Conquest of the Maya - History A

In 1502 Columbus first made contact with the Mayan Indians.   By that point the great cities of the Mayan empire had already been abandoned.  The Maya were organized into a large number of independent states, which the conquistadors subdue one by one, a process which took 170 years.  

Particularly in the early stages, a prime motivating factor for the conquistadors was their interest in gold.  Since the Maya lands were poor in these resources, they held little initial interest for the Spanish, who moved on to other areas. However, with the prospects of new land grants and the acquisition of labor forces, they returned to the Maya region.  The Spanish did not ever fully eliminate the Mayan people.  Many cultural traditions still exist among descendants of the Mayan people today.  

In Class Activities 2/25/14

• Covered our sugar cube pyramids with "stucco," then added moss to make them look abandoned
• Painted Mayan soldier figurines
• Looked at images of the decline of the Mayans and the later Spanish Conquest
• Reviewed the timeline of Mayan events
• Discussed the intentions o the Spanish

Optional Lesson Extension Activities:

• Explore the life of the Maya at Ducksters
• Have your own Mayan feast.  

Assignment:

• Write a sentence or two finishing this sentence:  It took the Spanish ____ years to conquer the Maya because...  (Parents, read the introduction to your child only if they cannot answer on their own)
• Review your timeline