Key IDs Chapter 1: The Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492 - Question and Answer Flashcards

A comprehensive set of Question and Answer flashcards covering the key topics in Chapter 1: The Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492 from the notes.

When did the first peoples cross the Beringia land bridge into the Americas (approximately)?

Circa 15,000 years ago (with some sites dated 30,000–40,000 years ago).

What is notable about the oldest human DNA evidence found in Oregon?

dated back to about 14,000 years ago.

What is the date range for the pre-Clovis site at Cactus Hill in Virginia?

About 16,000 to 20,000 years ago.

Around what time did the first American groups begin domesticating plants and animals?

Circa 10,000 years ago.

Which crops have the longest recorded domestications in the Americas?

Potato and maize.

Which crop native to the Andes was domesticated around 700 CE?

Tomato.

Name three domesticated animals in the Americas mentioned in the notes.

Llamas, alpacas, and guinea pigs.

When did the Olmec civilization date to (approximate range)?

Ca. 1600–1200 BCE.

Where were the Olmec centered geographically?

Around the southern Gulf of Mexico (Veracruz and Tabasco).

What are some Olmec artifacts that survive today?

Pyramids, jade jewelry, and massive basalt stone heads.

The Olmec are believed to be forerunners of which later civilizations?

The Maya and the Aztec.

When did the Maya begin in the Yucatan Peninsula?

Ca. 2600–1800 BCE.

When did the Mayan empire formally rise, and until when did it last?

Roughly started ca. 200–250 CE and lasted until 900–950 CE.

What happened to the great Mayan cities by about 950 CE?

They were largely abandoned.

What battle marks the traditional end of Mayan civilization?

Battle of Utatlán in 1524 CE.

How did the Aztec Triple Alliance come to be?

Following the Tepanec War in 1428 CE, an alliance formed among Texcoco, Tenochtitlan, and Tlacopan; by 1430, Tenochtitlan was dominant.

By 1500 CE, how extensive was the Aztec empire in population terms?

Over eleven million people.

What religious practices characterized Aztec and Mayan beliefs?

Blood-letting and human sacrifice.

What was the War of the Flowers?

Ceremonial warfare with offerings decided during peace-time tournaments.

What happened to the Aztecs in 1515 CE?

Defeated in a rebellion by the Tlaxcala Huexotzingo.

What major event occurred in 1519 CE that affected the Aztecs?

Hernán Cortés arrived, leading toward the empire’s collapse.

When did the Inca civilization flourish and when did European conquest end its rule?

Flourished ca. 1400 CE to 1533 CE (Spanish demise).

What was the Incan road system length?

Over 25,000 miles.

What was the Inca’s recording system called and what could it do?

Quipu; could record up to 10,000 decimals.

Who were the chasquis in the Inca Empire?

Runners who relayed information and goods; could travel up to 150 miles per day.

What happened to the Inca population due to European diseases?

65–90% of the population died.

When did Wayna Qhapaq die, and what did his death trigger?

Died in 1528 CE, triggering a civil war between his sons Waskar and Atahualpa.

Which Inca language is still spoken today and by how many people?

Quechua; spoken by over eight million people.

Approximately how many tribes inhabited what is now the United States?

Over 500 tribes.

What role did maize play in North American development?

Supported economic development, settlement, irrigation, and social diversification (notably among Pueblo groups).

Name some Pueblo groups cited in the notes.

Mogollon, Hokokam, Anasazi, Hopi, Navaho.

What was Cahokia and where was it located?

One of the largest population centers in the Mississippi River Valley; Cahokia mounds indicate social stratification.

What happened to Cahokia before European contact?

Declined, suggesting overpopulation and ecological pressures.

How did Native American settlement east of the Mississippi differ from areas to the west?

Tribally organized societies with intertribal conflict; large-scale river valleys did not develop as they did in the West.

Which groups inhabited the Northwest and present-day California?

Chinook and Coos.

How did Native American views of land ownership differ from European views?

Native peoples generally viewed land as communal; Europeans believed in private ownership ordained by God.

Which Bible passage is often cited to justify European claims to land?

Numbers 33:52–53.

What were Renaissance scholars known for emphasizing?

Reason, questioning authority, and free inquiry.

How did the Renaissance contribute to European exploration and colonization?

Directed attention to science and the world; the move away from feudalism to monarchies provided resources for exploration and conquest.

What is chattel slavery?

Slavery where the enslaved person is owned indefinitely and may pass to heirs; children of slaves are enslaved too.

What change in enslaved labor occurred after the New World discovery?

Africans were imported for labor due to cost and durability of slavery; indentured servants eventually freed while African slavery was perpetual.

How did mercantilism relate to the rise of racial slavery?

Mercantilism created a labor surplus need for colonies, favoring a cheap, identifiable, and perpetual slave labor force.

Who were Sepúlveda and Las Casas, and what was their 1550 debate about?

Spanish scholars who debated whether Indians had souls; Sepúlveda argued they were natural slaves, Las Casas argued they had souls and later pushed reforms.

What policy change did Las Casas help persuade Charles V to pursue regarding Indigenous labor?

Reforms to the encomienda system (limited impact at the time).

What stance did Las Casas take regarding African slavery, and what later happened with his position?

Advocated African slavery to replace Native labor; later apologized for his stance.