Name_______________________________________________________________ Period __________
AP World History: Ch. 11 Reading Guide #1 (p. 244-253)
1. What was the European reaction to Tenochtitlan? What was its population by 1519?
2. Why do Stearns et al focus on the Aztec & Inca peoples in this chapter?
3. Which people were considered by the Aztecs to be the “givers of civilization”? p. 245
4. How did the legend of Quetzalcoatl figure in the European favor when they invaded in the 1500s? p. 245
(Timeline p. 246)
5. When did the Toltecs establish Chula? __________
6. When did they conquer Chichen Itza (near Cancun) and dominate the Yucatan? __________
7. What were the years of the Mississippian Culture? __________
8. When did the Aztecs begin & found Tenochtitlan? __________
9. When did the Incas come to power in the Cuzco area? __________
10. When did Moctezuma (Montezuma) II rule the Aztec Empire? __________
11. Which two cultures (located within the present borders of the US) may have had contact w/ the Toltecs?
12. What was Aztec attitude toward history? p. 247
13. By the time of Moctezuma II what was the composition of the Aztec government?
14. What are the three groupings of Aztec deity?
15. Who was considered the “paramount” Aztec deity? What special sacrifice did he require?
16. According to Aztec legend how many times had the earth been destroyed? How did this lead to a rather
pessimistic view of life/religion etc.?
17. What were the chinampas & why were these significant? p.250
18. Briefly describe the Aztec economy.
19. What were the calpulli & what function did they serve? p.251
20. How was the Aztec military organized? What is the “flowery death”? p. 252
21. Why did women spend SO much time preparing basic food supplies? p 252
22. What are the (hilariously) wide-ranging estimates of Aztec population? p. 252
(Read Document: Aztec Women and Men. p. 253)
23. In what ways do the expectations for men and women differ in Aztec society? (Document)
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Name_______________________________________________________________ Period __________
AP World History: Ch. 11 Reading Guide #2 (p. 254-265)
1. How did the tributary system of the Aztecs make it unnecessary for them to directly rule all the people under
their domination? p. 254
2. Where was the Inca Empire located? What is the other, more authentic, name for it? (Map 11.2)
2. According to legend, what is the origin of the Inca people?
3. How many people lived under Inca rule?
4. Describe the Inca rulers split inheritance rule? Why did they have this? p. 255
(Read Visualizing the Past: Archeological Evidence of Political Practices. p. 256)
5. To what extend does such evidence indicate the composite nature of Inca Culture? (Visualizing the Past)
6. What are some of the possible problems of archeological interpretation? (Visualizing the Past)
7. Describe Inca religion? What are huacas? p. 256
9. What was the purpose of the tambos? p. 257
10. How did the Inca rulers collect “tribute” from conquered peoples? p. 257
11. The Inca ruler was seen as a link to the _______ his wife was seen as a link to the _______.
12. Who were the ayllu in Inca society? p. 257
13. Who were the yanas in Inca society? p. 259
(Read Thinking Historically: The "Troubling" Civilizations of the Americas. p. 258-259)
14. What practices by American Indians societies were most condemned by Europeans? (Thinking Historically)
15. What is Inca socialism? Is this a legitimate view of the Inca Empire? (Thinking Historically)
16. Besides the notorious Aztecs, what other culture have engaged in human sacrifice? (Thinking Historically)
17. Even though the Inca were ‘preliterate’ why do Stearns et al, consider them to be a civilization?
18. Which civilization Aztec or Inca attempted to create an “overarching political state” within its domains?
19. What was the basis of BOTH civilizations? How were BOTH empires created?
20. How did these civilizations ‘demonstrate their strength’ even after conquest by the Spanish Empire?
21. What is the best estimate for the Pre-Columbian population of the Americas? Of the world? p. 261
22. Why is there so little detail about Native American Indian cultures outside of Aztec & Inca lands?
23. Among these peripheral Native American Indian cultures, where was culture, language, livelihood and
‘political’ practice most diverse?
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