Chapter 1-- A New World

Pre-Columbian Americas

Very populated with cities, roads, and trade networks before European arrival.

Maize, squash, beans

The three staple crops that formed the basis of agriculture in the Americas.

Tenochtitlán

The Aztec capital with a population of 250,000, featuring impressive structures.

Inca Kingdom

Contained 12 million people and was connected by 2,000 miles of roads.

Technological differences

North American societies lacked metal tools and other advancements present in European civilizations.

Mound Builders

Native Americans known for constructing large earthen mounds for various purposes.

Pueblo Bonita

The largest dwelling in the U.S. until the 1880s, built by the Hopi and Zuni people.

Great League of Peace

An alliance of five Iroquois tribes that brought stability to Northeast North America.

Animism

The belief that spiritual power exists in animals, plants, and natural elements.

Black Hawk

Native American leader who explained land as a gift from the Great Spirit, not for private ownership.

Mestizos

People of mixed European and Native American descent.

Encomienda system

A system granting Spanish settlers the right to demand tribute and labor from indigenous people.

Repartimiento System

A system where Native Americans were free but required to perform a fixed amount of labor.

Christian Liberty

Freedom centered on spiritual condition through serving God, without connections to individual rights.

Pueblo Revolt

A coordinated uprising of Pueblo people against Spanish rule in 1680.

New France

A French colony that relied on trade and friendly relations with local Native tribes.

Fort Orange

The Dutch outpost established as a trade center for fur in North America.

Patroon system

A system where investors transported tenants to New Netherlands for agricultural labor.

Middle ground

A space where different cultures coexist and interact without clear boundaries.

Commercial sea route

A trade route established by Portugal for accessing Asian markets, circumventing Islamic middlemen.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World.

Poverty Point

A Native American site that served as a commercial and governmental center.

Haciendas

Large-scale farms controlled by Spanish landlords in the Americas.

Five Iroquois tribes

The Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Onondaga formed the Great League of Peace.

Spanish missionaries

Religious figures that sought to convert Native Americans to Christianity through various means.

Gender relations in Indian societies

Women held significant roles, often managing domestic affairs and agriculture.

European views of Native Americans

Often viewed as either noble savages or uncivilized, based on cultural misunderstandings.

Drought and decline

Factors that likely contributed to the decline of the Hopi and Zuni cultures.

Gold, Glory, God

The three motivations behind Spanish exploration and conquest.

Conquistadores

Spanish conquerors known for their expeditions to the Americas, famously Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro.

Smallpox

A disease that contributed to the dramatic decline of Native American populations post-contact.

Council of Indies

The main body in Spain for colonial administration in the Americas.

Liberty and authority

In European societies, civic liberty was tied to obedience to higher authorities.

Las Casas' Complaint

A book arguing for the rights and freedom of Native Americans while justifying Spanish rule.

The Black Legend

The image of Spain as a uniquely brutal colonizer, used to justify rival colonial ambitions.

Iroquois Confederacy

An alliance of six Native American nations in the Northeast, known for their complex political structure.

Missionary work

The efforts of Europeans to convert Indigenous populations to Christianity.

The Great Plains Indians

Native American groups who primarily hunted buffalo and lived in agricultural communities.

Atlantic trade networks

The systems of trade that connected the Americas with Europe and Africa through trans-oceanic routes.

Cahokia

A historic Mississippian city known for its large earthen mounds and trade.

Pueblo Indians

Term referring to Native Americans living in the Southwest known for their adobe dwellings.

Chaco Canyon

Site of significant cultural development in the Southwest, noted for its large communal buildings.