Inca and Aztec Empires Overview

The video explores the largest pre-colonial civilizations in America, focusing on the Incan and Aztec Empires. It details the rise of the Mexica Empire, highlighting its rapid expansion and eventual vulnerability to Spanish conquest due to internal divisions. Similarly, the Inca Empire, despite its impressive achievements in the Andes, was also weakened by a lack of unity. Both empires, though powerful, were young and structurally fragile, making them susceptible to European conquest.

Which two empires were the largest in America before the arrival of colonists?

• Aztec and Olmec

• Mayan and Olmec

• Incan and Aztec

• Incan and Mayan

What was the original name of the Aztec people?

• Inca

• Mayan

• Mexica

• Olmec

What was the capital city of the Mexica Empire?

• Teotihuacan

• Tenochtitlan

• Chichen Itza

• Cusco

When did the Aztec Empire begin its expansion?

• 1519

• 1428

• 1200

• 1325

What was a major weakness of the Aztec Empire?

• Technological backwardness

• Lack of resources

• Cultural diversity and lack of unity

• Geographical isolation

Where was the center of the Inca civilization?

• Lima

• Tenochtitlan

• Cusco

• Machu Picchu

What was a unique feature of the Inca Empire's geography?

• Desert landscapes

• Verticality in the Andes Mountains

• Coastal plains

• Dense rainforests

What was a common characteristic of both the Mexica and Inca Empires?

• Both were isolated from other cultures

• Both were young and loosely united

• Both had strong centralized governments

• Both were ancient and well-established

Why were the Mexica and Inca Empires vulnerable to European conquest?

• They had no military forces

• They were technologically advanced

• They were young and not fully united

• They were geographically isolated