Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress

These flashcards cover key terms, definitions, and concepts related to the lecture notes on Columbus and indigenous peoples, emphasizing the impact of European colonization on Native American cultures.

Arawak

An indigenous group of people from the Bahamas and surrounding Caribbean islands, known for their hospitality and peaceful nature, whose encounters with Columbus marked the beginning of European colonization in the Americas.

Columbus Day

A holiday celebrated in the United States to honor Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, often criticized for overlooking the impact of colonization on indigenous peoples.

Genocide

The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, national, or cultural group, a term that applies to the actions taken against the indigenous populations of the Americas.

Encomienda

A system in colonial Spanish America in which a Spanish colonist was granted a certain number of indigenous peoples to work for him in return for protection and Christianization.

Las Casas

Bartolomé de las Casas, a Spanish historian and Dominican friar who spoke out against the mistreatment of indigenous peoples in the Americas by the Spanish colonizers.

Moundbuilders

A term used to describe various Native American societies that built large earthen mounds for ceremonial, burial, or defensive purposes, notably in the Ohio River Valley.

Iroquois Confederacy

A political alliance of several northeastern Native American tribes, known for their sophisticated governance and matrilineal society.

Massacre

A brutal and indiscriminate killing, often of a large number of people, exemplified by the violent acts of European colonizers against indigenous populations in America.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer whose voyages to the Americas in the late 15th century opened the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

Private Property

A legal designation for ownership of property by non-state actors, which played a significant role in the motivations behind European colonization in the Americas.

Cotton, Corn, and Cassava

Crops cultivated by indigenous peoples of the Americas, showcasing their advanced agricultural practices prior to European contact.

Pizarro and Cortes

Spanish conquistadors known for their conquests in South America, specifically of the Inca Empire and Aztec Civilization, respectively.