Early Americas Chapter Notes | Social Studies for Grade 6 PDF Download

Introduction

The Early Americas chapter explores the fascinating civilizations and cultures that thrived in the Americas before European contact. From the advanced Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations to the diverse Native peoples of the Southwest, this chapter introduces the rich histories, traditions, and achievements of these early societies. Each group developed unique ways of life, adapting to their environments and creating complex systems of government, religion, and trade that shaped their world.

Foundations of Maya Civilization

The Maya civilization began around 2000 BCE in Mesoamerica, in areas that are now Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.

• They lived in dense forests and built large cities with stone pyramids, temples, and palaces.
• The Maya were skilled farmers, growing crops like maize (corn), beans, squash, and cacao.
• They used advanced farming methods like slash-and-burn agriculture and raised fields called chinampas in swampy areas.
• The Maya developed a complex writing system called hieroglyphics, which they used to record history and events.
• They created detailed calendars based on astronomy, including a 365-day solar calendar and a sacred 260-day calendar.
• Their society was divided into city-states, each ruled by a king who was believed to be connected to the gods.
• Religion was very important, with ceremonies and sacrifices to please gods like the sun god and rain god.
• The Maya were great mathematicians, using a number system with zero to make complex calculations.
• They built observatories to study the stars and planets, which helped them plan farming and religious events.
• Trade was a big part of their economy, exchanging goods like jade, obsidian, and feathers with other regions.
• Maya cities like Tikal and Chichen Itza were major centers of culture, trade, and power.
• Their art, including sculptures and colorful murals, showed their beliefs, leaders, and daily life.
• The Maya civilization began to decline around 900 CE, possibly due to drought, warfare, or overfarming, but their descendants still live today.

Foundations of Inca Civilization

The Inca civilization started around 1200 CE in the Andes Mountains of South America, in modern-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina.

• They built their capital city, ​Cusco, high in the mountains, which became the center of their empire.
• The Inca were expert farmers, growing potatoes, quinoa, and maize on terraced fields carved into mountainsides.
• They used irrigation systems to bring water to their crops in the dry, mountainous land.
• The Inca emperor, called the Sapa Inca, was seen as a god and had absolute power over the empire.
• Their society was highly organized, with a system of roads and bridges connecting the vast empire.
• The Inca used a system called quipu, a set of knotted strings, to keep records of goods, taxes, and population.
• They did not have a written language but passed down stories and history through oral traditions.
• Religion played a big role, with the Inca worshiping gods like Inti (the sun god) and offering sacrifices, sometimes including animals or people.
• The Inca were skilled builders, creating stone structures like Machu Picchu without using mortar, fitting stones perfectly together.
• They traded goods like textiles, gold, and silver, and their weavers made beautiful cloth from alpaca and llama wool.​
• The Inca had a system called mit’a, where people worked for the empire on projects like building roads or serving in the army.
• Their empire was the largest in the Americas before European arrival, stretching over 2,500 miles along the Andes.
• The Inca civilization was weakened by disease and internal conflicts before Spanish conquest in the 1530s.

Foundations of Aztec Civilization

The Aztec civilization began in the 1300s in central Mexico, centered around their capital city, Tenochtitlan.

• Tenochtitlan was built on an island in Lake Texcoco, with canals and causeways connecting it to the mainland.
• The Aztecs were skilled farmers, growing maize, beans, and squash on floating gardens called chinampas.
• Their society was led by an emperor who was both a political and religious leader, chosen by nobles and priests.
• The Aztecs had a strong military and conquered many neighboring tribes, creating a large empire.
• They collected tribute (taxes) in the form of food, goods, and even people from the groups they conquered.
• Religion was central to Aztec life, with gods like Huitzilopochtli (the war and sun god) worshiped through sacrifices.
• Human sacrifices were common, as the Aztecs believed they were needed to keep the gods happy and the world running.
• The Aztecs used a writing system with pictographs to record information and history.
• They had two calendars: a 365-day solar calendar for farming and a 260-day sacred calendar for religious events.
• Trade was important, with markets in Tenochtitlan selling goods like cacao, feathers, and precious stones.
• Aztec artisans made beautiful jewelry, pottery, and sculptures, ​often decorated with images of gods or animals.
• Education was important, with children attending schools to learn about history, religion, and skills like farming or crafting.
• The Aztec civilization was conquered by the Spanish in 1521, led by Hernán Cortés, after disease and warfare weakened them.

Pre-contact Native Peoples: Introduction

Before Europeans arrived, the Americas were home to millions of Native peoples with diverse cultures and languages.

• These groups lived in different environments, from forests and plains to deserts and mountains, shaping their ways of life.
• Many Native peoples were hunters and gatherers, while others farmed crops like maize, beans, and squash.
• They developed unique traditions, including storytelling, music, dance, and art, to pass down their history.
• Native peoples built different types of homes, like longhouses, wigwams, or pueblos, depending on their environment.
• Trade networks connected Native groups across the Americas, exchanging goods like shells, furs, and tools.
• Many Native societies had complex social structures, with leaders, councils, or chiefs guiding their communities.
• Spiritual beliefs varied, but most groups respected nature and believed in spirits connected to animals, plants, or the land.
• Some groups, like those in the Pacific Northwest, carved totem poles to tell stories or honor ancestors.
• Native peoples used resources wisely, hunting only what they needed and using every part of an animal or plant.
• They created tools and weapons, like bows, arrows, and stone knives, for hunting, fishing, and daily tasks.
• Each group had its own language, with hundreds of different languages spoken across the Americas.
• Native peoples adapted to their climates, wearing clothing made from animal hides, furs, or woven plants.
• Before European contact in 1492, these societies thrived independently, with rich cultures and traditions.

Native Peoples of the Southwest

The Southwest region includes modern-day Arizona, New Mexico, southern Colorado, ​and parts of Nevada and Utah.

• Native peoples like the Ancestral Puebloans, Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo lived in this dry, desert region.
• The Ancestral Puebloans, also called Anasazi, built stone and adobe homes called pueblos, often in cliffs or canyons.
• They constructed large villages like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, with multi-story buildings and community spaces.
• These groups were skilled farmers, growing maize, beans, and squash in the desert using irrigation ditches.
• They stored food in underground rooms called kivas, which were also used for religious ceremonies.
• The Hopi and Zuni developed dry farming, planting crops deep in the soil to reach moisture without much rain.
• Religion was important, with ceremonies like the Hopi Kachina dances to pray for rain and good harvests.
• The Navajo were originally hunters and gatherers but later learned farming and weaving from the Pueblo peoples.
• Navajo weavers made beautiful blankets and rugs using wool from sheep, which they dyed with bright colors.
• Southwest peoples created pottery with intricate designs, used for cooking, storing food, or ceremonies.
• They traded turquoise, shells, and other goods with neighboring groups, creating strong trade networks.
• Their social structure included clans and families, with​ leaders chosen for wisdom or spiritual roles.
• Despite the harsh desert environment, these peoples thrived by adapting to their surroundings and sharing knowledge.