Spanish Conquistadors and pre-Columbian civilizations

1
Spanish Conquistadors and pre-Columbian
civilizations

• By Matt OHalloran and Zach Abruzzese

VS.
The Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas
Columbus and Conquistadors
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The Standards!

• 5.2 Identify the three major pre-Columbian
  civilizations that existed in Central and South
  America (Maya, Aztec, and Inca) and their
  locations. Describe their political structures,
  religious practices, and use of slaves.
• 5.4 Explain why the Aztec and Inca civilizations
  declined in the 16th century.
• A. the encounters between Cortez and Montezuma
• B. the encounters between Pizarro and the Incas
• C. the goals of the Spanish conquistadors
• D. the effects of European diseases, particularly
  smallpox, throughout the Western hemisphere

3
Aztecs

• Aztecs were polytheistic which means they believe
  in many gods.
• They lived in central Mexico, the valley of
  Mexico which is home to Tenochtitlan their
  capital.
• Tenochtitlan was built in the middle of a lake on
  a series of islands.
• They bullied other tribes into giving them money
  and people for human sacrifice and slavery.
• They were brought down by small pox.

group3pas.wikispaces.com
4
Mayas

• Lived on Mexico coast on the Yucatan Peninsula
• They had many major cities which made it hard for
  them to be invaded.
• They had slaves, who could earn freedom
• They were also polytheistic.

Conquistadors
adishakti.org
5
Incas

• They lived in South America, mainly on the Andes
  Mts. in Peru.
• The capital was Cuzco.
• They were also polytheistic.
• No written language but had a spoken language.
• Practiced animal sacrifice and at special
  occasions human sacrifice. (children)
• They were fighting a civil war when Francisco
  Pizarro came so they were conquered easily.

wilson2011.wikispaces.com
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Hernan Cortez
Hernan Cortez

• Was a special Spanish explorer and conquistador
• Conquistadors are Spanish explorers and conquered
  and claimed land for Spain.
• He had 500 men and 16 horses to conquer the
  Aztecs
• The Aztecs and their leader Montezuma welcomed
  Cortez ( thinking he was Quetzacoatl who was
  their god and was supposed to return on the exact
  day that Cortez came).
• Tenochtitlan is an unusual city because it was
  built in the middle of a lake on a series of
  islands.
• Cortez took Montezuma hostage and killed him in a
  later fight.
• The Spanish were driven away but came back in
  1521 with reinforcements and conquered the Aztecs
  capital, Tenochtitlan, therefore driving out the
  Aztecs.
• They created their own city called Mexico City
  which today is the capital of Mexico.

historyfiles.co.uk
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Francisco Pizarro

• He was a Spanish explorer and conquistador.
• He heard of gold near the Inca Empire.
• He traveled with 180 men and 27 horses in Peru to
  conquer the Inca civilization.
• The Inca civilization was huge and contained
  twenty million people.
• Incas were easily taken over because they were in
  a civil war at the time.
• The Incas were very powerful and had an organized
  government with paved roads and bridges.
• Atahualpa, the Inca emperor, was kidnapped and
  held for ransom, after the payment was made he
  was executed.
• The Incas did not value gold and silver as much
  as the Spanish.

awakenyourcareerpreneur.com
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Closing

• How did the Spanish explorers and conquistadors
  change Central and South America forever? (Where
  do we see the lasting effect of these
  conquistadors even in 2011?)
• Because of the conquistadors, most of Central and
  South America speaks Spanish.
• Today in the same parts most people are Christian
  and no longer worship the native gods.
• A lot of Aztec, Maya, and Inca culture and
  traditions have disappeared forever.

Good-Bye I hope you learned a lot