Glencoe World History © 2012 Georgia Edition

Chapter 11: The Americas, 400-1500

Chapter Overviews

The diverse geography of the Americas resulted in the emergence of many varied and highly advanced civilizations.

Section 1 The Peoples of North America
Many historians believe that the first settlers of the Americas arrived from Asia across a land bridge that formed in the Bering Strait during the last Ice Age. These first inhabitants were hunters and gatherers who later learned to farm. The varied geography resulted in the emergence of many distinct cultures. In North America, these early inhabitants included the Inuit people near the Arctic Circle, the Anasazi people of the Southwest, the Hopewell peoples of the Ohio River valley, and the Iroquois of the Northeast. The Iroquois built villages of longhouses and had a highly organized alliance called the Iroquois League. The Anasazi are noted for their multi-storied pueblo dwellings built of stone and adobe.

Section 2 Early Civilizations in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica refers to areas of Mexico and Central America that were civilized before the arrival of the Spaniards. Mesoamerican civilizations appeared beginning with the Olmec around 1200 B.C. The most advanced were those of the Maya and the Aztec. Maya civilization flourished between A.D. 300 and 900. The Maya built splendid temples and pyramids and had a sophisticated calendar. By the twelfth century, the Aztec had begun to migrate to the Valley of Mexico. The Aztec built temples and pyramids as well as roads made of stone. They controlled many semi-independent territories.

Section 3 Early Civilizations in South America
The Chavin (900 B.C. - 200 B.C.) and Nazca (200 B.C. - A.D. 600) cultures prospered in the region of Ecuador and Peru. Another civilization in the region—the Mocha—grew maize, peanuts, potatoes, and cotton in irrigated fields beginning around A.D. 300. Their pottery reveals a warlike culture. The Inca started as a small community high in the mountains of Peru. In the 1440s, they launched a campaign of conquest that eventually brought the entire region under their control. The Inca emperor controlled an army of 200,000 soldiers and a highly centralized government. Incan society was highly regimented, with clearly defined roles for women. Terraced farms were a source of livelihood for most people. The Inca built impressive cities and roads spanning nearly 25,000 miles.