Period 1: Early North American Exploration and Colonial Foundations

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes on pre-Columbian Americas, European exploration, colonization, and the Columbian Exchange.

Maize cultivation

The planting and managing of a type of grain, corn, and the spread of maize planting among Native American

Great Basin Anasazi

The last part of America to be discovered by European Americans. The Native American culture is known for its advanced irrigation techniques.

Spanish vs Portuguese

The Spanish were more interested in God (Christianity), glory (expanding territory), and gold. The Portuguese were more focused on finding a sea route to India for the spice trade, as well as gold and the slave trade.

English vs French exploration

The French focused on the fur trade and alliances with native Americans, while the English focused on coastal settlements and agricultural expansion

Encomienda system

Spanish policy granted colonists rights to labor and tribute from indigenous peoples, often leading to exploitation. A means for the Spanish to control the indigenous people and exploit them for labor and resources.

Iroquois Confederacy

a powerful alliance of six indigenous nations in North America

Mississippian culture

Native american civilization that used and built mounds for religious purposes

Three Sisters Farming

Agricultural method that plants corn, beans, and squash together to support each other.

Conquistadors Cortés and Pizarro:

Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés led an expedition to Mexico, which led to the fall of the Aztec Empire. Pizzaro was a Spanish conquistador known for conquering the Inca empire.

Black Legend

A historical narrative that paints Spain in a bad light and shows that it was cruel and exploitative of the indigenous population

Pueblo Revolt

1680 uprising of Pueblo people against Spanish rule in present-day New Mexico.

Columbian Exchange

Widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and culture between the Americas and the Old World.

Joint Stock Companies/colony

played a role in financing and establishing Jamestown, and played a major role in the colonization of the New World through pooling resources and sharing risks among investors.

Spanish Colonial Class System

A hierarchical structure based on race/ethnicity and social status that affected economic, social, and political status in the colonies

Plantation System

Large-scale agricultural enterprises that used enslaved labor to grow cash crops like tobacco, sugar, and cotton.

Aztec, Mayan, Inca civilization

The Aztecs, in Mesoamerica and created Tenochtitlan complex religion, medical, and education systems; the Mayans in Mesoamerica made calendars and irrigation systems. The Inca had a vast amount of land and had an organized social structure, an agricultural structure.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided the lands outside of Europe