Test One Study Guide

What is Beringia?

A land strip that connected Asia and North America, allowing the migration of Paleo-Indians.

Characteristics of Paleo Indians

Earliest inhabitants of North America; nomadic hunter-gatherers, utilizing stone tools, primarily found in Alaska, Canada, and Northern US, relying on a diet of bison, mammoths, nuts, and seeds.

What significant contributions did Olmec society make?

Known for their stationary lifestyle, art (stone heads, jade carvings, cave paintings), and a chiefdom government with defined rulers.

What defines Teotihuacan?

A city-state near Mexico City, known as one of the largest cities in the world during the first and second centuries.

Mayan Society Location

Located in the Yucatan Peninsula, known for advanced civilization including hieroglyphic writing, calendars, and religious temples.

Key aspects of the Aztec Empire

One of the most powerful empires in modern-day Mexico, known for its capital Tenochtitlan, urban advancements, and religious practices including human sacrifices.

Characteristics of Incan Empire

Established by the 14th century in modern-day Peru; known for terraced cities, extensive road systems, and significant agricultural practices.

Characteristics of African Civilization

Dominated by kingdoms and empires across various regions with trade reliant on gold; involved Islam and ancestral worship.

What initiated early contact between Vikings and Native Americans?

The Vikings' exploration of North America in the first century CE and their attempts at settlement faced resistance from Native Americans.

Define joint-stock companies

Organizations that gained capital from multiple investors to fund exploration and trade initiatives.

What was the Reconquista?

Campaign by the Spanish monarchy to expel Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula, leading to forced conversions.

Significance of Martin Luther

A German priest whose grievances against the Catholic Church initiated the Protestant Reformation, including the translation of the Bible into German.

Outcome of the Protestant Reformation in England

Shift in religious power leading to the establishment of the Church of England and the fluctuation between Protestantism and Catholicism.

What is chattel slavery?

A form of slavery based on race, involving dehumanization of enslaved individuals.

What was the mission system's purpose?

Created by the Catholic Church to spread Christianity among Native Americans and facilitate cultural assimilation.

Define the Columbian Exchange

A historical trade system that facilitated the exchange of goods, plants, animals, diseases, and enslaved peoples between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

What caused Bacon's Rebellion?

Discontent among tobacco planters due to land scarcity and Governor Berkeley’s pacifist policy towards Native Americans.

What is the significance of the Iroquois Confederacy?

A union of five tribes in New York governed by the Great Law of Peace, promoting unity and diplomatic relations.

Define mercantilism

Economic theory that colonies exist primarily to serve the interests of the mother country by providing raw materials.

What were the effects of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680?

Natives revolted against Spanish rule due to oppressive encomiendas and drought, resulting in the expulsion of the Spanish for 12 years.

What did the Mayflower Compact establish?

A civic agreement among the Pilgrims to govern themselves upon landing in the New World.

Role of the Quakers in Pennsylvania

Promoted religious tolerance, greater equality for women, and established peace with Native Americans.

Characteristics of the Carolina Colonies

Initially designed to replicate sugar economy of Caribbean colonies, using African slave labor and governed by a planter elite class.

The legacy of the Salem Witch Trials

Shifted public belief towards a rational world rather than one based on witchcraft and magic, leading to a decline in Puritanism.