Native American History Flashcards

Flashcards about Pre-Columbian Native American Societies to the Present

Diverse Societies

Over 500 distinct societies with unique languages, cultures, and economies before European contact.

Great Plains Nomadic Societies

Nomadic groups that followed buffalo herds on the Great Plains.

Northeast Societies

Mixed agriculture and hunting societies in the Northeast, known for matrilineal systems and complex political structures.

Southwest Societies

Societies in the Southwest known for adobe homes and advanced irrigation.

Northwest Coast Societies

Societies along the Northwest Coast known for totem poles and fishing economies.

Columbian Exchange

The cultural and biological exchange between the New World and Europe.

Encomienda system

A system where Native labor was used in exchange for Christianization by the Spanish.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

A successful Native uprising against the Spanish in New Mexico, leading to a temporary Spanish retreat.

Powhatan Wars (1610-46)

Conflicts between Virginia colonists and the Powhatan Confederacy.

King Phillip's War (1675-78)

Brutal war in New England that marked the last major Native resistance in the Northeast.

Iroquois Confederacy

A Native American confederacy that strategically played the French and British against each other.

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

Native resistance led to the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade westward expansion.

Indian Removal Act (1830)

Andrew Jackson's policy to move Natives west of the Mississippi River.

Worcester v. Georgia (1835)

Indian Removal Act = removed the cherokee and other tribes from their ancestral lands, leading to significant legal battles over their rights and sovereignty.

Trail of Tears (1838-39)

The forced relocation of the Cherokee, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Manifest Destiny

Justified expansion into Native lands.

Reservation System

A system where Natives were confined to government-dictated land.

Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

Colorado militia killed Cheyenne civilians.

Battle of Little Bighorn (1876)

Sioux (Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse) defeated Custer's forces.

Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)

Marked the end of major Native armed resistance.

Dawes Act (1887)

Broke up tribal lands into individual plots, aiming to assimilate Natives into American culture.

Indian Citizenship Act (1924)

Granted citizenship to all Native Americans.

Termination Policy (1950s)

Ended recognition of tribes, leading to poverty and lack of services.

American Indian Movement (AIM)

Founded in the 1960s, an organization involved in the Occupation of Alcatraz (1969) and Wounded Knee (1973).

Indian Self-Determination Act (1975)

Gave tribes control over programs and education.

McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020)

Affirmed tribal jurisdiction in major parts of eastern Oklahoma.