MEXICAN HISTORY EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Pre-Columbian - Correct Answers -Period of North and South American history before
the arrival of the Europeans in the late 15th century.
Olmec - Correct Answers -The first Mesoamerican civilization. Between ca. 1200 and
400 B.C.E., these people of central Mexico created a vibrant civilization that included
intensive agriculture, wide-ranging trade, ceremonial centers, and monumental
construction.
Maya - Correct Answers -Mesoamerican civilization concentrated in Mexico's Yucatan
Peninsula and in Guatemala and Honduras but never unified into a single empire. Major
contributions were in mathematics, astronomy, and development of the calendar.
Teotihuacan - Correct Answers -first major metropolis in Mesoamerica, collapsed
around 800 CE. It is most remembered for the gigantic "pyramid of the sun".
Toltec - Correct Answers -a member of an American Indian people that flourished in
Mexico before the Aztecs.
Aztec - Correct Answers -(1200-1521) 1300, they settled in the valley of Mexico. Grew
corn. Engaged in frequent warfare to conquer others of the region. Worshipped many
gods (polytheistic). Believed the sun god needed human blood to continue his journeys
across the sky. Practiced human sacrifices and those sacrificed were captured warriors
from other tribes and those who volunteered for the honor.
Aztec Empire - Correct Answers -Major state that developed in what is now Mexico in
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; dominated by the seminomadic Mexica, who had
migrated into the region from northern Mexico.
Maya civilization (300-900 CE) - Correct Answers -Classical Mesoamerican civilization
located on the Yucatan Peninsula, used slash and burn farming, organized into city-
states
,Tikal - Correct Answers -the largest ancient Mayan city in the northern part of
Guatemala
Basin of Mexico - Correct Answers -- Housed Teotihuacan (modern Mexico City), Tula,
and Tenochtitlan
- Arid/semiarid climate
- "Highland"
Mesoamerica - Correct Answers -"Middle America" the region extending from modern-
day Mexico through Central America
Toltec Empire - Correct Answers -An empire that preceded the Aztecs in the Valley of
Mexico. It is not clear whether the Toltec controlled areas beyond their capital city.
Chichen Itza - Correct Answers -an ancient Mayan city located on the Yucatan
Peninsula
Aztec Empire - Correct Answers -Central American empire constructed by the Mexica
and expanded greatly during the fifteenth century during the reigns of Itzcoatl and
Motecuzoma I.
Azcapotzalco - Correct Answers -A town on the west side of the lake, occupied by
Nahuatl-speaking people called Tepanecs, noted as a bird- and slave-trading center
and known for its silverwork. It was one of the two most powerful polities around the
lake until destroyed by the Triple Alliance.
Tenochtitlan - Correct Answers -Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in
Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest.
Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.
Spanish conquest of Mexico - Correct Answers -1519-1521
Mectezuma II - Correct Answers -Aztec ruler when Cortes and his army conquered the
empire
Hernan Cortes - Correct Answers -Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and
conquered Mexico (1485-1547)
Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba - Correct Answers -Spanish explorer who left
Santiago de Cuba to explore shores of Southern Mexico
Old World - Correct Answers -the regions of the world that were known to Europeans
before the discovery of the Americas
Veracruz, Mexico - Correct Answers -Where did Hernan Cortez arrive at in the
Americas?
, Fall of Aztec Empire - Correct Answers -The Spanish took over the Aztec Empire, in
hope of discovering gold in 1519.
Yucatan - Correct Answers -Peninsula in Central America, home of the Maya.
Huitzilopochtli - Correct Answers -Aztec tribal patron god; central figure of cult of human
sacrifice and warfare; identified with old sun god
Smallpox - Correct Answers -The overall deadliest known disease in the history of the
world. In the 20th century alone there were approximately 500,000,000 people who died
of this disease.
Cuauhtemoc - Correct Answers -The Aztec military leader defeated by the Spanish
conquerors.
Franciscians & Dominicans - Correct Answers -Priests that came to Mexico to convert
Natives to Roman Catholicism
Enconmienda - Correct Answers -A labor system set up by the Spanish government
where Spanish colonists could work the native Americans on their land while
compensating them and agreeing to educate some of them and teach them about
Christianity. The system was meant to curb exploitation but actually made the
exploitation of Native Americans worse.
New Spain - Correct Answers -After the defeat of the Aztecs, it was a Spanish colony.
Its capital was Mexico City.
Viceroyalty of New Spain - Correct Answers -colonial government whose capital was
Mexico City, controlled Mexico, Central America, and some Caribbean islands.
Antonio de Mendoza - Correct Answers -first viceroy of New Spain, third of Peru,
governed in colony without trying to make enemies with Cortez, commissioned
expeditions, had New Laws of 1542 revoked
Codex Mendoza - Correct Answers -documents containing "tribute lists" detailing
materials paid to the Aztec Empire by its provincial populatoins
Castas - Correct Answers -middle-level status between Europeans and pure minorities
(made up of mezitos and mulattoes)
Castas System - Correct Answers -was a distinction of which every member of society
was aware
Meszito - Correct Answers -Part European and part Amerindian
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Pre-Columbian - Correct Answers -Period of North and South American history before
the arrival of the Europeans in the late 15th century.
Olmec - Correct Answers -The first Mesoamerican civilization. Between ca. 1200 and
400 B.C.E., these people of central Mexico created a vibrant civilization that included
intensive agriculture, wide-ranging trade, ceremonial centers, and monumental
construction.
Maya - Correct Answers -Mesoamerican civilization concentrated in Mexico's Yucatan
Peninsula and in Guatemala and Honduras but never unified into a single empire. Major
contributions were in mathematics, astronomy, and development of the calendar.
Teotihuacan - Correct Answers -first major metropolis in Mesoamerica, collapsed
around 800 CE. It is most remembered for the gigantic "pyramid of the sun".
Toltec - Correct Answers -a member of an American Indian people that flourished in
Mexico before the Aztecs.
Aztec - Correct Answers -(1200-1521) 1300, they settled in the valley of Mexico. Grew
corn. Engaged in frequent warfare to conquer others of the region. Worshipped many
gods (polytheistic). Believed the sun god needed human blood to continue his journeys
across the sky. Practiced human sacrifices and those sacrificed were captured warriors
from other tribes and those who volunteered for the honor.
Aztec Empire - Correct Answers -Major state that developed in what is now Mexico in
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; dominated by the seminomadic Mexica, who had
migrated into the region from northern Mexico.
Maya civilization (300-900 CE) - Correct Answers -Classical Mesoamerican civilization
located on the Yucatan Peninsula, used slash and burn farming, organized into city-
states
,Tikal - Correct Answers -the largest ancient Mayan city in the northern part of
Guatemala
Basin of Mexico - Correct Answers -- Housed Teotihuacan (modern Mexico City), Tula,
and Tenochtitlan
- Arid/semiarid climate
- "Highland"
Mesoamerica - Correct Answers -"Middle America" the region extending from modern-
day Mexico through Central America
Toltec Empire - Correct Answers -An empire that preceded the Aztecs in the Valley of
Mexico. It is not clear whether the Toltec controlled areas beyond their capital city.
Chichen Itza - Correct Answers -an ancient Mayan city located on the Yucatan
Peninsula
Aztec Empire - Correct Answers -Central American empire constructed by the Mexica
and expanded greatly during the fifteenth century during the reigns of Itzcoatl and
Motecuzoma I.
Azcapotzalco - Correct Answers -A town on the west side of the lake, occupied by
Nahuatl-speaking people called Tepanecs, noted as a bird- and slave-trading center
and known for its silverwork. It was one of the two most powerful polities around the
lake until destroyed by the Triple Alliance.
Tenochtitlan - Correct Answers -Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in
Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest.
Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.
Spanish conquest of Mexico - Correct Answers -1519-1521
Mectezuma II - Correct Answers -Aztec ruler when Cortes and his army conquered the
empire
Hernan Cortes - Correct Answers -Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and
conquered Mexico (1485-1547)
Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba - Correct Answers -Spanish explorer who left
Santiago de Cuba to explore shores of Southern Mexico
Old World - Correct Answers -the regions of the world that were known to Europeans
before the discovery of the Americas
Veracruz, Mexico - Correct Answers -Where did Hernan Cortez arrive at in the
Americas?
, Fall of Aztec Empire - Correct Answers -The Spanish took over the Aztec Empire, in
hope of discovering gold in 1519.
Yucatan - Correct Answers -Peninsula in Central America, home of the Maya.
Huitzilopochtli - Correct Answers -Aztec tribal patron god; central figure of cult of human
sacrifice and warfare; identified with old sun god
Smallpox - Correct Answers -The overall deadliest known disease in the history of the
world. In the 20th century alone there were approximately 500,000,000 people who died
of this disease.
Cuauhtemoc - Correct Answers -The Aztec military leader defeated by the Spanish
conquerors.
Franciscians & Dominicans - Correct Answers -Priests that came to Mexico to convert
Natives to Roman Catholicism
Enconmienda - Correct Answers -A labor system set up by the Spanish government
where Spanish colonists could work the native Americans on their land while
compensating them and agreeing to educate some of them and teach them about
Christianity. The system was meant to curb exploitation but actually made the
exploitation of Native Americans worse.
New Spain - Correct Answers -After the defeat of the Aztecs, it was a Spanish colony.
Its capital was Mexico City.
Viceroyalty of New Spain - Correct Answers -colonial government whose capital was
Mexico City, controlled Mexico, Central America, and some Caribbean islands.
Antonio de Mendoza - Correct Answers -first viceroy of New Spain, third of Peru,
governed in colony without trying to make enemies with Cortez, commissioned
expeditions, had New Laws of 1542 revoked
Codex Mendoza - Correct Answers -documents containing "tribute lists" detailing
materials paid to the Aztec Empire by its provincial populatoins
Castas - Correct Answers -middle-level status between Europeans and pure minorities
(made up of mezitos and mulattoes)
Castas System - Correct Answers -was a distinction of which every member of society
was aware
Meszito - Correct Answers -Part European and part Amerindian
