Lesson Notes – Unit 3: Transegional Interactions
Lesson 9: New Kingdoms in the Americas and Oceania
Essential Question: In what way did the Inca and Mexica continue the cultural traditions of their
predecessors and how did long distance trade impact the development of cultures in Polynesia?
Words to Know: Tambos, Quipu, and Maori
The Toltecs
- Began as a successor state to Teotihuacan that rose to power between 950 - 1150 and
was centered at the city of Tula.
- Transmitted and refined the religious and cultural traditions of the Olmec.
The Mexica
- In 1345, the Mexica (a nomadic tribe settled around Lake Texcoco) and founded the city
of Tenochtitlan.
- The Mexica were warrior society that became a successor state of the Toltecs.
- In the mid 1450s, the Mexica forged an alliance with the neighboring cities of Tlacopan
and Texcoco. This alliance would become the core of the Aztec Empire.
- The Aztecs controlled surrounding villages by turning them tributary states to extract
wealth (either trade goods, slaves, or sacrificial victims).
- They continued many of the religious practices of the Olmecs, including human sacrifice,
ball games, and rituals to honor the gods.
The Inca Empire
- In 1438, the Inca king Pachacuti began a series of military campaigns to conquer
surrounding kingdoms (transforming the Inca from a kingdom into an empire).
- Pachacuti named Cuzco his capital and divided the Empire into quarters, each ruled by a
governor.
- To centralize their rule, later Inca kings constructed a series of road networks that
included tambos (roadside inns for royal messengers).
- Qupiu (mnemonic aid comprised of different-colored strings and knots that served to
record events in the absence of a written text) was developed to facilitate communication
throughout the empire.
The Polynesians
- Between 400 and 700, Polynesians migrated into the rest of the Pacific.
- New Zealand was settled around 1200 by the Maori who continued long distance
voyaging with other Polynesian tribes and eventually obtained the sweet potato. This
became a stable food crop (a crop that provides a yearly food source).
- Hawaii was settled around 1300 by settlers from Tahiti and continued long distance trade
links with the Tahitians.
- This long distance trade helped introduce new technology (fishhooks), religion, and
language to Hawaiians.
Minnick – Telfair County High School