Set 6: Native American Civilizations, Maritime Empires, Challenges to State Power

Cultural Relativism

The principle of understanding a culture on its own terms without judging it by the standards of another culture.

Holmberg's Mistake

The erroneous belief that indigenous peoples of the Americas were primitive and lacked complex societies.

Maize

A staple crop of the Americas, also known as corn, significant for its role in indigenous agriculture.

Iron Metallurgy

The technology and processes involved in the extraction and processing of iron, which was notably lacking in certain pre-Columbian societies.

Obsidian

A naturally occurring volcanic glass used by ancient civilizations for tools and weapons.

Llamas and Alpacas

Domesticated South American animals used for transportation, wool, and meat.

Disease Immunity

The ability of certain populations to resist diseases due to previous exposure or genetic factors.

Chaco

An ancient Puebloan cultural center located in northwestern New Mexico, known for its monumental architecture.

Pueblo

A term referring to the communal dwellings of Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States.

Mesa Verde

The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, built from sandstone blocks and adobe mortar, demonstrate the architectural ingenuity of the Ancestral Puebloans. These structures, nestled within large alcoves in the cliff faces, provided natural protection from the elements and potential adversaries.

Dry Farming

An agricultural technique that relies on moisture conservation in arid regions.

Turquoise

A blue-green mineral valued for its use in jewelry and ornamentation by various indigenous cultures.

Mexica

The indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico, known for their empire and the city of Tenochtitlan.

Maya

An ancient civilization known for its hieroglyphic script, art, architecture, and advanced knowledge of astronomy.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Mexica Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco.

Chinampas

A Mesoamerican agricultural technique involving the creation of floating gardens.

Human Sacrifice

The ritual offering of a human life to deities, practiced by several ancient civilizations, including the Mexica.

Bloodletting

A ritual practice among the Mexica involving the drawing of blood to appease gods and ensure agricultural fertility.

Mexica Tribute Lists

Records of tributes paid to the Mexica Empire by conquered peoples, often including goods and labor.

Cocoa

A key agricultural product derived from cacao beans, used to make chocolate, significant in Mesoamerican cultures.

Inca

The largest empire in pre-Columbian America, known for its advanced engineering and extensive road systems.

Temple of the Sun

A significant religious site in the Inca Empire, dedicated to Inti, the sun god.

Machu Picchu

An ancient Incan city located in the Andes Mountains, renowned for its archaeological significance.

Incan Roads

A vast network of roads built by the Inca to connect their empire, facilitating trade and military movement.

Terrace Farming

An agricultural practice of creating stepped fields on slopes to prevent soil erosion and maximize arable land.

Capacocha

An Incan ritual involving the sacrifice of children, often in response to natural disasters or significant events.

Quipu

A system of knotted strings used by the Incas for record-keeping and communication.

Mit'a

A labor tax system used by the Incas, requiring citizens to work on state projects for a certain period.

Flower Wars

Ritualized battles fought by the Mexica to capture prisoners for sacrifice.

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and soldiers who led the conquest of the Americas in the 16th century.

Montezuma

The ninth ruler of the Mexica Empire, known for his encounter with Hernán Cortés.

Cortez

Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Mexica Empire.

The Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World.

Smallpox

A highly contagious disease that devastated indigenous populations in the Americas after European contact.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that emphasizes the role of the state in managing the economy, particularly through trade.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince known for his patronage of exploration and navigation in the 15th century.

School of Navigation

An institution established by Prince Henry to promote maritime exploration and navigation techniques.

Caravel

A small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century for exploration.

Fluyt

A type of sailing vessel developed in the Netherlands, designed for efficient cargo transport.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer credited with the European discovery of the Americas in 1492.

Viceroy

A royal official who runs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch.

West Indies

The islands located in the Caribbean Sea, significant for their role in colonial trade and plantation economies.

Cash Crops

Crops produced for commercial value rather than for use by the grower, such as sugar and tobacco.

Sugar, Tobacco, and Cotton

Key cash crops cultivated in the Americas that were integral to colonial economies.

Rice and Okra

Agricultural products introduced to the Americas, significant in the development of Southern cuisine.

Cassava

A root vegetable native to South America, important as a food source in tropical regions.

Indentured Servitude

A labor system where individuals worked for a specified number of years in exchange for passage to the New World.

Portuguese Slave Trade

The trade of enslaved Africans by the Portuguese, primarily to work on plantations in the Americas.

Triangular Trade

A historical trade route between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving the exchange of goods and slaves.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The transatlantic transportation of enslaved Africans to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

African Diaspora

The dispersion of Africans across the globe, particularly as a result of the slave trade.