Pre-Columbian Societies & European Colonization: Key Concepts & Events

What was the main concept regarding Native American societies?

Diverse societies developed due to the variety of environments in which they settled, and they manipulated these environments.

What crop was significant to Native American societies?

Maize

What major climatic event influenced the development of Native American societies?

The Ice Age

What term describes large animals that went extinct during the Ice Age?

Megafauna

What were the primary means of subsistence for many Native American groups?

Hunting and gathering

Name a Native American group from the Southwest region.

Hopi or Navajo

Name a Native American group from the Great Plains region.

Sioux or Cheyenne

What were the causes of European exploration of the New World?

Desire for wealth, territorial expansion, and spreading Christianity.

What navigational instrument was crucial for European explorers?

Astrolabe

What type of ship was developed for exploration during the Age of Discovery?

Caravel

What phrase summarizes the motivations behind European exploration?

God, Glory, Gold

Who was the explorer that reached the Americas in 1492?

Christopher Columbus

What was the encomienda system?

A labor system that granted colonists the right to demand tribute and forced labor from Native Americans.

What disease had a devastating impact on Native American populations after European contact?

Smallpox

What was the significance of the Columbian Exchange?

It facilitated the transfer of goods, crops, and diseases between the New World and Europe.

What was the caste system in colonial Spanish America?

A social hierarchy based on race and ethnicity.

What was Bacon's Rebellion?

A 1676 uprising in Virginia against Governor William Berkeley's administration, fueled by grievances over land and Native American policy.

What was the significance of the Mayflower Compact?

It was an early agreement for self-governance by the Pilgrims in America.

What was the Middle Passage?

The sea route used for the transport of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

What was the impact of the Triangle Trade?

It established a transatlantic system of trade involving slaves, cash crops, and manufactured goods.

Who were the conquistadores?

Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered territories in the Americas.

What was the role of the Powhatan Confederacy?

A powerful group of Native American tribes in Virginia that interacted with early English settlers.

What was the outcome of the Pueblo Revolt?

A successful uprising by Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers in 1680.

What were the Barbados Slave Codes?

Laws enacted in the 1660s that defined the status of enslaved people and the rights of masters, serving as a model for slave codes in other colonies.

What was the significance of the Caribbean Sugar and Slave Trade?

A major economic system that fueled the transatlantic slave trade, linking the Caribbean, Europe, and North America through the production of sugar.

What is the Triangular Trade?

A system of transatlantic trade in the 17th and 18th centuries involving the exchange of goods and enslaved people between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Who was Jonathan Edwards?

A prominent preacher during the First Great Awakening known for his fire-and-brimstone sermons and emphasis on personal religious experience.

What was the Enlightenment?

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority, influencing American political thought.

Who was Benjamin Franklin?

A Founding Father known for his contributions to science, politics, and diplomacy, as well as his role in the American Enlightenment.

What was French Louisiana?

A French territory in North America that played a significant role in the colonial competition between France and Britain.

What was the Iroquois Confederacy?

A powerful alliance of six Native American nations in the northeastern United States that played a significant role in colonial politics.

What was the significance of the Seven Years' War?

A global conflict (1756-1763) that reshaped colonial power dynamics and set the stage for colonial discontent leading to the American Revolution.

What were the Sugar Act and Stamp Act?

British laws imposing taxes on sugar and printed materials in the colonies, leading to widespread protests and contributing to revolutionary sentiment.

What was the Boston Massacre?

A deadly confrontation in 1770 between British soldiers and Boston colonists, escalating tensions and fueling anti-British sentiment.

Who were the Sons of Liberty?

A group of American patriots formed to oppose British policies and taxes, known for organizing protests and acts of civil disobedience.

What was Thomas Paine's Common Sense?

A pamphlet published in 1776 advocating for American independence from Britain, using clear and persuasive language to rally support.

What was the Declaration of Independence?

The document adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the thirteen American colonies independent from British rule.

What was the Treaty of Paris 1783?

The agreement that officially ended the American Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence and establishing borders.

What was the significance of the Articles of Confederation?

The first constitution of the United States, which created a weak federal government and was eventually replaced due to its ineffectiveness.

What was the ⅗ Compromise?

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes.

What are checks and balances?

A system established by the U.S. Constitution to ensure that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.

What was the Bill of Rights?

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual liberties and rights.

Who were the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?

Federalists supported a strong central government and the Constitution, while Anti-Federalists opposed it, fearing it would threaten individual liberties.