1 LIFE IN THE AMERICAS
Jan 31, 2016
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LIFE IN THE AMERICAS
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1) According to legend, where would the Aztecs find somewhere to live?
where an eagle screams, spreads its wings, and
eats a serpent
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2) Where did they find this?
Valley of Mexico
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3) What was the capital of the Aztec
empire called?
Tenochtilán (tay-NAWCH-teet-LAHN)
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4) How was the king of the Aztec empire chosen?
A council of warriors, priests, & nobles picked each king from the royal
family.
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5) There were four classes of people.
They were:
•nobles•commoners•unskilled laborers•enslaved people
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6) How could you join the noble class?
People could join the noble class by performing one
act of bravery in war.
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7) The Aztecs viewed death as
honorable.
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8) Where were victims sacrificed?
the Great Temple in Tenochtitlán
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9) How many people lived in Tenochtitlán?
At its height, perhaps 400,000 people.
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10) How did the Aztecs grow crops?
on rafts piled with soil called “floating gardens”
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INCAS
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11) Who was Pachacuti?
(PAH-chah-koo-tee)
the greatest Incan leader
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11) Pachacuti required that all people speak
Quechua (KEH-chuh-wuh).
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13) What was the capital of the Incan empire
called?
Cuzco (koos-koh)
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14) At what age were you expected to begin
working?
age 5
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15) What was Machu Picchu?
a retreat for Incan kings
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The Fall of the Aztec Empire
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16) Who were the conquistadors?
soldier-explorers sent to the Americas by Spain
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17) Who was Hernan Cortés?
(her-NAHN (kawr-TEHZ)
Conquistador who lead the Spanish army in the defeat of Montezuma II and the Aztecs.
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18) Why were Cortés and his men told to leave Cuba?
The Spanish commander asked Cortés to find new people who could be forced to
work for the Spanish.
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19) Where did Cortés and his men go?
Mexico
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20) Who was Montezuma II?
(MAHN-tuh-ZOO-muh)
the Aztec emperor in the 1500s
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21) “First, Cortés knew how to use Spanish horses and guns to
shock the Native Americans.”
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22) “Second, the Tabascans [another native group] gave Cortés another weapon– a Mayan woman named Malintzin (mah-LIHNT-suhn). She spoke both Mayan and Nahuatl (NAH-wah-tuh), the language of the Aztec.”
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23) Malintzin helped Cortés form
alliances.
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24) Finally, Cortés had the help of invisible allies-
germs that carried diseases such as measles
and smallpox.
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25) Who was Quetzalcoatl?[ket-sahl-koh-AHT-l]
a light-skinned Aztec god
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26) Montezuma thought that Cortés was really
Quetzalcoatl.
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27) Montezuma decided to ambush Cortés and his troops, but Cortés learned of the plan and attacked
first killing 6,000 people.
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28) In battle, Montezuma was
taken hostage.
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29) The Spanish were forced out of the city, but before they could plan another
attack smallpox broke out in Tenochtitlán.
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30) Because of the smallpox, the Spanish
destroyed the Aztec capital.
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PIZARRO CONQUERS THE
INCA
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31) Who was Francisco Pizarro?
Spanish conquistador who defeated the Inca
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32) Who was Atahualpa?(AH-tuh-WAHL-puh)
Incan emperor conquered by Pizarro
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33) Altahualpa was invited to a meeting with Pizarro and took
with him 5,000
bodyguards.
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34) When Atahualpa refused to give up his
gods, what did Pizarro do?
Pizarro ordered an attack.
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35) During battle, Atahualpa was put in jail and later tried to buy his
freedom.
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36) Atahualpa offered to fill his cell with gold and silver. he did this, but
Pizzaro still didn’t let him out of jail.
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37) Atahualpa was charged with many
crimes and was found guilty by a
military court.
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38) Atahualpa’s punishment was
death.
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39) The Spanish were then in control of most
of South America.
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40) How many inhabitants were in this
area?
almost 7 million