Neolithic Revolution and Indigenous Cultures of North America

Neolithic Revolution

The shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture in the Americas (~5,000 years ago in Mesoamerica).

Maize

Developed in Central Mexico or Central America around 3000 BC; smaller than modern corn, gradually domesticated through 'hobby farming.'

Maize Spread

Spread north to the American Southwest by 1500 BC and Southeast by 200 AD; integral to the 'Indian trinity' with beans and squash.

Aztec

Pre-contact civilization in Central America; conquered by Hernán Cortés (1519) in Mexico; rich in gold.

Maya

Pre-Columbian civilization in Central America; maize-based agriculture.

Inca

Pre-contact civilization in South America; conquered by Francisco Pizarro (1532) in Peru; rich in gold and silver.

Pueblo

Spanish term for village; refers to settled, maize-farming communities in the Southwest.

Anasazi

Academic term meaning 'ancient ones'; lived in the Four Corners region (AZ, NM, CO, UT) from ~100 AD to 1200 AD.

Moundbuilders

Native peoples of the Mississippi Valley and Southeast; built ceremonial mounds, some shaped like birds or beasts.

Poverty Point, Louisiana

A pre-maize ceremonial complex (~1700 BC) with massive earthen mounds and a trading network across North America.

Mississippian Chiefdoms

Flourished 1000-1500 AD along the Mississippi River; urban centers with temples, plazas, elite priesthoods, and extensive maize fields.

Eastern Woodlands

Region in Eastern North America with a mix of farming (corn) and hunting/gathering; home to multiple regional cultures with trading networks.

Christopher Columbus 1492

Genoese navigator sailing for Spain, aiming for Asia; landed in the Bahamas, mistaking it for India.

'Indians'

Term used by Columbus for Native Americans.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of crops, animals, people, and diseases between Old and New Worlds.

Hernán Cortés 1519

Conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico using superior weapons, conquistadors, and alliances.

Francisco Pizarro 1532

Conquered the Inca Empire in Peru and took gold, silver, and other treasures.

Conquistadores

Spanish explorers/conquerors seeking gold, glory, and religious conversion.

La Florida

Spanish region along the southeastern U.S. coast explored and settled by Spanish for treasure hunting.

Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

Spanish explorer in La Florida and the American Southeast who wrote Adventures in the Unknown Interior of North America.

Hernando de Soto 1539

Explored the Southeast U.S. in a 'corkscrew' path and disrupted Mississippian chiefdoms.

St. Augustine 1565

First permanent European settlement in the U.S. (Spanish).

New France

French colony in Canada and parts of North America focused on fur trade.

Beaver and the Fur Trade

Beaver pelts were highly valued for hats in Europe, motivating French exploration and alliances.

Samuel de Champlain, Quebec 1608

Founded Quebec and allied with Huron/Algonquin tribes, introducing French influence in the northern regions.

Huron/Algonquin

Native allies of the French who fought against the Iroquois with French support.

Iroquois

Indigenous confederation in the Northeast, rival of Huron/Algonquin and hostile to French.

Pueblo Revolt (Pope's Rebellion) 1680

Uprising of Pueblo people in New Mexico against Spanish missionaries, temporarily expelling Spanish from the region.

Plains Indians

Hunter-gatherers in Great Plains prior to horse introduction, acquiring horses after Pueblo Revolt.

Rene Robert Cavalier de La Salle 1682

Canoed down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and claimed the territory for France as Louisiana.

Louisiane

French territory encompassing the Mississippi River Valley, strategically claiming to block English expansion.