The Maya and the Aztecs

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The Maya and the Aztecs

• Mayas
• Society formed around 100B.C.
• Settled the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America
• Recorded history with hieroglyphics
• Declined around A.D. 900

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Maya and the Aztecs

• Aztecs
• Settled Mexico City around A.D.1325
• Tenochtitlan was built on islands
• Constructed chinampas or floating gardens for
  growing food
• Warriors conquered neighbors, caused them to be
  hated
• Practiced slavery
• Declined in1500s

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What did they have in common?

• Create complex calendars
• Formed highly developed civilizations
• Large cities and strong religious beliefs

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The Conquistadors

• Hernan Cortes and 500 Spanish explorers arrive in
  Mexico in 1518 to search for land and Aztec
  wealth
• Cortes saw that the Aztecs were hated by other
  native groups
• Aztec ruler Montezuma welcomes Cortes, believes
  he is a god

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Conquistadors

• Motivated by Aztec wealth, the conquistadors
  waged war, killing Montezuma and defeating the
  Aztecs
• The Spaniards were victorious across central
  America building a vast empire
• Mexico and parts of United States were under
  Spanish rule for 100s of years

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Mexican Independence

• Class Structure
• Peninsulares- born in Spain, held highest church
  and government offices
• Criollos- people of Spanish background born in
  Mexico
• Mestizos- people of mixed Spanish and native
  heritage
• Native Americans and slaves

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Revolutionaries

• Miguel Hidalgo
• Catholic priest
• Led an army of 100,000 men
• Spanish resisted , defeated and executed Hidalgo
  in 1811

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Jose Morelos

• Declared independence from Spain
• Wanted social equality
• Drafted a constitution
• Spain refused to accept, Spanish troops defeat
  him in 1821, he is executed

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Augustin de Iturbide

• Three guarantees
• Mexico would be independent from Spain
• Peninsulares and Criollos would be equals
• Religion would be Roman Catholic
• His army defeats Spain, made himself emperor

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Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

• Rebelled against Iturbide
• Forces him into exile
• Makes Mexico a republic

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Mexican American War

• 1830- Mexico passes a law blocking American
  settlement in Mexico
• 1836- Texans rebel at the Alamo and the battle of
  San Jacinto
• 1845- Texas joins the United States
• 1846- U.S. declares war on Mexico
• 1848- Mexico signs Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo

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Mexican American War

• 1853- The Gadsden Purchase adds land to U.S.
  border
• 1858- Benito Juarez becomes president of Mexico,
  promotes equality

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Mexican Revolution

• Juarez dies and so does equality
• Porfirio Dias becomes dictator and favors the
  rich
• Common people want land reform- break up large
  estates and give them to the poor
• Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa lead the rebels
  and Mexican Civil War lasts from 1910-1920