Overview
This lecture reviews state-building in the Americas from 1200 to 1450, focusing on political structures, continuity, and innovations among Maya, Aztec, Inca, Mississippian, Chaco, and Mesa Verde societies.
Mesoamerican Civilizations
- The Maya civilization (250–900 CE) featured decentralized city-states focused on tributary relationships, not territory.
- Maya states collected tribute (goods, not direct control) and practiced human sacrifice for religious reasons.
- Aztec Empire (Mashika people, 1345–1528) arose via military strength and strategic alliances.
- Aztec governance was decentralized, relying on tributary states similar to the Maya model.
- Conquered peoples paid tribute in goods like food and building materials; human sacrifice was central for religious legitimacy.
- Aztecs claimed heritage from prestigious previous Mesoamerican civilizations to establish legitimacy.
- Tenochtitlan, their capital, had 150,000–200,000 people, large marketplaces, palaces, and pyramid temples.
Andean Civilizations
- Wari civilization preceded the Inca and influenced their structures.
- The Inca Empire (mid-1400s onward) expanded quickly via military power.
- Inca state-building was highly centralized with a large bureaucracy ensuring the ruler’s directives were followed.
- Conquered peoples owed labor through the Mita system (state projects, mining, military).
- The Incas expanded infrastructure (roads and bridges) and had religion-centered politics.
North American Civilizations
- Mississippian culture (8th–9th century CE) developed in the Mississippi River Valley, relied on agriculture, and had a hierarchical society led by powerful chiefs (Great Sun).
- Known for building large burial and ceremonial mounds, especially in Cahokia, their largest city.
- Ability to mobilize large labor forces for public works indicated strong political organization.
Southwestern Societies
- Chaco and Mesa Verde societies thrived in the arid American Southwest after the Mississippians.
- Developed advanced techniques for water transportation and storage due to dry climate.
- Chacoans built large stone structures with imported timber; Mesa Verde people constructed cliff dwellings from sandstone.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Decentralized power — Political authority spread among local rulers rather than a central state.
- Tributary state — Conquered region pays goods/services to dominant state but keeps some autonomy.
- Mita system — Inca labor tax requiring subjects to work on state projects for part of each year.
- Bureaucracy — A system of managing government through specialized departments or officials.
- Great Sun — Title for chiefs in Mississippian culture with supreme political authority.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review class notes on major American civilizations (Maya, Aztec, Inca, Mississippian, Chaco, Mesa Verde).
- Prepare a comparison chart of political structures from each civilization for next class discussion.