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LIFE IN THE AMERICAS

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AZTECS

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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