Latin American History – Final Exam Study Guide

This study guide is designed to help you study for the final exam. There are 40 questions

on this study guide. Of the 40 questions, 20 of them will appear on your final as multiple choice

questions. You may work with a peer to complete this study guide, and you may fill out a 3x5

index card to use on your final exam, front and back.

Questions

1. What was the capital city of the Aztec Empire?

2. What were the Aztecs known for their sophisticated system of?

3. Which god was the most important deity in the Aztec pantheon?

4. What was the purpose of the Aztec "Templo Mayor"?

5. The Aztecs participated in a form of ritualistic ball game known as?

6. The Aztecs practiced a form of agriculture known as?

7. The Aztecs used a writing system based on what?

8. Which emperor is credited with expanding the Aztec Empire to its greatest territorial

extent?

9. What military order in the Aztec Empire was composed of elite warriors known for their

distinctive eagle and jaguar costumes?

10. What was the Aztec term for the floating gardens that were used for agriculture on Lake

Texcoco?

11. The ancient Mayan civilization thrived in which geographic region?

12. What is the name of the most famous Mayan city known for its impressive pyramids,

including the Pyramid of Kukulcan?

13. The Mayans developed a system of writing that included both logograms and syllabic

glyphs. What is the name of their writing system?

14. The Mayans were skilled astronomers and developed a calendar system known as?

15. The Mayans engaged in a ritualistic ball game played in large ball courts. What was the

name of this game?

16. Mayan cities were often connected by a network of well-maintained roads. What was the

purpose of these roads?

17. The Mayans had a unique form of government where individual city-states were ruled

by?

18. The Mayans had a complex calendar system consisting of two cycles. What are the

names of these cycles?

19. After the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Spanish built a new city on its ruins. What is the name

of this city?

20. Following the fall of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, what was the new name given to the

territory by the Spanish?

21. Who was the Spanish conquistador responsible for the defeat of the Aztec Empire?

22. What year did Hernán Cortés and his expedition arrive in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan?

23. Following the fall of Tenochtitlan, what was the fate of Moctezuma II?

24. The decisive battle that led to the fall of Tenochtitlan was known as the:

25. What was the primary factor that contributed to the spread of diseases among the Aztecs

during the Spanish conquest?

26. Which indigenous woman played a crucial role as a mediator and cultural broker between

the Spanish and the Aztecs?

27. The Spanish conquistadors formed alliances with indigenous groups who were enemies

of the Aztecs, such as the?

28. After the fall of Tenochtitlan, who was appointed as the first Spanish governor of New

Spain?

29. The Spanish introduced a system of forced labor in New Spain known as?

30. The introduction of European diseases such as smallpox had a devastating impact on the

indigenous population of New Spain. What was the primary reason for this high

mortality?

31. What was the primary economic activity that fueled the wealth of New Spain during the

colonial period?

32. Which rebellion in 1810 marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence,

leading to the end of Spanish rule in New Spain?

33. What was the primary function of the Aztec marketplace, known as the "Tianquiztli"?

34. Who was the founder of the Inca Empire, also known as the first Sapa Inca?

35. What was the capital city of the Inca Empire?

36. What architectural marvel is often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas"?

37. The Inca used a unique system of record-keeping and communication that involved what

method?

38. What was the Inca social and economic system based on communal labor and shared

resources called?

39. Which Spanish conquistador captured the Inca ruler Atahualpa in 1532?

40. What is the name of the Inca creation myth, describing the origin of the Inca people from

the sacred city of Cusco?