. He also went to Hispaniola and conquered several villages and what they produced. After awhile, smallpox swept through Cuba killing their slaves. Cortes was sent to find new slaves. He set sail for Mexico.


Cortes Invades Mexico

When he arrived the Aztec emperor totally expected him. He had a dream that told him invaders would come. He dreamed that he had 550 soldiers, 16 horses and 24 cannons. They also had some dogs. Thanks to the slaves he captured. He knew how the Spanish thought and acted. He forced a group called Tabascans to surrender. They gave Cortes a woman who could speak the Aztec language. She told them him that the Aztec didn't like their ruler which he could use to his advantage. She was his translator and helped him make alliances. While Cortes was there he brought some sickness with him and killed many Aztecs.

Cortes Defeats the Aztec

The Spanish traveled 400 miles to reach the Aztec capital. Their spies reported every move to Cortes. In 1519 Cortes attacked the capital and conquered it. Cortes took captives to eliminate the option for a rebellion and told them to stop sacrificing which would be his future slaves. They were angry and they rebelled anyway. They failed desperately and the few that remained fled to the hills. Again, smallpox came around and weakened the Aztec. Eventually, the Spanish destroyed the city.

Life in North America

In AD 1500 2,000,000 people lived in Mesoamerica.  The Mesoamericans had 300 languages.  They inherited the land from their ancestors who eventually spread their civilization to North America.

The People of the Far North

Scientists believe that the people who settled in present day Canada and Alaska arrived by boat in around 3000 BC. These people called themselves the Inuit which meant " The People," The Inuit lived in a place with a very cold climate. Their form of shelter was called igloos. Igloos are domed shaped shelters made from snow and ice. They Inuit used dogsleds to travel around on land a seal skin kayaks for traveling by water. The Inuit were hunters. They hunted seals, walruses,caribou and polar bears. They most valuable part of the animal to the Inuit was the blubber which is fat. Blubber provided oil for lambs and calories for humans.
 
Life on the West Coast

Civilizations on the Pacific coast had a mild climate. These groups included people like the Tlingit, Haida and Chinook. These people lived in the Pacific Northwest by present day Oregon and Washington. They built wooden houses and canoes used for sailing on the ocean. They fished in the ocean for seals, otters and whales. Since the Pacific Northwest had such a good food resource, it was one of the highest populated American areas. Only California today supported more people. People in the north they preferred fishing but in the south they planted palm trees and harvested crops.

Life in the Southwest

For such a dry climate people like the Hopi, Acoma and pueblo couldn't farm well, but then they learned about irrigation.  This allowed them to farm in the desert.  Their homes made from adobe in an apartment-like atmosphere. 2 groups of people called the Navajo and the Apache moved into a desert like area.  They were both hunters but overtime they learned hoe to farm. 

Life On the Great Plains

On the Great Plains they could farm but it was difficult.  Grass covered the whole area and the roots got in the way.  While women planted gardens, men hunted on foot because they didn't have horses.  Buffalo was a main hunting product.  They used the meat for food, bones for tools and skin for clothes and shelter. 

Life in the Eastern Woodlands

In the Eastern Woodlands farming was much easier. This helped the people there start a government. They had a law system and everything. Some groups set of social classes and some made confederations or a government that work together with another. The most famous confederation was the Iroquois. The groups involved were the Onodaga, Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida and Cayuga. They created the group to end fighting with each other. Their code of law was called the Great Peace and it led the government. They had a council which they elected a males to discuss and fix problems. When they worked together they were unstoppable.

Life in the Incan Empire

The ancient Incans blamed all the Earth's natural events like Earthquakes on the gods.  Their leader god, Pachacuto or " Earthsaker," was blamed for earthquakes.  Whenever he lost his temper he would go off and start an earthquake.  As legend has it, he and his son Topa built the Emire which stretches about the distance between New York and Las Angelas.  They say he started the government and did everything for them.  He also taught the language and built roads. 

An Organized Society

They Incans believed that the Sun God Inti watched over their capital, Cuzco. The rulers there, were considered son of the sun. The kings wife was known as the Coya, They both were at the top of society. Next in society was priests and leader of the army. Next was the skilled workers like musicians, artisans and accountants. Next was the farmers and ordinary soldiers. Then they were divided into 12 job groups. Little boys would go chase birds while little girls babysat.

What is Incan Culture Like??

When they in times of trouble, they would sacrifice children, more likely children because they thought they were more pure and were sacrificed to honor the gods. Incans also pleased the gods with statues and other monuments. The Incans didn't have a language and no iron tools but yet, they built places like Machu Picchu which was like a vacation place for kings. For larger structures they needed to build a math system to enhance what they built. They used a quipu or rope with several cords with different lengths and colors. The knots represented numbers which they used to keep records. The Incans were also good engineers. They were good with stones and iron. They built things in such a way that when Earthquakes would happen. It wouldn't affect the building.

The Aztec

The Aztecs were very nomadic and warlike. They arrived in the Valley of Mexico in AD 1250 and were not welcome. The king of the people there wanted to get rid of them so he sent them down a path filled with snakes. he thought the deadly things would destroy them but they just ate them and started a government.

Aztec Government

The Aztec were very smart in how to survive. hey could wander for 100s of years and not many people would die from sickness or by attacks. Once they found the land were they'd escaped from the father of the girl they sacrificed, they knew they found home because according to the legend one of the gods promised them that when an eagle "screams and spreads its wings and eats the serpent" When they got there, they saw an eagle that spread its wings and ate a serpent. One they saw the eagle, they started to build a city. They called this city Tenochtitlan which means, "Place of the prickly pear cactus," The Aztec dreamed of one day conquering everyone, becoming wealthy and to be protected by enemies. To succeed in this goal, they turned to he kings and leaders to guide them. They would search for the right king to fulfil their dreams. They wanted a king who would led them into battle. 

Life in the Aztec Empire

A king or Queen was the tops rank you could have in the Aztec Empire. The rest of the people were divided into 4 social classes. They were: Nobles, commoners, unskilled laborers and slaves. The largest group was he commoners which were they artisans and farmers. Commoners could become nobles if they showed 1 act of bravery. If the person died, their family would receive the rank of noble along with land. In the way of honoring their gods, they believed death was honorable. If you died, you were welcome into the afterlife if you were a soldiers, captives, and women who died in childbirth Others went to the Land of the Death which was the lowest level of the Underworld. the Aztec's expected all boys to one day become warriors and boys would learn about war at an early age. Women at a young age were taught how to cook and clean and raise children. If a women gave birth, she was honored. The Aztecs did a lot of things based of promises that were made which inspired them to do more.

Civilizations in North America

North of Mesoamerica, the Native Americans were living their life style.  They had learned very important skills like farming.  The more people spread how to farm, the more civilizations were founded.

The Hohokam and Anasazi

As farming spread, people got the idea and tried it immediately, but not the Southwest.  They started farming in AD 300.  One of these groups was called the Hohokam.  They were located and farmed between the Gila and Salt Rivers.  They dug over 500 miles in just for canals to carry water to the fields where their crops were growing.  Some of their products were corn, squash, cotton and beans.  They also made the World's first ever etching using cactus juice.

Homoksm etching

The Homokam lasted about 1,000 years, then all of a sudden they fell.  Like the Maya, no one is sure what happened to the Homokam either.  Around that same area in 600 AD a group called the Anasazi arose.  They lived on the cliffs and in the caves of this area.  This culture reached its height when i was located in the Chaco Canyon,  which is in a place we like to call, New Mexico.  The Anasazi's main trade product was Turquoise.  They used it as currency.  They bought goods and other products with Mesoamerica.  The Anasazi lived in apartment-like buildings that were built into cliffs called pueblos, meaning village in Spanish.  After awhile they drifted away like the other civilizations.

Who Were the Mound Builders??

On the East side of the Mississippi another civilization was founded. It started in 1000 BC and lasted until 400 AD. Their ancestors, the people who founded the civilization would make big piles of Earth some of these piles were shaped to look like animals. That is where they got the name, " Mound Builders," Two groups made up the Mound Builders. They were the Adena and Hopewell. Together, they stretched from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mound Builders were great hunters and gatherers but every once in awhile they would farm. Scientists say that they may have tamed wild plants. The woman did most of the farming while men hunted. Corn was their first product. It was brought to them in AD 100 probably by trade. The traders would travel great distances to find materials to make jewelry, weapons, etc. Many materials were planted in the ground to honor the dead.

The Mississippians

When the Mound Builders fell a group called the Mississippians arose. They were named after their location which was in the Mississippi River Valley. Their lands went up to the present day states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Their lands were great for farming. They were full time farmers. They grew corn, squash and beans. Some of their cities had 10,000 people in them. Their largest was Cahokia had about 30,000 people. You can see the remains of the city in Southern Illinois. The Mississippians also made mounds, but in a pyramid shape with a flat top. Their biggest mound was about 16 acres, which is bigger than the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Today we call this great mound, "Monks Mound," It is more than 100 ft high. In these mounds were homes and tombs for the rich people. The Mississippians collapsed in 1300's AD and their cities were abandoned. Some people think they may have been attacked.

Mesoamerican Civilizations

  First American Civilizations

One of the first major American discoveries was farming.  They learned that they could seeds could be planted and could grow and become crops that they could eat.  This began in Mesoamerica.  it is called "Mesoamerica," because "Meso" means middle and Mesoamerica is in the middle of North and South America.  It stretched from the Valley of Mexico to Costa Rica. Farming was great here because it had rich soil and a good climate.  The first crops that were grown were pumpkins, peppers, squash, gourds, beans and many more.  Corn took longer to grow and was considered a wild grass.  With many new discoveries about how corn could grow, it became easier to grow and it became the most important food in the Americas. 

Mesoamerican Civilizations

When farming became popular in Mesoamerica they didn't need to hunt anymore. This allowed different civilizations to settle and build complex towns. One of these civilizations was the Olmec. The Olmec were big in trade. The Olmec lasted about 800 years. The Olmec had great farming soil but didn't have other materials. To get these things, they traded. they would trade salt and beans for jade and jewelry and obsidian to make sharp edged knives. After awhile a group of natives would take control of the trade from the Olmec. This group built the first planned city known as Teothuancan, also called "Place of the Gods" The city reached its height in 40 AD. In that time it's population was 120,000-200,000 people.

Another big civilization was the Maya or Mayans,  They were located in the Rain forest on the Yucantan Peninsula.  This area is in Southern Mexico and Northern North America. 

What Happened to The Maya?!

In about AD 600 the Maya Started to decline. No one is sure why this happened but some experts say it might have been caused by overpopulation but no one knows the real reason behind it. Whatever had happened, the city, Teotihucan had been destroyed in AD 75. The Maya last about 200 years longer than that city but the Maya started to abandon their cities and in 900AD all their cities had been abandoned and just lay there with thick vines all over everything.

Once the Maya left a new civilization called the Toltec took control of now is called Northern Mexico.  The Toltec were nomadic warriors and they were always on the move.  They conquered from present day Mexico City all the way to the Yucatan Peninsula.  The Toltec held a monopoly in trade which was a sole right to trade in obsidian. This kept other people from challenging them. In about 1200 AD invaders from the north called the Aztecs captured the city of Tula. These people also took control of Toltec trade and they built a huge empire. The Aztec rule about 5 million people.

The Moche and Inca

Around the southern part of Mesoamerica, more civilizations were founded.  One civilization is called the Moche.  They are located in the dry desert of as we know today as Peru.  Moche ruled about 600 years.  They would dig canals that carried water from the rivers and the Andes Mountains to their desert homeland.  This allowed them to grow crops in the desert.  The Moche never lacked food.  They could grow crops like corn and squash, they could hunt llamas and Guinea pigs and they could fish in the Pacific Ocean.  This gave them time to do other things like build pyramids and trade.  The Moche didn't have a written language, so they told stories in the form of art.  The Moche people didn't leave their homeland a lot.  They stayed there and didn't expand. 

Another early civilization was the Inca.  Their homeland was was in the Andes Mountains which is in present day Peru.  Over time, the Inca's built the largest empire in early America, and it centered around Cuzco, the capital which was named a city in AD 1100. 

The First Americas

Pathway to The Americas

In the past people believed America was connected to the other parts of the world. 

During the Ice Age all of Earth's water was frozen and many glaciers were formed.    As more and more water froze, it created what we call "The Ice Bridge,"  They call this bridge "Beringia"  People would use the bridge to cross to Asia for hunting.  Once the Ice Age was over, the bridge melted.  The Ice Age ended
 about 10,000 years ago.

Hunting and Gathering 

Hunters in America were always moving. They wouldn't just hunt. They would fish, pick berries and gathered roots and fruits. They hunted animals such as Caribou, Antelope, Woolly Mammoths and Bison. The most difficult to hunt was the Woolly Mammoth which many hunters were needed to kill this animal, Some Woolly Mammoths could weigh up to 9 tons! An animal this big could supply people with meat for eating, wool for clothing and bones for tools. After the Ice Age many animals like the Woolly Mammoth became extinct.