State-Building in the AMERICAS [AP World History Review—Unit 1 Topic 4]

Summary

This educational video explores the development of states in the Americas from 1200 to 1450. It covers the Maya civilization's sophisticated writing system and decentralized city-states, the Aztec Empire's aggressive expansion and tribute system, the Inca Empire's centralized bureaucracy and labor requirements, and the Mississippian culture's hierarchical society and mound-building projects. The video also touches on the Chaco and Mesa Verde societies' innovative architectural solutions to environmental challenges.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ The script discusses the development of states and buildings in the Americas from 1200 to 1450, focusing on Mesoamerica, Andean civilizations, and North America.
• 🏰 The Maya civilization, which existed from 250 to 900 CE, had a decentralized political structure of city-states and a sophisticated writing system.
• 🌞 The Maya believed in human sacrifice to appease the sun deity, reflecting a cultural emphasis on the energy of life and death.
• 🛡️ The Aztec Empire, established by the Mexica people, expanded rapidly from 1345 to 1528, maintaining a decentralized power structure with tributary states.
• 🔄 The Aztecs continued the practice of human sacrifice for religious reasons, similar to the Maya, to provide energy to the sun god.
• 🏙️ Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was a massive city with a population of 150,000 to 200,000, featuring vast marketplaces and elaborate pyramid temples.
• 🏔️ The Andean region saw the rise of the Inca Empire in the 15th century, which centralized power through a large bureaucracy and required labor payments from conquered peoples.
• 🛤️ The Inca Empire expanded infrastructure, including an extensive network of roads and bridges, and utilized religion-centered political structures.
• 🌾 The Mississippian culture emerged around the 8th or 9th century CE in the fertile Mississippi River Valley, with a hierarchical society led by powerful chiefs known as the Great Sun.
• 🏟️ Mound-building was a significant feature of Mississippian culture, serving as burial sites and platforms for religious ceremonies, indicating a capacity for large-scale public works.
• 🏞️ The Chaco and Mesa Verde societies in the southwestern United States adapted to a dry environment by carving sandstone blocks and building housing complexes into cliffs.

Q & A

What was the time period of the Maya civilization mentioned in the script?

The Maya civilization ran from about 250 to 900 CE.

What was unique about the Maya's writing system during their civilization?

The Maya had the most sophisticated writing system in all the Americas during their time, and they were the first to use the concept of zero in their mathematical system.

How was the Maya's state structure organized?

The Maya's state structure was a decentralized collection of city-states that were frequently at war with one another. They aimed to create a network of tributary states rather than expanding their territory.

What was the Aztec empire's approach to expansion and what was their political power structure like?

The Aztec empire expanded aggressively and had a decentralized political power structure, setting up tributary states where conquered peoples were required to provide regular payments of goods and labor.

What was the significance of human sacrifice in Aztec culture?

In Aztec culture, human sacrifice was a key motivator for extending their power, as they believed it was necessary to provide the sun god with life-giving energy to combat darkness.

How did the Aztecs secure their legitimacy as rulers?

The Aztecs secured their legitimacy by claiming heritage from older, more renowned Mesoamerican peoples, a common theme seen in empires and states across the world.

What was the population of Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec empire?

The population of Tenochtitlan was around 150,000 to 200,000 people.

What was the Inca Empire's approach to ruling their vast and diverse empire?

The Inca centralized their power structure with a massive bureaucracy to ensure the ruler's will was followed throughout the empire.

How did the Inca Empire differ from the Aztec empire in terms of tribute and labor requirements from the conquered peoples?

While the Aztec empire relied on tribute payments, the Inca Empire required labor payments known as the Mita system, where the state demanded labor from the conquered peoples for state projects.

What was the Mississippian culture known for in North America?

The Mississippian culture was known for their extensive mound-building projects, which served as burial sites and platforms for religious ceremonies.

How did the Chaco and Mesa Verde societies adapt to the challenges of their arid environment?

The Chaco society carved sandstone blocks and imported timber for construction, while the Mesa Verde people built housing complexes into the sides of cliffs using sandstone.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Mesoamerican States and the Aztec Empire

The script begins with an exploration of state building in the Americas from 1200 to 1450. It introduces the Maya civilization, which thrived from 250 to 900 CE and was known for its advanced urban centers and writing system. The Maya's political structure was a collection of city-states often at war, with a focus on tribute rather than territorial expansion. Human sacrifice was a significant aspect of their culture, believed to energize the sun deity. The Aztec Empire, established by the Mexica people, is highlighted for its rapid expansion and decentralized power structure, also relying on tributary states. The Aztecs continued the tradition of human sacrifice for religious reasons. The script emphasizes the importance of understanding the Maya to draw comparisons with the states of the 1200 to 1450 period, noting the Aztecs' political and religious motivations for expansion and their impressive city-building projects, particularly in their capital, Tenochtitlan.

05:00

🌏 Andean Civilizations and North American Societies

The second paragraph delves into the Andean civilizations, mentioning the Wari society that collapsed around 1000 CE, and the Inca Empire that emerged in the 1400s, borrowing heavily from earlier civilizations. The Inca established a centralized power structure with a vast bureaucracy, contrasting with the Aztec's decentralized approach. They implemented a labor payment system known as 'Mita' and expanded infrastructure, including roads and bridges. The script then shifts to North America, introducing the Mississippian culture, which developed around farming in the fertile Mississippi River Valley and was characterized by a hierarchical society led by 'Great Sun' chiefs. The culture is noted for its extensive mound-building projects, serving as burial sites and religious platforms. The largest of these mounds was in the urban center of Cahokia. The script concludes with the Chaco and Mesa Verde societies in the southwestern United States, known for their innovative water management and large-scale construction projects, including cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde.

Keywords

💡Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica refers to a region that stretches from central Mexico to parts of Central America and is known for its rich pre-Columbian cultures. In the video, it is the geographical starting point for discussing the development of states and civilizations between 1200 and 1450. The script mentions Mesoamerica as the home of the Maya civilization, which is crucial for understanding the historical context of the Aztec Empire that followed.

💡Maya civilization

The Maya civilization was a sophisticated pre-Columbian civilization that existed from about 250 to 900 CE. The video highlights the Maya's advanced urban centers, writing system, and complex mathematics. Their political structure, which was a decentralized collection of city-states, is contrasted with the Aztec Empire's structure, showing a continuity in Mesoamerican political organization.

💡Tributary states

Tributary states are regions that, while being conquered, remain somewhat independent but are required to pay tribute to the ruling power. The script explains that the Maya and later the Aztecs used this system to expand their influence without necessarily increasing direct territorial control, which is a key concept in understanding the political dynamics of these civilizations.

💡Human sacrifice

Human sacrifice was a significant cultural practice among the Maya and Aztecs, as mentioned in the script. It was believed to provide the life-giving energy needed by their sun deity. This concept is used in the video to illustrate the religious motivations behind their expansion and the continuity of cultural practices across different Mesoamerican civilizations.

💡Aztec Empire

The Aztec Empire, which lasted from 1345 to 1528, is a central focus of the video. It is described as having humble beginnings but rapidly expanding through military prowess and strategic alliances. The Aztecs continued the tributary system of the Maya, demonstrating a continuity in state-building practices in Mesoamerica.

💡Decentralized political structure

A decentralized political structure is one where power is distributed among various entities rather than being centralized in one location. The video contrasts this with the centralized power structure of the Inca Empire, showing different approaches to ruling vast territories in pre-Columbian America.

💡Inca Empire

The Inca Empire, established in the Andean region around the mid-1400s, is highlighted in the video as an example of a centralized power structure. The Incas borrowed heavily from previous civilizations, such as the Wari, and implemented a massive bureaucracy and labor system known as the 'Mita' to manage their empire.

💡Mita system

The Mita system was a labor draft used by the Inca state, requiring the labor of conquered peoples for state projects. This system is an example of how the Inca centralized power and managed their diverse empire, differing from the tribute-based systems of the Maya and Aztecs.

💡Mississippian culture

The Mississippian culture, which emerged around the 8th or 9th century CE, is presented in the video as the first large-scale civilization in North America. Known for their mound-building projects, this culture had a hierarchical political structure with powerful chiefs, illustrating a different approach to state-building in North America.

💡Mound-building

Mound-building was a significant aspect of the Mississippian culture, with mounds serving as memorials, burial sites, and platforms for religious ceremonies. The script uses the example of the mounds in the urban center of Cahokia to demonstrate the political and social organization of this civilization.

💡Chaco and Mesa Verde

Chaco and Mesa Verde are societies in the southwestern part of the United States that developed innovative construction techniques to adapt to their arid environment. The video describes how they carved sandstone blocks and built housing complexes into cliffs, showcasing their architectural ingenuity and the adaptability of civilizations to their environment.

Highlights

Mesoamerica's historical context begins with the Maya civilization, which existed from 250 to 900 CE and had a sophisticated writing system and complex mathematics.

The Maya civilization was characterized by a decentralized collection of city-states, often at war with each other, and a tributary state system.

Maya culture emphasized human sacrifice, believing it provided energy to the sun deity through the life force of human blood.

The Aztec Empire, established by the Mexica people, expanded aggressively from 1345 to 1528, incorporating tributary states and maintaining a decentralized power structure.

Aztec warfare and expansion were driven by religious motivations, particularly the need for human sacrifices to appease the sun god.

The Aztecs claimed heritage from older Mesoamerican peoples to legitimize their rule, a common theme in empires and states worldwide.

Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was a bustling city with a population of 150,000 to 200,000, featuring vast marketplaces and elaborate pyramid temples.

The Andean civilizations, including the Wari society, influenced the Inca Empire, which established a centralized power structure with a massive bureaucracy.

The Inca Empire required labor payments, known as the Mita system, from conquered peoples for state projects such as mining and military service.

Infrastructure, including roads and bridges, was a key component of the Inca's centralized rule and expansion.

The Mississippian culture emerged in the Mississippi River Valley around the 8th or 9th century CE, with a hierarchical society led by powerful chiefs known as the Great Sun.

Mound building projects were a significant feature of Mississippian culture, serving as memorials and hosting religious ceremonies.

Cahokia, the largest urban center of the Mississippian culture, was surrounded by extensive mound constructions, indicating a strong political structure.

The Chaco and Mesa Verde societies in the southwestern United States developed innovative methods for water management and construction in a dry environment.

Mesa Verde is known for its cliff dwellings, which are some of the largest structures built into the natural landscape in North America.

The video provides a comprehensive review of the civilizations in the Americas from 1200 to 1450, focusing on their political structures, religious beliefs, and architectural achievements.

The presenter offers additional resources, including video notes and a review guide, to support students in their studies and exam preparation.

Transcripts

what's that you want to know how State

Building is going in the Americas from

1200 to 1450 you know I got you so if

you're ready to get them brain cows

milked let's get to it first let's start

our little tour in mesoamerica which is

right about here if you're in the mood

for a little historical context and I

know you are so let's back up before

1200 and get acquainted with the Maya

civilization which ran from about 250 to

900 CE and by the way if you hate

reading your textbook and you still want

to do well in this course then check the

link below to get my video note guys to

follow along with this video anyway the

Maya were insane they built huge Urban

centers had the most sophisticated

writing system in all the Americas

during that time and got real complex

with all their Matthew stuff including

but certainly not limited to using the

concept of zero anywhere their state

structure was basically a decentralized

collection of city-states that were

frequently at war with one another when

the Maya thought to expand their power

their goal wasn't necessarily to gain

more territory but rather to create a

vast network of tributary States among

neighboring regions that just means that

the local power is conquered by the Maya

remains somewhat independent but they

were required to send tribute payments

to the Maya bigwigs including things

like textiles and military weapons and

various building material and one key

feature of Maya culture was its emphasis

on human sacrifice they believed that

the sun was a deity and was constantly

losing energy and his struggle against

darkness and therefore required the

life-giving energy of human blood so

that's fun but anyway put all that in

your pocket and we will come back to it

but maybe at this point you're like why

are you flapping your mouth all about a

civilization that isn't even part of the

time period covered in this course well

my dear pupil I assure you I am not just

doing it for funsies you need to know

something about the Maya because now as

we move into our time period 1200 to

1450 you need to understand how the

States during this period demonstrated

continuity and Innovation compared to

these states that came before so that

means it's time to get to know the Aztec

empire which ran from 1345 to 1528 and

here you see the Empire at its greatest

extent but despite that metric butt load

of territory this Empire had much

humbler Beginnings the mashika people

were a semi-nomadic bunch who migrated

South around the beginning of the 14th

century and got busy building up their

military prowess and strategically

marrying into more powerful families

it's the kind of wedding we all dream

about anyway by 1428 they Consolidated a

lot of power in the region and entered

into an online with two other

Mesoamerican States thus establishing

the Aztec empire with an aggressive

program of expansion now don't get

confused the mashika and the Aztecs are

not two separate Empires or states the

meshika ethnic group were the folks that

established the Aztec empire so mashika

Aztec samezies anyway the Aztec ruled

their massive honking Empire in a few

ways that demonstrate continuity with

older Mesoamerican States like maybe I I

don't know the Maya you see what's

happening here historical thinking and

don't lie you know you love it anyway

the political power structure of the

Aztecs was decentralized meaning that

all the various peoples that they

conquered were set up as tributary

States so again what that means is for

the privilege of being a conqueree of

the Aztecs the various peoples under

their power had to provide regular

payments of food and animals and

building material this was how the

Aztecs administered their vast and

rapidly expanding Empire but their Wars

of expansion also had religious

motivations too the sun god needed blood

and so Human Sacrifice remained a key

motivator for extending their power over

more and more people all right guys we

just got our tribute list from the

Aztecs looks like they're gonna need

some maze some grain and Kevin what do

they need me for don't worry about it

anyway in order to secure their

legitimacy as rulers over all these

people the meshika claimed Heritage from

older more renowned Mesoamerican people

this is a theme you're going to see in

Empires and States all across the world

like people from outside come in and

grab hold of power in order to keep that

power they claim relations to ancient

peoples that everyone revered now I

should also mention that the city

building projects of the Aztecs were

pretty magnificent for example the seat

of power and religious Authority was

located right here in their magnificent

capital city of Tenochtitlan which

boasted a population of something like

150 to 200 000 people to which I say

dang and within the city vast

marketplaces were set up which tells you

that their economy was commercialized to

some degree like we saw in the first

video on song China there were also

elaborate palaces for rulers and pyramid

temples one of which was like 200 feet

tall that's a big old pyramid Tony sure

is but now let's move South and consider

the Andean civilizations down here in

this region now from ancient times a

series of societies were developed along

the Indian mountains and in their

valleys and coastlands and one of the

most significant of these earlier

societies was known as the war which

collapsed around 1000 CE now I mentioned

them because around the mid-1400s the

Inca Empire will be established in

roughly the same area as the wari and

the Inca borrowed a whole heck of a lot

from those older civilizations including

the war anyway like I said the Inca did

establish their empire and in some ways

it was similar to the way the Aztecs

established there for example the Inca

were also a group of Outsiders who

because of their military prowess

quickly Rose to power in the region and

expanded their empire rapidly with said

military prowess but whereas the Aztec

power structure was decentralized and

relied on tributary relationships the

Inca centralized the crap out of their

power structure what I mean is that in

order to rule such a vast and diverse

Empire the Inca set up a massive

bureaucracy to ensure that the will of

the ruler was followed in all parts of

the Empire now the Incas also made

requirements of the people they

conquered but not so much tribute

payments as labor payments it was known

as the Mida system and it meant that the

Inca state required the labor of all

people for a period of time each year to

work on state projects like mining or

military service Additionally the income

made prodigious use of systems employed

by earlier civilizations like the wari

and others not least their

religion-centered political structure

and the use and expansion of

infrastructure including a vast networks

of roads and bridges okay now the last

stop on our tour of American

civilizations will take us to North

America and first let me introduce you

to the Mississippian culture which

emerged around the 8th or 9th century CE

it was established in the Mississippi

River Valley and represented the first

large-scale civilization in North

America because the soil in this Valley

was all kinds of fertile their society

developed around farming or if you're

nasty agriculture their political

structure was dominated by powerful

Chiefs known as the great sun which

ruled each town and extended political

power over smaller satellite settlements

in short their society was thoroughly

hierarchical now one of the things these

cultures were most known for is their

extensive mound building projects I have

to be honest as far as Mountains go

these are pretty fantastic they were

mostly Memorial in nature acting as

burial sites for important people and

they hosted religious ceremonies on the

tops of the map in each major urban area

in the civilization was surrounded by

these mounds and it should tell you

something about the political structure

of these settlements that they were able

to Marshal enough people to construct

such massive public projects and the

biggest and most significant of all

these mounts was built in the urban

center of Tokyo which was the largest

urban center of the Mississippian

culture okay now going Westward we have

the occasion to meet the choco and Mesa

Verde Society they established

themselves in the southwest portion of

what we call today the United States

after the rise of the Mississippian

culture now this region is to use the

technical term driasek and so these

people developed innovative ways of

transporting and storing water and

because it's dry as heck there weren't

many trees to provide timber for

building structures so what did they do

well the choco carved Sandstone blocks

out of massive quarries imported Timber

from distant locations and built massive

structures that were some of the largest

ever built in North America Mesa Verde

people solve this problem by building

housing complex right into the sides of

cliffs using sandstone and they are

magnificent all right that's it click

here to watch my other unit 1 review

videos and click here to check out my AP

World heimler review guide if you want

an A in your class and a five on your

exam in May thanks for coming along and

I'll catch on the flip-flop I'm Laurent