1.4 - State Building in the Americas

The Mississippian Culture

• Timeline and Location: The Mississippian culture began around 800 CE in the eastern United States, particularly in the Mississippi River Valley.

• Architecture: Known for their large earthen mounds, like Cahokia in Illinois, which were up to 100 feet tall and covered 12 football fields.

• Society:

  • Government: Ruled by a chief called the Great Sun. Below him were priests, nobles, farmers, hunters, and artisans. Enslaved people, usually war prisoners, were at the bottom.

  • Social Structure: Matrilineal—social status was inherited through the mother’s side. For instance, the Great Sun’s title passed to a sister’s son, not his own son.

• Decline: Cahokia was abandoned around 1450; other cities declined by 1600. Theories for decline include flooding or weather extremes causing crop failures, or diseases from Europeans.

Chaco and Mesa Verde

• Chaco Culture:

  • Built large stone and clay housing structures with hundreds of rooms.

• Mesa Verde Culture:

  • Constructed multi-story homes in cliff sides using sandstone bricks.

• Decline: Both cultures saw a decline in the late 13th century due to drier climate.

The Maya City-States

• Timeline and Location: The Maya civilization thrived from 250 to 900 CE in southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala.

• Cities: Around 70 cities with populations from 5,000 to 50,000; at its peak, the region had about 2 million people.

• Government:

  • City-States: Ruled by kings, who were considered descendants of gods. If a male heir wasn’t available, women could rule.

  • Wars: Frequent wars between city-states aimed at gaining tribute and captives rather than territory.

  • Royal Succession: Passed mainly from father to son but could be overthrown if kings lost support.

• Religion and Science:

  • Calendar: Priests used astronomy to create a very accurate calendar.

  • Technology: Developed zero in their number system, a complex writing system, and made rubber from plants.

  • Sacrifices: Human sacrifices were made to appease gods, often during ceremonies.

The Aztecs

• Timeline and Location: The Aztecs, or Mexicas, migrated to central Mexico in the 1200s and founded Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) in 1325.

• Capital City: Tenochtitlan was on an island with a large population, aqueducts for water, and chinampas (floating gardens) for agriculture.

• Government and Society:

  • Tribute System: Conquered peoples paid tribute, including goods and luxury items.

  • Social Hierarchy: Emperor (Great Speaker) at the top, followed by nobles, scribes, healers, merchants, peasants, and soldiers.

  • Religion: Polytheistic, with numerous gods and rituals, including human sacrifices.

  • Women: Important in textile production, some worked as priestesses or merchants.

• Decline: Declined by the late 15th century due to military overreach, technological limitations, and growing discontent among tributary peoples. The Spanish conquest began in 1519.

The Inca

• Timeline and Location: The Inca Empire was established in the 1430s in modern Peru and expanded to Ecuador and Chile.

• Government:

  • Administration: Divided into four provinces, each with its own governor. Conquered leaders were rewarded if loyal.

  • Mit'a System: Mandatory labor service for men aged 15-50, including agriculture and road construction.

• Religion:

  • Sun God: Inti, the sun god, was central; Inca rulers were seen as his earthly representatives.

  • Ancestor Veneration: Dead rulers were mummified and thought to still rule.

  • Priests: Conducted ceremonies and interpreted the gods’ will through rituals and signs.

• Achievements:

  • Quipu: Knotted strings for record-keeping.

  • Agriculture: Developed terrace farming and waru waru technique.

  • Infrastructure: Built extensive roads and bridges.

• Decline: The empire was weakened by civil war and diseases, and fell to Spanish conquest in 1532. The ruins of Machu Picchu are a famous legacy.

Continuities and Diversity

• Olmec Influence: Many Mesoamerican cultures, including the Maya and Aztecs, adopted features from the earlier Olmec civilization, such as the feathered snake-god and pyramids.

• Independent Development: Some argue that cultures developed independently, despite shared features.